History That Doesn't Suck - 12: An American Judas Betrays & Nathanael Greene Saves!

Episode Date: February 13, 2018

“Arnold has betrayed us! Whom can we trust now?” This isn’t a story of betrayal; this is the story of betrayal. After half a decade of giving his all for the Patriot cause, Benedict Arnold becomes America’s Judas Iscariot. He betrays his brothers-in-arms for a commission in the British army and cold hard cash (even more than 30 pieces of silver). Meanwhile, Lord Cornwallis has Georgia and South Carolina well in hand. Now his sights are set on North Carolina and maybe even Virginia! Can anyone stop him? When all else fails … send the Quaker. Welcome to the South, Nathanael Greene. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Red One. We're coming at you. Is the movie event of the holiday season. Santa Claus has been kidnapped? You're gonna help us find him. You can't trust this guy. He's on the list.

Is that Naughty Lister? Naughty Lister? Dwayne Johnson. We got snowmen! Chris Evans. I might just go back to the car. Let's save Christmas. I'm not gonna say that.

Say it. Alright. Let's save Christmas. There it is. Only in theaters November 15th. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content,

and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a 7-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. The sound unintentionally escapes the American soldier's lips. He can't help it. It feels like a stone just dropped into his gut. He grabs at his stomach, hoping a little pressure will make things better.

The poor guy. Having stomach cramps is never fun, but to get them as the army marches, in the middle of the night, no less, this is not the time for it. Oh, and now that discomfort is moving lower. It's not? Oh yes it is. He breaks rank, dashing off the path and into the woods with his musket in one hand while unbuttoning his britches with the other. He manages to get them down just in time to avoid crapping himself. Oh, he's feeling a lot better. Now that he isn't overtaken with the tunnel vision of focusing on his own physical problems, our unnamed soldier realizes he's not alone in the woods. There's a scattering of other soldiers among the trees who also seem to have had no choice but to relieve themselves immediately.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to... Wait, no rocket scientists in the 18th century. Let me try that again. It doesn't take a Thomas Jefferson to realize what's going on. Most of this over 3,000 man army is suffering from food poisoning. That's what happens when you feed an army uncooked meat and bread with molasses. And yes, it's causing soldiers to run off to the side to take care of business all along the march. To quote Sergeant Major Seymour, this dinner

served to purge us as well as if we had taken a jalap, laxative, for the men all the way as we went along were every moment obliged to fall out of the ranks to evacuate. This is the condition of the newly constituted Southern Army as it marches sometime after 10 p.m. on August 15, 1780. Its commander is none other than the hero of Saratoga, Horatio Gates. After the fall of Charleston and the loss of General Benjamin Lincoln's army of 5,500 men, Congress has appointed Horatio Gates with hope he can do in the South as he did in the north. So now, Horatio is leading his army of hungry, diarrhea-suffering, sleep-deprived soldiers on a hot and moonless night towards Camden, South Carolina. Why march through the night in these conditions, you might wonder?

Well, Horatio has intel saying the British only have 700 men holding Camden, and he wants to pull off a sneak attack before the British commander of the south, Lord Cornwallis, can bring reinforcements. One problem. The intel is old, and Lord Cornwallis is at Camden. But here's the funny part. It just so happens that his lordship has also decided to lead his army on a march tonight, and they are on a collision course with Horatio's. And just to be clear, this is 100%

happenstance. Lord Cornwallis wants to carry out a sneak attack on the Americans. His target is Rugley's Mill, which is to the north. So as Cornwallis and his army move north from Camden, Horatio is leading his army south towards Camden on the very same road. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. So you can imagine the genuine shock and horror of both armies when their respective advanced cavalry just about bump into each other five miles north of Camden at 2 a.m.

