of sudden attack, and terrible bloodshed.

After the fall of Charleston only a few American irregulars were to be
found in South Carolina. It and Georgia seemed safe in British control.
With British successes came the problem of governing the South. On the
royalist theory, the recovered land had been in a state of rebellion and
was now restored to its true allegiance. Every one who had taken up
arms against the King was guilty of treason with death as the penalty.
Clinton had no intention of applying this hard theory, but he was
returning to New York and he had to establish a government on some legal
basis. During the first years of the war, Loyalists who would not accept
the new order had been punished with great severity. Their day had now
come. Clinton said that "every good man" must be ready to join in arms
the King's troops in order "to reestablish peace and good government."
"Wicked and desperate men" who still opposed the King should be punished
with rigor and have their property confiscated. He offered pardon for
past offenses, except to those who had taken part in killing Loyalists
"under the mock forms of justice." No one was henceforth to be exempted
from the active duty of supporting the King's authority.

Clinton's proclamation was very disturbing to the large element in South
Carolina which did not desire to fight on either side. Every one must
now be for or against the King, and many were in their secret hearts
resolved to be against him. There followed an orgy of bloodshed which
discredits human nature. The patriots fled to the mountains rather than
yield and, in their turn, waylaid and murdered straggling Loyalists.
Under pressure some republicans would give outward compliance to royal
government, but they could not be coerced into a real loyalty. It
required only a reverse to the King's forces to make them again actively
hostile. To meet the difficult situation Congress now made a disastrous
blunder. On June 13, 1780, General Gates, the belauded victor at
Saratoga, was given the command in the South.

Camden, on the Wateree River, lies inland from Charleston about a
hundred and twenty-five miles as the crow flies. The British had
occupied it soon after the fall of Charleston, and it was now held by
a small force under Lord Rawdon, one of the ablest of the British
commanders. Gates had superior numbers and could probably have taken
Camden by a rapid movement; but the man had no real stomach for
figh