A second edition of LEE'S MEMOIRS seemed to be required by general demand, and was certainly called for by particular request. Colonel Fenwick, of the United States' army, having substantiated his solicitude by his liberality, and agreed to bear the expense of the edition if I would undertake to prepare it, is, in justice, to be considered the patron of the work. The venerable Col· Howard, glorious for his services in the wars of Greene' was not less kind. He contributed his corrections, in a manner which authorizes me to affirm that the narrative, as it now stands, bears the seal of his confirmation.The author, not having been able to superintend the original impression, took occasion to place on the margin of the copy from which this edition is printed, a number of MS. corrections, the adoption of which, after collating them with his Revolutionary documents, it is believed will be found an improvement. The text I have not of course ventured to alter, unless corrections in regard to such obvious mistakes as to dates, names, and places, as cannot affect the identity of the composition, be considered alterations. One emendation might appear at variance with this remark, if it were left without a particular explanation. In looking over the original manuscript, my attention was struck by the following sentence: "To the hand of one of her sons had been committed the sword of defence, and from the lips of another, in obedience to the commands of his constituents, was proposed our independence ;" and I suggested the propriety of adding, that the pen of a third had composed our declaration of Independence. The au ୮ 4 thor observed that this had occurred to him also, but that, as contradictory opinions existed respecting the authorship of that great paper, some ascribing it to Mr. R. H. Lee, and others to Mr. Jefferson, he thought it would be the fairer way to decline any expression on the subject. At the time this conversation took place, the uncertainty alluded to did prevail in the minds of many persons, who inferred from the fact of Mr. Lee's having been chairman of the Committee, raised to report on his proposition of independence, and from a corrected copy of the declaration being found among his papers, that he was the author of the instrument itself. This being now completely removed, I have made the text conform to the amendment, which was declined expressly in consequence of its temporary prevalence; as the reader will find at page 119. Such notes as I have added, it is hoped will increase the interest of the work, and facilitate its accurate comprehension by the military student. Washington, 1st December, 1826. H. LEE. Ganden, battle of ......................... C ..... ......... 347 113 16 11 78 33 12 Camden, battle near, between Greene and Rawdon........ Charleston, surrender of........ finally evacuated by the British.... 39 ........... 73 Coates, lieut. col. the pursuit of, by Sumpter, Marion, and Lee. Capture Cowpens, the battle of........... 132 Cornwallis arrives with his army at Wilmington............................... ..................................... 186 Cherokees. Their irruption upon the district of Ninety-Six........ D Davidson, lieut. col. the death of......... .. 137 De Grasse, his arrival in the Chesapeake, and battle with the British fleet. 348 Davie, lieut. col. skirmishes with the British.................................... ................................. 105 ... 96 96 Donope, count, repulsed and killed at Redbank........ 23 E Eggleston, major, his route and capture of a foraging party, and forty-five Page. 260 332 Galpin Fort, taken by lieut. col. Lee........ Gates, general, succeeds Lincoln in the command of the South........... 236 84 ..... ........ 40 118 126 147 156 Greene, Nathaniel, succeeds Gates in command of the South.. ......... 204 to 213 his determination to leave Cornwallis, and carry the war into South H Hampton, his dispersion and capture of some mounted refugees......... Hayne, colonel Isaac, narrative of the circumstances which led to his exe- Hanging Rock, attack on the British post of.................... Howe, general Robert, defeated by lieut. col. Campbell......................... King's Mountain, battle of......... K L ....... 108 Laurens, lieut. col. John, placed in command of the infantry of the light Lee captures and releases the wounded of Stewart's army Major General Charles, arrest of................ Lincolu, Major General, appointed commander in chief of the southern army 43 M Marion and Lee, detached to interrupt Stewart's retreat.................... 339 his corps surprised and routed, during his absence from it, while MEMOIRS OF THE WAR IN THE SOUTHERN DEPARTMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. CHAPTER I, THE determination of the mind, to relinquish the soft scenes of tranquil life for the rough adventures of war, is generally attended with the conviction that the act is laudable; and with a wish, that its honourable exertions should be faithfully transmitted to posterity. These sentiments lead to the cultivation of virtue; and the effect of the one is magnified by the accomplishment of the other. In usefulness to society, the difference is inconsiderable between the conduct of him who performs great achievements, and of him who records them; for short must be the remembrance, circumscribed the influence, of patriotic exertions and heroic exploits, unless the patient historian retrieve them from oblivion, and hold them up conspicuously to future ages. "Sæpè audivi, Q. Maximum, P. Scipionem, præterea civitatis nostræ præclaros viros, solitos ita dicere, cùm majorum imagines intuerentur, vehementissimè sibi animum ad virtutem accendi. Scilicet non ceram illam, neque figuram tantam vim in sese habere; sed memoriâ rerum gestarum eam flammam egregiis viris in pectore crescere, neque priùs sedari, quàm virtus eorum famam atque gloriam adæquaverit."*Sall. Bell. Jugur. Regretting, as we all do, that not one of the chief actors in our camp or cabinet, and indeed very few of our fellow citizens, have attempted to unfold the rise, or to illustrate the progress and termination of our revolution, I have been led to this my undertaking with a hope of contributing, in some degree, to repair the effects of this much lamented indifference. With this view, I am about to write memoirs of the southern campaigns, being that part of the "Often have I heard," "that Quintus Maximus, Publius Scipio, and other renowned men of our commonwealth, used to say that, whenever they beheld the images of their ancestors, they felt their minds vehemently excited to virtue. It could not be the wax or the marble that possessed this power; but the recollection of their great actions kindled a generous flame in their breasts, (not to be quelled) till they also by virtue had acquired equal fame and glory." |