I picture these mounted soldiers just trying to stay awake as they fight the lulling effects of the warm air, an almost pitch black sky, and their horses' rhythmic trod when suddenly it dawns on them, the enemy! Both sides spring into action, discharging arms, drawing swords, and exchanging blows. Every pistol and musket fired lights up the sky with a flash as their black powder explodes. Some Americans are wounded, and both sides take prisoners, but the skirmish is short because no one wants to carry on this fight in the freaking dark. The two sides withdraw

and make their respective camps. Meanwhile, one of the prisoners taken by the Americans coughs up some crucial intel. Lord Cornwallis has 3,000 British regulars with him, only, quote, 500 or 600 yards in front, close quote. Huh, so much for that sneak attack on a smaller force of 700. The news shakes Horatio. He can't even hide it from his officers as he calls an impromptu council of war. Gentlemen, what is best to be done? The hero of Saratoga inquires. A bit of time passes in dead silence. No one has a ready answer. Finally, Brigadier General Edward Stevens responds with some passion. Gentlemen, is it not too late now to do anything but fight? No one counters. Not even Baron de Kalp, who had mentioned retreating as an option just before the council.

Okay then. Come dawn, this is going down. When the hot and humid morning of August 16th breaks, the two armies finally get a good look at each other. Rather than 500 to 600 yards, it appears they are only 250 yards apart. The terrain is almost completely open between them, just an occasional pine tree really. Swamps lay on both the left and right sides of the battlefield.

We can also see that Horatio has two advantages. One, his troops have just the slightest high ground. And two, with 3,000 of them on the field, they outnumber Lord Cornwallis' 2,200 men. So it's not as bad as the British soldiers' intel from last night made it sound. But there are still a few problems. To start, Horatio has marched his men hard. They're exhausted. Let me also remind you, many of them are suffering from serious digestive problems, courtesy of last night's dinner.

But the real issue is that about two-thirds of the Americans are ill-trained and inexperienced local militia from North Carolina and Virginia, not seasoned continentals. Ready to see how they do? Lined up on the American left, Horatio orders the militia to advance, so it can take advantage of the British changing formation from a column to a line. But suddenly, it becomes clear that is not what the British are doing. Instead of forming a line, they immediately charge at the militia. Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! The experienced and steeled redcoats yell as they charge up the sloped hill. This is all too much for the inexperienced

militia. While I'm sure the exploding cannons, musket fire, and white smoke wafting across the field already had their hearts pounding, it's the sight of these fearless, huzzahing British warriors that breaks them. The militia throw their loaded guns and run, fleeing to their homes as deserters. This leaves the disciplined, fearless Continentals high and dry. They still put up a damn good fight. They draw inspiration from their leader, Baron de Kalp, who only stops after suffering eight lacerations and getting shot three times.

The man's like a lion. Finally, he collapses on the field, soaked in his own blood. By 12 noon, the British have a total and complete victory. Some 800 Americans are wounded and taken prisoner. Another 250 are dead. And although Lord Cornwallis ensures that Baron de Kalp receives medical treatment, this brave Bavarian, continental general, and leader of men dies of his 11 significant wounds three days later. Now, as Baron de Kulp draws his last breaths in the days following Camden, what is our commander of the Southern Army, Horatio, up to? He's fleeing the battle so hard

and so fast he's making the militia look brave. Within three days, Horatio's ridden his trusty steed some 180 miles to Hillsborough, North Carolina. As you can imagine, Horatio is now a laughingstock. The ever sarcastic and witty Alexander Hamilton writes of Horatio, quote, 180 miles in three days and a half. It does admirable credit to the activity of the man at his time of life. Ouch! Well, to be fair, Alex has pretty much hated Horatio ever since the Conway Cabal. But let's check out the Royal Gazette, which is a loyalist newspaper in New York. It too mocks Horatio by publishing a false advertisement supposedly placed by him offering a reward for his lost army.

