"

At the close of this year, Gov. Rutledge and his council issued writs of
election for members of the senate and house of representatives,
which, by proclamation issued afterwards, were appointed to meet at
Jacksonborough. Gen. Greene still lay at the Round O, where he secured
the rice and other provisions from the enemy, by sending out patroles
of cavalry as far as Dorchester: but he had not yet received a supply
of ammunition for his infantry, and Marion was also without that
indispensible muniment of war. As to other necessaries he says, "Our
horsemen have neither cloaks or blankets, nor have our troops received
a shilling of pay since they came into this country. Nor is there a
prospect of any. Yet they do not complain."* At length on the 14th of
December he received a supply of ammunition and sent _it all_ to Marion,
then at Watboo, saying, "he was in expectation of soon receiving more."

* Greene's letters, 13th and 14th December.

The British extended their patroles of cavalry nearly up to Dorchester,
but their main body was now confined to Charleston neck.

Thus, in the course of the campaign of 1781, the American army under
Gen. Greene, without pay, without clothing, and as we have seen
frequently without ammunition, had driven the enemy from all their
strong holds but one; had defeated them in battle, and retaken all South
Carolina but a neck of land.

*****

Detached Narratives for 1781.

There was with Marion's brigade throughout, a young man, Robert,
commonly called Bob James, but oftener, _the general's right hand
man_. It was known to very few that Marion employed him often to gain
intelligence from the enemy in Georgetown and other places. The
general never suffered him to mount guard or do common duties; being an
excellent woodsman, he was his favourite guide; being an expert swimmer,
he was generally by his side when swimming rivers, or paddled him over
in a canoe if they had one; being a good fisherman, he often caught
him fish; the general would laugh and joke with him, but with no other
private. He did not however employ Bob in these small matters when he
had any thing serious for him to do. Surprised at his exact intelligence
from Georgetown and other places, the author asked him once "how he got
it?" He related several interesting particulars, among others this one:
"Just in the outskirts of Georgetown there is a pond full of bushes, and
in the middle of it a large gum-tre