regular army, by which the influence of the native
militia, on the events of the war, was quite too much disparaged. But
for this militia, and the great spirit and conduct manifested by the
partisan leaders in Carolina, no regular force which Congress would or
could have sent into the field, would have sufficed for the recovery of
the two almost isolated States of South Carolina and Georgia. Indeed,
we are inclined to think that, but for the native spirit which they
had shown in the conquest, no attempt would have been made for their
recovery. We should be at a loss, unless we recognized the value of this
native spirit, and the importance of its achievements, however small
individually, to determine by what means these States were finally
recovered to the American confederacy. In no single pitched battle
between the two grand armies did the Americans obtain a decided victory.
The fruits of victory enured to them, quite as much in consequence of
the active combination of the partisan captains, as by the vigor of
their own arms. By these the enemy were harassed with unparalleled
audacity--their supplies and convoys cut off, their detachments captured
or cut to pieces, their movements watched, and their whole influence
so narrowed and restrained, as to be confined almost entirely to those
places where they remained in strength. It is not meant by this,
to lessen in any degree the value of the services rendered by the
Continental forces. These were very great, and contributed in large
measure to bring the war to an early and a happy issue. It is only
intended to insist upon those claims of the partisans, which, unasserted
by themselves, have been a little too irreverently dismissed by others.
But for these leaders, Marion, Sumter, Pickens, Davie, Hampton, and some
fifty more well endowed and gallant spirits, the Continental forces sent
to Carolina would have vainly flung themselves upon the impenetrable
masses of the British.

It was the vitality thus exhibited by the country, by the native
captains and people, that persuaded Congress, though sadly deficient in
materials and men, to make another attempt to afford to the South,
the succor which it asked. The wreck of the army under Gates had been
collected by that unfortunate commander at Charlotte, North Carolina.
He was superseded in its command by General Greene, a soldier of great
firmness and discretion, great prudence and forethought--qualities
the very opposite of tho