I'll just read you some excerpts from it. Here you go. Quote, Reward! Strayed, deserted, or stolen from the subscriber near Camden. A whole army! The subscriber has very strong suspicions that a certain Charles Earl Cornwallis was principally concerned in carrying off the said army. Any person who will give information where the said army is shall be entitled to three million of paper dollars. Close quote. Now that's funny, but here's the real zinger at the end. To quote again, No deduction will be made from the above reward on account of any of the militia who compose the said army not being found or heard of, as no dependents can be placed on their services,

and nothing but the most speedy flight can ever save their commander. Close quote. Wow, the Royal Gazette managed to mock the flight of both the militia and Horatio in a single sentence. I don't care who you are, that's good writing. And so Horatio Gates, the hero of Saratoga, joins Charles Lee and Thomas Conway in completing the triumvirate of men who aspired and failed to replace George Washington as commander-in-chief. It's game over for Horatio's military career. And worse, his defeat means the loss of not one, but two American armies in the South within four months. First we had been Lincoln's army at

Charleston, which we talked about in episode 11, and now Horatio's at Camden. Man, Britain's southern strategy is going well. Can anyone stop Lord Cornwallis? Well, we'll get to that, because there is a man who can stop him. But first, we need to head north to upstate New York. Benedict Arnold's about to break George Washington's heart. Yes, it's time for America's most notorious act of treason. And to do the tale justice, we'll rewind back to 1775 so you can see the events that turned Benedict's heart from the Patriot cause over the half-decade leading to 1780. From there, we'll return to the South. Life's about to get a lot harder for Cornwallis. Several independent-minded Southerners are going to drive him crazy with guerrilla warfare,

and Congress is going to finally find a general who knows how to not lose an army in the South, Nathaniel Green. The fighting's fierce all over the map, and it's laying a path to the decisive battle of the revolution, Yorktown. So with no further ado, let's go back in time and meet a five years younger, healthier, and happier Benedict Arnold. You know how we do that. Rewind. It's 1775, only a month since the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the 34-year-old Benedict, a husky, good-looking man with dark features and an aquiline nose, is already doing more than his duty. In May, he and Ethan Allen successfully lay siege to upstate New York's Fort

Ticonderoga. Come winter of that same year, Benedict joins General Montgomery in an attempt to take Quebec. They fail. Montgomery dies while Benedict takes a musket ball to the left leg. Gushing blood, he can't even support his own weight as others lead him off the battlefield. But he lives to fight another day, which he does with great flair during the 1777 Saratoga campaign. Many of the men here credit Benedict with this enormously important American victory over British General Gentleman Johnny. In fact, some say Horatio stole Benedict's glory. To quote Colonel Richard Varek's assessment of one of the campaign's most important battles,

This I am certain of, that Arnold has all the credit of the action of the 19th, for he was ordering out troops to it while the other, Gates, was in Dr. Pott's tent, backbiting his neighbors. Whether the colonel is right or wrong, I'd say that Benedict certainly agrees with him. Instead of praise though, Benedict leaves Saratoga with a bone-splintered and shot-up left leg. And yes, it's the same leg that got shot up about two years ago in Canada. Benedict now has a chip on his shoulder from Horatio Gates and a limp in his walk. George Washington wants to give Benedict a meaningful job as he suffers through a long recovery, so the commander-in-chief

makes the slightly crippled, underappreciated general, Philadelphia's new commander, once British occupation comes to an end in the summer of 1778. Things hardly improve in Philly though. Benedict's wounded pride is preventing him from playing nice with a Congress that he views as ungrateful and selfish. He also starts dating the brilliant and gorgeous Margaret Peggy Shippen. Their romance bothers some patriots. See, Peggy's family has stayed neutral at best through the war. In fact, some see her as a loyalist. Further, Benedict's living well. A little too well, if you know what I mean. So there's suspicion that he's misusing his powers for personal enrichment. Come early 1779, Benedict's foes decide they have had enough of him. They bring eight corruption charges against Benedict. Undoubtedly, this soured his and Peggy's wedding on April 8th, 1779.

