surrender of the upper country. Marion and Lee, after completely
destroying his line of communication on the north side of the Santee,
had crossed that river, and permitted no convoy from Charleston to
escape their vigilance. On the eighth of May, after Watson had passed
them, they laid siege to a post at Motte's house, on the south side of
the Congaree, near its junction with the Wateree, which had been made
the depot of all the supplies designed for Camden.

From the energy of this party as well as from the defection of the
inhabitants, Lord Rawdon had reason to apprehend the loss of all his
lower posts, unless he should take a position which would support
them. He had therefore determined to evacuate Camden, unless the issue
of a battle with Greene should be such as to remove all fears of
future danger from that officer.

[Sidenote: Lord Rawdon retires into the lower country.]

{May 12.}

Having failed in his hope of bringing on a general engagement, he
evacuated Camden, and marched down the river on its north side to
Neilson's ferry. Among the objects to be obtained by this movement was
the security of the garrison at Motte's house. But the siege of that
place had been so vigorously prosecuted that, on crossing the river,
his lordship received the unwelcome intelligence that it had
surrendered on the twelfth, and that its garrison, consisting of one
hundred and sixty-five men, had become prisoners. On the preceding
day, the post at Orangeburg had surrendered to Sumpter.

On the evening of the fourteenth, Lord Rawdon moved from Neilson's