of his lieutenants [Footnote:  Diary of Lt.  Anthony Allaire, entry for March 24, 1780.]:  “This day Col.  Ferguson got the rear guard in order to do his King and country justice, by protecting friends and widows, and destroying rebel property; also to collect live stock for the use of the army.  All of which we effect as we go by destroying furniture, breaking windows, etc., taking all their horned cattle, horses, mules, sheep, etc., and their negroes to drive them.”  When such were the authorized proceedings of troops under even the most merciful of the British commanders, it is easy to guess what deeds were done by uncontrolled bodies of stragglers bent on plunder.

When Ferguson moved into the back country of the two Carolinas still worse outrages followed.  In the three southernmost of the thirteen rebellious colonies there was a very large tory party. [Footnote:  Gates MSS., passim, for July-October, 1780. E.g., letter of Mr. Ramsey, August 9, 1780, describes how “the Scotch are all lying out,” the number of tories in the “Drowning Creek region,” their resistance to the levy of cattle, etc.  In these colonies, as in the middle colonies, the tory party was very strong.] In consequence the struggle in the Carolinas and Georgia took the form of a ferocious civil war.  Each side in turn followed up its successes by a series of hangings and confiscations, while the lawless and violent characters fairly revelled in the confusion.  Neither side can be held guiltless of many and grave misdeeds; but for reasons already given the bulk—­but by no means the whole—­of the criminal and disorderly classes espoused the king’s cause in the regions where the struggle was fiercest.  They murdered, robbed, or drove off the whigs in their hour of triumph; and in turn brought down ferocious reprisals on their own heads and on those of their luckless associates.

Moreover Cornwallis and his under-officers tried to cow and overawe the inhabitants by executing some of the men whom they deemed the chief and most criminal leaders of the rebellion, especially such as had sworn allegiance and then again taken up arms; [Footnote:  Gates MSS.  See Letter from Sumter, August 12th and passim, for instances of hanging by express command of the British officers.] of course retaliation in kind followed.  Ferguson himself hung some men; and though he did his best to spare the country people, there was much plundering and murdering by his militia.

In June he marched to upper South Carolina, moving to and fro, calling out the loyal militia.  They responded enthusiastically, and three or four thousand tories were embodied in different bands.  Those who came to Ferguson’s own standard were divided into companies and regiments, and taught the rudiments of discipline by himself and his subalterns.  He soon had a large but fluctuating force under him; in part composed of good men, loyal adherents of the king (these being very frequently recent arrivals