All the while, Benedict asks for a court-martial to clear his name, but his enemies continue to delay it, which drags out his suffering. As the weeks of waiting for a court-martial turn to months, he continues to feel cheated and underappreciated. Finally, Benedict snaps. In May 1779, he writes to his wife's friend, British Major John Andre, to broach the idea of betraying America. Now, if there's any chance of Benedict hitting the brakes on becoming America's most eternally hated villain, it dies when he finally gets his court-martial in January 1780. Remember, Benedict expects to be cleared. Instead, Congress only clears him on six of the

charges. His sentence for the remaining two corruption charges are really light. Congress tells George Washington to give Benedict a censure, and George does so as mildly as possible. Nonetheless, for Benedict, it feels like his Virginian ally and friend has turned on him. Now let's pause here for a second. I've given you Benedict's version of this court-martial, but you should know that George sees things very differently. He's happy that the court-martial went so well. Benedict wasn't thrown out of the army. He can still serve. So George is excited that he can now give his underappreciated and incredible warrior, that is, Benedict, a position that will let him shine. He's to command a major chunk of the Continental Army.

Hell yeah! George thinks he'll be stoked. Instead, Benedict says he just wants command of West Point. What? Why? Well, far from being the elite military academy it will later become, West Point is just a fort in 1780. But it's an important one. West Point sits on elevated ground at the edge of the Hudson River, about 50 miles north of New York City. And I'll remind you, the Big Apple is occupied by the British. It's their headquarters, where the commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, Sir Henry Clinton, hangs out.

Sir Henry would love to send his navy up the wide Hudson River and cut New England off and the rest of the rebellious states. That would be a real game changer. But he can't. Because West Point keeps him in check. And that's why, in the exchange of letters between John Andre and Benedict, the British major has informed our angry and disillusioned patriot that he will be compensated if he can hand over West Point. So that is the reason for Benedict's request. He needs to deliver it to the British in order to get the rank and cold hard

cash he wants in exchange for his broken loyalty. And George has no idea. He figures Benedict simply broken from years of being underappreciated, embarrassed by the corruption charges, and depressed over his jacked up leg. So George grants his request. Benedict receives command of West Point on August 3rd, 1780. He'll betray George in America only seven weeks later. Let's jump to that. It's September 25th, 1780. George Washington's deflated. It's been a crappy year, you know? He dealt with mutiny and desertion during winter's camp at Morristown, New Jersey. The continental dollar is basically worthless. Ben Lincoln and his entire army got captured at Charleston in May. Horatio got whooped and lost an army at Camden just last

month, and when George finally met the new French commander a couple of days ago, this guy named Count Rochambeau, who has a fleet and an army of 5,500 men, well the meeting didn't go great. Man, seriously, this whole year sucks. But at least today, on this beautiful September morning, with the leaves just starting to change colors here in upstate New York, George has something to look forward to. A late breakfast with his buddy, Benedict, and the beautiful, charming Peggy. Then it's off for an inspection of West Point. I'm sure George is feeling a bit excited

to see his old friend as he and his entourage approach Benedict and Peggy's home. It's 10 a.m. and he's almost there. At that exact same moment, Alexander Hamilton and another of George's aides arrive at Benedict's place. George has sent them ahead to tell Benedict he'd be there soon to have breakfast with them. Benedict gladly welcomes the officers and joins them at his breakfast table. Benedict's now 39 years old. He's still a good-looking guy, but a bit heavier, war-worn, and has a touch of gray in his hair. As he sits down with the newly arrived officers, Benedict begins to peruse through the letters that Lieutenant Solomon Allen just brought in. Uh-oh. Here's one from his subordinate,

Lieutenant Colonel Jameson, relating that a British spy has just been caught, and oh crap, it's Benedict's correspondent, British Major John Andre. He's been caught traveling under the alias of John Anderson while carrying a drawing of West Point's defenses and the cherry on top, using a letter of safe passage signed by Benedict. Unsure of what to do, Lieutenant Colonel Jameson has covered his bases by reporting this to Benedict while, as he mentions in this letter, sending all the recovered damning documents to George. Now, George could get these on his way to Benedict's house or while he's with Benedict, and that will mean immediate arrest and then what? Execution? Can you imagine the way Benedict's stomach must be turning right now? Benedict knows time is of the essence.

