Charleston and Savannah: and Col. Lee,
posted in advance, with a light detachment, kept him from prying into
the real weakness of the American army. In the ignorance of the British
general, lay the security of the American; for, at this particular time,
there were not eight hundred men at Greene's headquarters. A glance
at any map of South Carolina will show the judgment with which these
several posts were taken, at once for easy cooperation of the Americans,
as for the control of all the country above the positions actually held
by the British. The territory of the State, with the exception of that
neck of land which lies twelve or fifteen miles up from Charleston,
between the approaching rivers Ashley and Cooper, had all been recovered
from the enemy. But the necessities of the Americans, the want of
military 'materiel', the thinness of the regiments, and the increasing
strength of the British, derived from foreign troops and accessions from
other posts in America, left it doubtful, under existing circumstances,
whether it could be long retained. But this misgiving was not allowed
to prejudice or impair the popular hope, resulting from the apparent
successes of their arms; and one of the modes adopted for contributing
to this conviction was the formal restoration of the native civil
authority. The members of the State Assembly, of whom Marion was one,
were accordingly required by the proclamation of Governor Rutledge--who
had held almost dictatorial powers from the beginning of the war--to
convene at Jacksonborough at an early day of the ensuing year.

Chapter 18.

Marion summoned to the Camp of Greene--Defeats the British
Horse at St. Thomas--Leaves his Command to Horry, and
takes his Seat in the Assembly at Jacksonborough, as Senator
from St. John's, Berkeley--Proceedings of the Assembly--
Confiscation Act--Dispute between Cols. Mayham and Horry--
The Brigade of Marion surprised, during his absence, by a
Detachment from Charleston--Marion's Encounter with the
British Horse--Conspiracy in the Camp of Greene.

While the army of Greene lay at Round O., considerable alarm was excited
in the American camp by tidings of large reinforcements made to the
British strength in Charleston. General Leslie was now in command of
the latter. The contraction of the American military 'cordon' had very
greatly straitened the resources and comforts of the British general.
The numero