Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and EnrichedSchroeder, John Frederick
History
Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched
Schroeder, John Frederick
Presidents -- United States -- Biography; Washington, George, 1732-1799
Washington directed the operations of this southern campaign as far
as it was in his power. But he was interfered with by the pragmatical,
imbecile, and conceited Congress. Had Greene been appointed to take
command of the southern army, according to Washington's desire, instead
of Gates, he would soon have assembled around him that "permanent,
compact, and well-organized body of men," referred to in Washington's
letter to Governor Rutledge, which we have quoted, and would have given
a very different account of the British from that of Gates. Greene was
second only to the Commander-in-Chief in ability--second to none in
courage, coolness, and perseverance. His campaign in the South, as we
shall presently see, was one of the most remarkable performances of
the war. But Congress would not send him to the South till repeated
disasters compelled them to listen to Washington's advice. The old virus
of the Conway Cabal must have been still lurking among the members or
they would scarcely have preferred Gates to Greene. We must now leave
the South for a season and turn to the course of events in the northern
States.
1. Footnote: This was a recent conquest of the British fleet in the West
Indies.
2. Footnote: The reader will recollect that Fort Moultrie received its
name from its defense by Colonel Moultrie in 1776.
3. Footnote: The reader will recollect that Fort Moultrie received its
name from its defense by Colonel Moultrie in 1776.
4. Footnote: Washington, who had long ago taken the measure of Gates'
capacity, was desirous that Greene should receive the appointment to the
command of the southern army at this time; but his wishes were overruled
by Congress. Had Greene been appointed, or even had De Kalb been left in
command, the campaign of 1780 would have been quite another affair.
5. Footnote: Charles Armand, Marquis de la Rouerie, was a French officer
of note when he entered our army as colonel in 1777, and was ordered to
raise a corps of Frenchmen not exceeding 200 men. He served in Jersey
and Pennsylvania in 1777, and in Westchester county, New York, in 1778,
where he captured Major Baremore and his Loyalists, as mentioned in
Washington's certificate below. In 1779 he was stationed at Ridgefield,
Connecticut, under Gen. Robert Howe. He was sent with a legion composed
of his own and Pulaski's cavalry to aid in Gates' southern expedition,
as mentioned in the text. In 1781 he went to France to obtain clothes
and equipments, and returned soon enough to assist at the siege of
Yorktown. Washington recommended him strongly to Congress, who gave him
the commission of brigadier-general in the spring of 1783. He returned
to France in 1784, engaged in the French revolution, and took an active
part. He died January 30th, 1793. On the occasion of Colonel Armand's
going to join the southern army under Gates, Washington gave him the
following certificate under his own hand:
CERTIFICATE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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