George will be here any minute. He's got to get out of here. Leaving the officers with their breakfast, Benedict steps into another room with the courier who brought the letter, Lieutenant Allen, and asks him just not to say anything about this captured John Anderson for a bit. Benedict then heads upstairs to talk with Peggy. God alone knows what's being said. We have no record of this conversation. Still acting calm, Benedict descends

the stairs, quickly tells Alexander and the other officer that something has come up at West Point. He needs to go check on it, but he'll be back soon. He then heads out and mounts his horse. Oh man, more of George's entourage is arriving right now. And what? Word is George is just down the road. Benedict rides hard to Robinson's landing, where his barge and rowing team are ready to transport him. Benedict grabs his saddle and pistols, throws them in the boat, and tells his crew to row hard because he needs to go to Stony Point fast. He'll give them two gallons of rum if they really book it. Ah, well, like any true colonial Americans, they do like their rum. These patriots row their general southward, down the Hudson, unaware that, with every stroke, they bring greater relief to a traitor. Meanwhile, George arrives at Benedict's home.

What a bummer though. Where's his buddy, Benedict? Well, he gets the line Benedict gave the officers. Something came up at West Point, but he'll be back ASAP. Um, oh, okay. What about Peggy though? George has known her for years. He's been looking forward to catching up with her too. Still in her room. Okay. Disappointed but still suspecting nothing, George sits down to a lonely late breakfast. I hope he had eggs, Benedict. Just kidding, that dish doesn't exist yet. Finished eating and still having not seen Benedict or his wife, George heads out to inspect West Point, which is just across the Hudson and up a river a few miles from Benedict's home. For sure he figures he'll see Benedict there.

Nope. George does notice some of the defenses are definitely lackluster, though. And that's weird. But seriously, where is his dear friend, his protege, Benedict? Why is he absent? I had not the least idea of the real cause, George will later write. He finishes the inspection and crosses the Hudson once more to return to Benedict's place. The plan is dinner at 4 p.m., not that anything seems to be going according to plan. At this point, Alexander, who hung back at the Arnold's home during the inspection, hands the general a thick packet

that came for him during his absence. George starts looking through it while Alexander hangs with his French BFF, Lafayette. When they come back to check in with George a little later though, tears are streaming from the tired 48-year-old Virginian's gray-blue eyes. Yeah, he's read the damning evidence of Benedict's treasonous actions with Major John Andre. George cries out with great emotion. Arnold has betrayed us. Whom can we trust now? George sends Alexander and another aide, McHenry, to ride along the banks of the Hudson looking for Benedict. No dice. He's gotten away.

So much for today being a reprieve from George's crappy weekend year. 1780 is officially the worst. Ever. Interior Chinatown is an all-new series based on the best-selling novel by Charles Yu about a struggling Asian actor who gets a bigger part than he expected when he witnesses a crime in Chinatown. Streaming November 19th, only on Disney+. This episode is brought to you by Secret. Secret deodorant gives you 72 hours of clinically proven odor protection, free of aluminum, parabens, dyes, talc, and baking soda. It's made with pH

balancing minerals and crafted with skin conditioning oils. So whether you're going for a run or just running late, do what life throws your way and smell like you didn't. Find Secret at your nearest Walmart or Shoppers Drug Mart today. Meanwhile, back at the Arnold's home, Benedict's aide, Colonel Richard Varick, reports to George that Benedict's wife, Peggy, has gone insane. Now remember, she's stayed in her room since that chat with Benedict this morning. Well, she hasn't put on anything more than a morning gown and has been screaming throughout the day. She's also been asking Colonel Varick, have you ordered my child to be killed? This would be her and Benedict's six-month-old son. In fact, as Alexander can attest, she's been accusing any officer who

comes near her of wanting to kill the baby all afternoon. At other times, she's run around screaming that, and I quote, there's a hot iron on my head. No one but George Washington can take it off. You heard that right. Hot iron on her head. Well, given that only George can remove this invisible hot iron, George comes to see Peggy in her room. She's on the bed with the baby, still raving about the hot iron, unconcerned that she's a bit exposed as well. There is George Washington, says Colonel Varick. Peggy screams in reply. No, no, that is not George Washington. That is the man who was going to assist Colonel Varick in killing my child.

