He accordingly marched to the Cheraw hills, on the Pee Dee; and detached General Morgan to the west of the Catawba, to cut off the left wing of Cornwallis’ army, and otherwise annoy him as circumstances might permit. This movement of General Morgan and his army alarmed the British from their posts. Colonel Tarleton was dispatched with a force to cut off and destroy him; but in this case the victory took an opposite direction, and Colonel Tarleton’s troops met their annihilation at the Cowpens. The news of this victory was a severe blow to Cornwallis, and he at once determined to cut off Morgan’s retreat with his prisoners, and prevent his joining the main army. But in this he was foiled; for, mistaking the route supposed to be taken by his enemy, Morgan was enabled to reach Greene in safety. Notwithstanding the victory at the Cowpens, General Greene had to encounter a number of successive disasters. He was defeated at Guildford, and again at Camden, but prevented Lord Rawdon from improving his success, and obliged him to retire beyond the Santee. While in the vicinity of the Santee, he was under the painful necessity of ordering the sentence of the law to be put in force on some of his men. From the continual desertions taking place, he found it necessary to hang eight of his soldiers in one day. A number of forts and garrisons in South Carolina now fell into his hands, but the army, at the approach of Lord Rawdon, was under the necessity of retreating to the extremity of the state. Discouraging as this was, the firmness and decision of General Greene sustained him through every trial. Being at this time advised to abandon South Carolina and retire to Virginia, he replied, “I will recover the country or perish in the attempt.” Lord Rawdon soon found that pursuit was hazardous, and retired to Charleston. General Greene retired to the Santee Hills, to enjoy the breezes during the debilitating heat of the summer months. An able historian gives the following account of the battle at Eutaw Springs, which was the last of General Greene’s battles:--“The battle at the Eutaw Springs, on the 8th of September, was described by the American commander, as the most obstinate and bloody he had ever seen. The militia, with a firmness ‘which would have graced the veterans of the great King of Prussia,’ advanced with shouts into the hottest of the enemy’s fire; but one part of the line faltering for a moment, the British, elated at the prospect, sprang forward to improve that moment, but at the same time deranged their own line. General Greene, who was watching for such an incident, ‘ordered the second line to advance and sweep the field with the bayonets!’