, the brave and gallant officer,
crushed and almost heart-broken at the readiness with which his men and
many of his fellow officers had accepted what seemed proofs of his
guilt, never recovered from the hurt caused by the cruel charge. For
though he nobly put aside his just resentment, and remained at his post
of duty, guarding the Albemarle counties from danger of invasion until
the withdrawal of the British troops from southeastern Virginia removed
the danger, his life was ever afterwards shadowed by the mortification
he had been called upon to undergo.

In February, 1781, the enemy's army in Virginia became such a source of
terror to the people of that section that General Allen Jones was
ordered to reinforce Gregory with troops from the Halifax District. But
later that same month a greater danger confronted the patriot army in
the South, and this order was countermanded. Most of the forces in the
States were now hurried to the aid of General Greene, who had superseded
Gates after the battle of Camden, and was leading Cornwallis an eventful
chase across the Piedmont section of North Carolina. Cornwallis, after
having been reinforced by General Leslie, had planned to invade North
Carolina, conquer that State, march through Virginia and join Clinton in
a fierce onslaught against Washington's army in the North. To foil the
plans of the British officers Greene was concentrating the patriot
troops in the South in the Catawba Valley, and Gregory was left with
only a handful of men to hold the enemy at Norfolk in check.

In June, General Gregory's situation was so desperate that the Assembly
again ordered General Allan Jones to send 400 men from Halifax District
to North West Bridge to reinforce Gregory; and the latter officer was
authorized to draft as many men as possible from the Edenton District.

General Jones informed the Assembly that he would send the troops as
soon as possible, but that Gregory would have to provide arms, as he had
no means of furnishing equipments for them.

Several engagements took place in June between the British and Americans
in the Dismal Swamp region, and in one of them Gregory was repulsed and
driven from his position. But in July he wrote to Colonel Blount
reporting that his losses were trifling, and that he had regained his
old post from the enemy. In August, 1781, a letter from General Gregory
conveyed the joyful tidings that the enemy had evacuated Portsmouth. As
his troops were no