ht　its　people　clever　in　business；　courteous；　and　hospitable。　Most　of　them；　he　says；　made　a　visit　to　England　at　some　time　during　life　and　it　was　the　fashion　to　send　there　the　children　to　be　educated。　Obviously　Charleston　was　fitted　to　be　a　British　rallying　center　in　the　South；　yet　it　had　remained　in　American　hands　since　the　opening　of　the　war。　In　1776　Sir　Henry　Clinton；　the　British　Commander；　had　woefully　failed　in　his　assault　on　Charleston。　Now　in　December；　1779；　he　sailed　from　New　York　to　make　a　renewed　effort。　With　him　were　three　of　his　best　officerCornwallis；　Simcoe；　and　Tarleton；　the　last　two　skillful　leaders　of　irregulars；　recruited　in　America　and　used　chiefly　for　raids。　The　wintry　voyage　was　rough；　one　of　the　vessels　laden　with　cannon　foundered　and　sank；　and　all　the　horses　died。　But　Clinton　reached　Charleston　and　was　able　to　surround　it　on　the　landward　side　with　an　army　at　least　ten　thousand　strong。　Tarleton's　irregulars　rode　through　the　country。　It　is　on　record　that　he　marched　sixty…four　miles　in　twenty…three　hours　and　a　hundred　and　five　miles　in　fifty…four　hours。　Such　mobility　was　irresistible。　On　the　12th　of　April；　after　a　ride　of　thirty　miles；　Tarleton　surprised；　in　the　night；　three　regiments　of　American　cavalry　regulars　at　a　place　called　Biggin's　Bridge；　routed　them　completely　and；　according　to　his　own　account；　with　the　loss　of　three　men　wounded；　carried　off　a　hundred　prisoners；　four　hundred　horses；　and　also　stores　and　ammunition。　There　is　no　doubt　that　Tarleton's　dragoons　behaved　with　great　brutality　and　it　would　perhaps　have　taught　a　needed　lesson　if；　as　was　indeed　threatened　by　a　British　officer；　Major　Ferguson；　a　few　of　them　had　been　shot　on　the　spot　for　these　outrages。　Tarleton's　dashing　attacks　isolated　Charleston　and　there　was　nothing　for　Lincoln　to　do　but　to　surrender。　This　he　did　on　the　12th　of　May。　Burgoyne　seemed　to　have　been　avenged。　The　most　important　city　in　the　South　had　fallen。　〃We　look　on　America　as　at　our　feet；〃　wrote　Horace　Walpole。　The　British　advanced　boldly　into　the　interior。　On　the　29th　of　May　Tarleton　attacked　an　American　force　under　Colonel　Buford；　killed　over　a　hundred　men；　carried　off　two　hundred　prisoners；　and　had　only　twenty…one　casualties。　It　is　such　scenes　that　reveal　the　true　character　of　the　war　in　the　South。　Above　all　it　was　a　war　of　hard　riding；　often　in　the　night；　of　sudden　attack；　and　terrible　bloodshed。
  After　the　fall　of　Charleston　only　a　few　American　irregulars　were　to　be　found　in　South　Carolina。　It　and　Georgia　seemed　safe　in　British　control。　With　British　successes　came　the　problem　of　governing　the　South。　On　the　royalist　theory；　the　recovered　land　had　been　in　a　state　of　rebellion　and　was　now　restored　to　its　true　allegiance。　Every　one　who　had　taken　up　arms　against　the　King　was　guilty　of　treason　with　death　as　the　penalty。　Clinton　had　no　intention　of　applying　this　hard　theory；　but　he　was　returning　to　New　York　and　he　had　to　establish　a　government　on　some　legal　basis。　During　the　first　years　of　the　war；　Loyalists　who　would　not　accept　the　new　order　had　been　punished　with　great　severity。　Their　day　had　now　come。　Clinton　said　that　〃every　good　man〃　must　be　ready　to　join　in　arms　the　King's　troops　in　order　〃to　reestablish　peace　and　good　government。〃　〃Wicked　and　desperate　men〃　who　still　opposed　the　King　should　be　punished　with　rigor　and　have　their　property　confiscated。　He　offered　pardon　for　past　offenses；　except　to　those　who　had　taken　part　in　killing　Loyalists　〃under　the　mock　forms　of　justice。〃　No　one　was　henceforth　to　be　exempted　from　the　active　duty　of　supporting　the　King's　authority。
  Clinton's　proclamation　was　very　disturbing　to　the　large　element　in　South　Carolina　which　did　not　desire　to　fight　on　either　side。　Every　one　must　now　be　for　or　against　the　King；　and　many　were　in　their　secret　hearts　resolved　to　be　against　him。　There　followed　an　orgy　of　bloodshed　which　discredits　human　nature。　The　patriots　fled　to　the　mountains　rather　than　yield　and；　in　their　turn；　waylaid　and　murdered　straggling　Loyalists。　Under　pressure　some　republicans　would　give　outward　compliance　to　royal　government；　but　they　could　not　be　coerced　into　a　real　loyalty。　It　required　only　a　reverse　to　the　King's　forces　to　make　them　again　actively　hostile。　To　meet　the　difficult　situation　Congress　now　made　a　disastrous　blunder。　On　June　13；　1780；　General　Gates；　the　belauded　victor　at　Saratoga；　was　given　the　command　in　the　South。
