life of francis marion(弗朗西丝·马利翁传)-第42部分
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give up the field； though without material loss。 We are now within five
miles of Camden； and shall closely invest it in a day or two again。 That we
may be enabled to operate with more certainty against this post； I should
be glad you would move up immediately to our assistance； and take post
on the north side of the town。 I have detached a field piece to your
assistance； with an escort of a few continental troops under the command
of Major Eaton。 I should be glad you would send them a guide and
conduct them to your camp。
I am； Sir； With great esteem and respect； Yours； &c。 （Signed） N。
Greene。
P。S。 I should be glad you would move up within seven miles of
Camden。
____________
Gen。 Greene to Gen。 Marion。
~Camp； at Cornal's Creek； May 9； 1781。~
Dear Sir；
I am favoured with yours of the 6th instant。 I am sorry the militia are
deserting；* because there is no greater support。 If they were influenced by
proper principles； and were impressed with a love of liberty and a dread of
slavery； they would not shrink at difficulties。 If we had a force sufficient to
recover the country； their aid would not be wanted； and they cannot be
well acquainted with their true interest to desert us； because they conceive
our force unequal to the reduction of the country without their consent。 I
shall be always happy to see you at head quarters； but cannot think you
seriously mean to solicit leave to go to Philadelphia。 It is true your task
has been disagreeable； but not more so than others。 It is now going on
seven years since the commencement of this war。 I have never had leave
of absence an hour； nor paid the least attention to my own private affairs。
Your state is invaded； your all is at stake； what has been done will signify
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Life of Marion。
nothing unless we persevere to the end。 I left a wife in distress and every
thing dear and valuable； to come and afford you all the assistance in my
power； and if you leave us in the midst of our difficulties； while you have
it so much in your power to promote the service； it must throw a damp
upon the spirits of the army； to find that the first men in the state are
retiring from the busy service； to indulge themselves in more agreeable
amusements。 However； your reasons for wishing to decline the command
of the militia； may be more pressing than I imagine。 I will therefore； add
nothing more upon this subject till I see you。 My reasons for writing so
pressingly respecting the dragoons； was from the distress we were in。 It is
not my wish to take the horses from the militia if it will injure the public
service the effects and consequences you can better judge of than I can。
You have rendered important service to the public with the militia under
your command； and done great honour to yourself； and I would not wish
to render your situation less agreeable with them； unless it is to answer
some very great purpose； and this I persuade myself you would agree to
from a desire to promote the public good。 I wish you success in the fort
you are besieging。 Lord Rawdon was out yesterday； we had the night
before taken a new position on Sawney's creek； and I imagine he came out
to attack； expecting to find us on the Twenty…five mile creek。 We did not
like the position on Sawney's creek to risk an action on； and therefore took
a new one at this place； leaving the horse； light infantry and picketts at the
old encampment； the enemy came and drew up on the other side of the
creek； but did not attempt to cross； and retired into Camden before night。
We are in daily expectation of a large reinforcement of Virginia militia and
some continental troops； when those arrive we shall push our operations
with more vigour。 No further news of Lord Cornwallis。
* This letter is an answer to one of Marion's； （which is missing；）
soon after his arrival at Fort Watson； with only eighty men。 See page 109。
＇Chapter III Paragraph 26。 See Simms for more complete details。 A。 L。＇
I am； Sir； With the highest esteem and regard； Yours； &c。 N。
Greene。
____________
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Life of Marion。
Gen。 Greene to Gen。 Marion。
~Camp； before Ninety…Six； June 10； 1781。~
Dear Sir；
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favours of the 22d and 29th
ult。 It gives me great pleasure to hear the enemy have left Georgetown；
and I am of opinion with you； that it will be attended with many good
consequences to that part of the country。 After you have dismantled the
enemy's works； you will collect your force； take the position you
mentioned； and act in conjunction with Gen。 Sumter； agreeable to the
advice I gave you before。 I have the pleasure to congratulate you on the
reduction of the enemy's fort at Augusta。 This event took place on the 7th
inst。 by capitulation； and I hope in a few days to have the pleasure of
congratulating you on the reduction of this place； but we are opposed to
many difficulties； and the garrison resists with great obduracy。
I am； Sir； With every sentiment of respect and esteem； Yours； &c。 N。
Greene。
____________
Extract of a Letter from Gen。 Greene to Gen。 Marion。
~Head Quarters； near Sandy River； June 25； 1781。~
Dear Sir；
I am favoured with your letter dated at the Congaree。 The enemy have
obliged us to raise the siege of Ninety…Six； when it was upon the eve of
surrendering。 It was my wish to have fought Lord Rawdon before he
reached Ninety…Six； and could I have collected your force and that of Gen。
Sumter and Pickens； I would have done it： and am persuaded we should
have defeated him； but being left alone； I was obliged to retire。
（Signed） N。 Greene。
Finis。
Notes：
（1） About this etext。 （2） A。 S。 Salley's Introduction from the 1948
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Life of Marion。
edition。 （3） For the purists： A list of changes and corrections to the text。
（1） About this etext。
This etext was prepared from the original 1821 edition and the 1948
edition。 In the case of any differences in the text； the 1821 edition was
used； except where there was an obvious mistake （see the section for the
purists）。 Although the 1948 edition maintained the original text as far as
possible； a few errors crept in only one which changed the meaning of
the text； and only in a minor way。 This etext was transcribed twice； and
electronically compared using 〃diff〃。 This weeds out most errors； so that；
with the correction of a number of errors in the original； this is very likely
the cleanest copy to date。
As far as I can tell； the original text has only been published twice in
unaltered form： in 1821 （Gould and Riley； Charleston； S。 C。） and in 1948。
That made it very difficult to find this text。 I am indebted to the following
for their help in procuring these：
The librarians in the Southern Literature section at the Public Library
in Birmingham； Alabama； for helping me in the search for the 1821
edition。
Carolyn Lancaster； （lancaster_carolyn/furman@furman。edu） a
Library Assistant at the Special Collections Department； Furman
University Library； Greenville； South Carolina； for kindly aiding me to
acquire a photocopy of the 1821 edition。 （The Collection contains the
South Carolina Baptist materials and Furman University Archives and
older； non…circulating； 〃rare books〃； such as this one。） Phone： （864） 294…
2194。 Fax： （864） 294…3004。 Mail： Special Collections； Furman University
Library； 3300 Poinsett Hwy。； Greenville； SC 29613。 Web：
carolus。furman。edu/library/welcome
Gary M。 Johnson； at the Library of Congress
（gjohnson@mail。loc。gov）； for a great deal of help； including a copy of the
1948 edition。 The online Library of Congress catalog is at：
lcweb。loc。gov/
This etext was prepared by Alan Robert Light
（alight@mercury。interpath）； who； as a former member of the South
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Life of Marion。
Carolina National Guard； has a special interest in the subject。 Two related
works are already online； available from Project Gutenberg and perhaps
from other sources。 www。cs。cmu。edu/Web/books。html is a good site。
They are the biographies of Francis Marion by the Rev。 Mason Locke
Weems and by William Gilmore Simms。 The Weems biography is full of
errors； and is more useful as literature than as history。 Weems is the same
author who invented the anecdote about George Washington and the
