In the
early afternoon, after a march of twelve miles without food,
Cornwallis, with less than two thousand men, attacked Greene's
force of about four thousand. By evening the British held the
field and had captured Greene's guns. But they had lost heavily
and they were two hundred miles from their base. Their friends
were timid, and in fact few, and their numerous enemies were
filled with passionate resolution.
Cornwallis now wrote to urge Clinton to come to his aid. Abandon
New York, he said; bring the whole British force into Virginia
and end the war by one smashing stroke; that would be better than
sticking to salt pork in New York and sending only enough men to
Virginia to steal tobacco. Cornwallis could not remain where he
was, far from the sea. Go back to Camden he would not after a
victory, and thus seem to admit a defeat. So he decided to risk
all and go forward. By hard marching he led his army down the
Cape Fear River to Wilmington on the sea, and there he arrived on
the 9th of April. Greene, however, simply would not do what
Cornwallis wished--stay in the north to be beaten by a second
smashing blow. He did what Cornwallis would not do; he marched
back into the South and disturbed the British dream that now the
country was held securely.
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