  Camden；　on　the　Wateree　River；　lies　inland　from　Charleston　about　a　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles　as　the　crow　flies。　The　British　had　occupied　it　soon　after　the　fall　of　Charleston；　and　it　was　now　held　by　a　small　force　under　Lord　Rawdon；　one　of　the　ablest　of　the　British　commanders。　Gates　had　superior　numbers　and　could　probably　have　taken　Camden　by　a　rapid　movement；　but　the　man　had　no　real　stomach　for　fighting。　He　delayed　until；　on　the　14th　of　August；　Cornwallis　arrived　at　Camden　with　reinforcements　and　with　the　fixed　resolve　to　attack　Gates　before　Gates　attacked　him。　On　the　early　morning　of　the　16th　of　August；　Cornwallis　with　two　thousand　men　marching　northward　between　swamps　on　both　flanks；　met　Gates　with　three　thousand　marching　southward；　each　of　them　intending　to　surprise　the　other。　A　fierce　struggle　followed。　Gates　was　completely　routed　with　a　thousand　casualties；　a　thousand　prisoners；　and　the　loss　of　nearly　the　whole　of　his　guns　and　transport。　The　fleeing　army　was　pursued　for　twenty　miles　by　the　relentless　Tarleton。　General　Kalb；　who　had　done　much　to　organize　the　American　army；　was　killed。　The　enemies　of　Gates　jeered　at　his　riding　away　with　the　fugitives　and　hardly　drawing　rein　until　after　four　days　he　was　at　Hillsborough；　two　hundred　miles　away。　His　defense　was　that　he　〃proceeded　with　all　possible　despatch；〃　which　he　certainly　did；　to　the　nearest　point　where　he　could　reorganize　his　forces。　His　career　was；　however；　ended。　He　was　deprived　of　his　command；　and　Washington　appointed　to　succeed　him　General　Nathanael　Greene。
  In　spite　of　the　headlong　flight　of　Gates　the　disaster　at　Camden　had　only　a　transient　effect。　The　war　developed　a　number　of　irregular　leaders　on　the　American　side　who　were　never　beaten　beyond　recovery；　no　matter　what　might　be　the　reverses　of　the　day。　The　two　most　famous　are　Francis　Marion　and　Thomas　Sumter。　Marion；　descended　from　a　family　of　Huguenot　exiles；　was　slight　in　frame　and　courteous　in　manner；　Sumter；　tall；　powerful；　and　rough；　was　the　vigorous　frontiersman　in　type。　Threatened　men　live　long：　Sumter　died　in　1832；　at　the　age　of　ninety…six；　the　last　surviving　general　of　the　Revolution。　Both　men　had　had　prolonged　experience　in　frontier　fighting　against　the　Indians。　Tarleton　called　Marion　the　〃old　swamp　fox〃　because　he　often　escaped　through　using　by…paths　across　the　great　swamps　of　the　country。　British　communications　were　always　in　danger。　A　small　British　force　might　find　itself　in　the　midst　of　a　host　which　had　suddenly　come　together　as　an　army；　only　to　dissolve　next　day　into　its　elements　of　hardy　farmers；　woodsmen；　and　mountaineers。
  After　the　victory　at　Camden　Cornwallis　advanced　into　North　Carolina；　and　sent　Major　Ferguson；　one　of　his　most　trusted　officers；　with　a　force　of　about　a　thousand　men；　into　the　mountainous　country　lying　westward；　chiefly　to　secure　Loyalist　recruits。　If　attacked　in　force　Ferguson　was　to　retreat　and　rejoin　his　leader。　The　Battle　of　King's　Mountain　is　hardly　famous　in　the　annals　of　the　world；　and　yet；　in　some　ways；　it　was　a　decisive　event。　Suddenly　Ferguson　found　himself　beset　by　hostile　bands；　coming　from　the　north；　the　south；　the　east；　and　the　west。　When；　in　obedience　to　his　orders；　he　tried　to　retreat　he　found　the　way　blocked；　and　his　messages　were　intercepted；　so　that　Cornwallis　was　not　aware　of　the　peril。　Ferguson；　harassed；　outnumbered；　at　last　took　refuge　on　King's　Mountain；　a　stony　ridge　on　the　western　border　between　the　two　Carolinas。　The　north　side　of　the　mountain　was　a　sheer　impassable　cliff　and；　since　the　ridge　was　only　half　a　mile　long；　Ferguson　thought　that　his　force　could　hold　it　securely。　He　was；　however；　fighting　an　enemy　deadly　with　the　rifle　and　accustomed　to　fire　from　cover。　The　sides　and　top　of　King's　Mountain　were　wooded　and　strewn　with　boulders。　The　motley　assailants　crept　up　to　the　crest　while　pouring　a　deadly　fire　on　any　of　the　defenders　who　exposed　themselves。　Ferguson　was　killed　and　in　the　end　his　force　surrendered；　on　October　7；　1780；　with　four　hundred　casualties　and　the　loss　of　more　than　seven　hundred　prisoners。　The　American　casualties　were　eighty…eight。　In　reprisal　for　earlier　acts　on　the　other　side；　the　victors　insulted　the　dead　body　of　Ferguson　and　hanged　nine　of　their　prisoners　on　the　limb　of　a　great　tulip　tree。　Then　the　improvised　army　scattered。*
  *　See　Chapter　IX；　〃Pioneers　of　the　Old　Southwest〃；　by　Constance　Lindsay　Skinner　in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America。〃
  While　the　conflict　for　supremacy　in　the　South　was　still　uncertain；　in　the　Northwest　the　Americans　made　a　stroke　destined　to　have　astounding　results。　Virginia　had　long　coveted　lands　in　the　valleys　of　the　Ohio　and　the　Mississippi。　It　was　in　this　region　that　Washington　had　first　seen　active　service；　helping　to　wrest　that　land　from　France。　The　country　was　wild。　There　was　almost　no　settlement；　but　over　a　few　forts　on　the　upper　Mississippi　and　in　the　regions　lying　eastward　to