After a while of this, George manages to convince her that he is, in fact, George Washington. But then she simply claims that he too is in on the plot to kill her baby boy. General Arnold will never return. He is gone. He is gone forever. There, there, there. She shrieks while pointing to the ceiling. She continues.

Spirits have carried him up there. They have put hot irons on his head. Wow. George walks out of the room even angrier at Benedict. He's betrayed his country and caused his wife to go insane. Not that Benedict gave no thought to his wife. He wrote a letter from the safety of a British warship today, and it's already been delivered to George. In it, he pleads to his betrayed commander, I quote, It ought to fall only to me.

She is as good and innocent as an angel and incapable of doing wrong. Close quote. It's an unnecessary letter. Chivalrous George already believes women are not fair game in war. When she claims no memory of her crazy the next day, George takes Peggy's word for it and lets her head to Philadelphia to rejoin her family. En route though, she stops by the home of Theodosia Prevost, and she brags of how she faked insanity and fooled everyone. George, Lafayette, Alexander, the whole lot. You heard that right.

The hot irons, spirits, claims that everyone wants to kill her baby. It was all an Academy Award winning act. So much for the whole innocent as an angel description. Oh, and in case you haven't realized this yet, let me be clear. Peggy was in on the whole traitor gig the whole time. Well, West Point is secured and disaster averted, but the hearts of patriots everywhere are broken and filled with rage. Treason of the blackest dye was yesterday discovered, writes Nathaniel Green.

It still pains me to call him a scoundrel, Lafayette writes in a long, conflicted letter as he tries to process the shock. Benedict doesn't seem to even grasp the gravity of what he's done. He's just ensured his name will, to borrow a phrase from FDR, live forever in infamy. There's a few reasons for that. One is the rarity of such treason. See, Benedict isn't only America's first significant traitor, but fortunately for us, relatively few have followed his path since. Another reason is how high the stakes are. Had he succeeded in turning over West Point, the revolution might have ended then and there. I can't think of another traitor

whose actions literally endanger the existence of America like Benedict's. Finally, the lack of cosmic justice is somewhat infuriating. Benedict goes on to fight ferociously as a British Brigadier General in Virginia and Connecticut, receives a 6,000 pound payment up front, and he gets a 360 pound annual pension. As an American, I can't help but think 30 pieces of silver would have been more appropriate. But if I'm going to make biblical allusions, perhaps Isaiah 14.12 is better. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? After all, he was a son of the morning in America. He was radiant, brave, loved by his men.

I think it's important that we recognize his contributions and his internal pain, but no number of good deeds earlier in life can expunge the taint of treason. Long after his death in 1801, Benedict's legacy remains tarnished and irredeemable on both sides of the Atlantic. Maybe there is some cosmic justice after all. Before we leave the story of Benedict Arnold behind, there's one last angle we should button up. What happened to Major John Andre, Benedict's correspondent who got caught by the Americans? This turns into a major point of contention. Should he, as an officer that was traveling with a pass, be handed over to the British as Sir Henry Clinton requests in a letter

to George? Or should he be executed? If so, is he shot as a gentleman or hung as a spy? Here's another complication. As George, Alexander Hamilton, and some of the other aide-de-camp get to know John during his confinement, it turns out he's a real stand-up guy. They don't want to kill him. George turns the decision over to the board of general officers. They rule that Major John Honore is indeed a spy and must be hung. The decision crushes Alexander. He's come to respect the British officer deeply. Historians disagree on the details of how deeply George regrets it,

but he's not happy either. At least one historian suggests George even makes a failed attempt to arrange for John's escape. It really is a damn shame. But at least I can say that John faces his execution with the same bravery we saw from Nathan Hale in episode 8. We have a lot of details thanks to Dr. James Thatcher. John is dressed in his British officer's uniform. When the time comes in the late afternoon of October 2nd, John looks at his noose and says, quote, it will be but a momentary pain, close quote. Rather than have the executioner do anything, he ties his own blindfold and puts on,

adjusts, and tightens his own noose. The patriot crowd is moved to tears. Asked if he has any last words, John only says, I pray you to bear me witness that I meet my fate like a brave man. And with that, the wagon on which John stands pulls away. He drops and, as the doctor tells us, instantly expires. Sounds like John got the best case scenario in a hanging. His neck snapped. You can visit John's execution site. It's about 30 miles down the Hudson from West Point in Tappan, New York. The hill where the execution took place is now right in the middle of a residential road.

But in that spot is a small circle, like a roundabout, or rotary, or traffic circle, depending on what part of the country you're from. An iron rod fence runs around most of the perimeter, and grass fills in most of the rest, with one major exception. A cube-shaped stone, like a tombstone, with inscriptions about John on all sides, including this quote by George Washington. Quote, he was more unfortunate than criminal, an accomplished man and a gallant officer. Now don't get any ideas. It looks like a grave, but it isn't one. Although originally buried here in Tappan, British officers moved his remains to Westminster Abbey in 1821. He now rests in peace as a hero to his nation with an epitaph that reads, quote, universally beloved and esteemed by the army in which he served and lamented even by his foes, close quote. It's true too, and if ever a foe of the United States deserved a memorial, I suppose he's it. John Andre may have communicated

with Benedict, but far from being a traitor, he died stoically for his country. That's why I think patriots respected John and cried as they hung him. They saw a kindred spirit who just happened to be on the other side of this conflict. God rest your soul, John. But it's time to close this sad chapter of treason and misfortune. We're heading to the South. Man, the British have done well for themselves down here in the past two years. Let me give you a quick refresher. They took Savannah, Georgia back in 1778. They've conquered this state so completely, it's basically returned to colonial status.

Georgia even has a royal King George III sanctioned elected assembly. And the British have had a good go in South Carolina too. Earlier this year, which is 1780 in case you lost track, Sir Henry Cornwallis took its capital of Charleston. He then went back to New York and left Lord Cornwallis in charge. But not to be outdone, Lord Cornwallis crushed Horatio and scattered the mostly militia American army just outside of Camden, South Carolina. But there's a few southerners you should know about who are making life more difficult for Lord Cornwallis. First is Francis the Swamp Fox Marion.

The Swamp Fox gets his name for tormenting the British in the swamps along the Santee and Pee Dee rivers. We also have Thomas the Gamecock Sumpner. It's a reference to his fighting style. You don't want to mess with this dude. Can I just ask, why don't the northerners have sweet nicknames like these guys? You know? Anyhow, the Gamecock Sumpner has some experience as a previous Continental officer, and he was content to sit out the rest of the war until Tarleton's men burnt his plantation home to ash. You may recall Tarleton from episode 11. He leads the loyalist unit that massacred American Colonel Buford's men at the Waxhaws. At any rate, after the destruction of his home, the Gamecock Sumpner gathers men and starts attacking the Redcoats guerrilla style

in the western and northern parts of South Carolina. Then we have Colonel Andrew Pickens. After loyalists destroy his home, this Presbyterian elder puts down his Bible and picks up his gun. These guys aren't attached to the Continental Army, so they do their own thing and fight in their own independent way. And it's how they like it. I know. It's all very Southern. By the way, if you're noticing a pattern here, Loyalist troops burn people's homes, those people then fight back, you're right. A major part of the British southern strategy is reliance on loyalist units. Not only do British leaders think the south genuinely has significantly

more loyalists who will feed, house, and otherwise support his majesty's troops, they also have heavily recruited loyalists as troops in hopes of reducing the costs of this war that is increasingly unpopular with the people of Britain. But as the British resort to overly harsh tactics and don't keep the vengeful loyalists in check, more moderate southerners are turning patriot. Although, I do want to be clear, the patriots are not innocent. In these civil war style battles, there are hard feelings between neighbors and it's coming out on the battlefield in great cruelty. In fact, it's fair to speculate that between 1780 and 1781, an untold number of small, never recorded battles are fought between

loyalists and their independent guerrilla patriot neighbors. Well, now that you know some of the local legends and the nature of the fighting down here, let me bring Lord Cornwallis back into the picture. Despite the disruptions that the Swamp Fox Marion, the Gamecock Sumter, and others keep causing, Lord Cornwallis is determined to push into North Carolina. Already controlling Georgia and most of South Carolina, he wants to take a third stripe from the detestable 13. This is in part because he thinks taking out North Carolina will cut off support for the guerrilla fighting patriots in South Carolina. It's also because Lord Cornwallis

is simply aggressive. His lordship moves for the Tarheel state with his forces in three divisions. First, he's leading the main body of the army. Second, we have Tarleton with his loyalists and British regulars. Third, we have Major Ferguson, who commands a crew of loyalists. Let's follow these parties north, shall we? Things get off to a rocky start. Lord Cornwall's first heads for the small town of Charlotte in the south-central part of North Carolina. He gets there in late September, but not without learning the hard way that he's in patriot country. Locals refuse to help his redcoats while another guerrilla patriot, William Davey, causes Lord Cornwallis casualties. He takes Charlotte, but it isn't worth the cost. Meanwhile, British Major Ferguson and his loyalists are further west, traveling through

the foothills along the border between the two Carolinas. Ferguson captures a patriot and sends him back to one of the local guerrilla leaders here, Colonel Isaac Shelby, with the following message, quote, If Shelby did not surrender, he, Ferguson, would come over the mountains and put him to death and burn his whole country, close quote. Now you should know that Ferguson already has a bad rep with the Patriots, so this taunt stokes far more trouble than he bargained for. Isaac and several other guerrilla fighters set aside their independent ways in order to team up and go after him. When Ferguson learns he so thoroughly incited the wrath of the over-mountain men, as they are called out here, that they are actually going to work together, he starts to book it back to Charlotte to meet up with Lord Cornwallis' army. The chase lasts for days through mountainous terrain and rainfall.

I will not stop till night if I follow Ferguson into Cornwallis' lines, Isaac exclaims. His concerted effort pays off. They catch Ferguson and his men on October 7th at King's Mountain. The battle lives up to the classic American stereotype of fighting in the Revolutionary War. Thinking like the Briton he is, Ferguson finds an open flat summit on the mountain and organizes his men in European-style columns. He thinks he's safe, but Isaac Shelby and his impromptu Patriot Army doesn't meet them in the open. They surround Ferguson in the pine trees all around the summit. Ferguson's men charge out and the Patriots simply fall back. They do this a few times. Finally,

Ferguson, who swore, quote, he would never yield to such a damned banditi, close quote, exposes himself too much. He's shot right off his horse. One of the Patriot soldiers, James P. Collins, describes finding his body after the battle. Quote, almost 50 rifles must have been leveled at him at the same time. Seven rifle balls had passed through his body, both of his arms were broken, and his hat and clothes were literally shot to pieces. Close quote. Worse yet is James' memory of the Loyalists. Quote, The situation of the poor Tories, Loyalists,

appeared to be really pitiable. The dead lay in heaps on all sides, while groans of the wounded were heard in every direction. I could not help turning away from the scene before me with horror, and, though exulting in victory, could not refrain from shedding tears. The next morning, which was Sunday, the scene became really distressing. The wives and children of the poor Tories came in, in great numbers. Their husbands, fathers, and brothers lay dead in heaps, while others lay wounded or dying. A melancholy sight indeed. Ugh. Remember, these Tories, or Loyalists as I've usually called them, are local. So yes, their families can get

here easily enough the day after the battle. I know I've touched on this before, and I probably will again, but the fighting in the South is brutal. Unlike the north, where it tends to be colonials fighting Britons they don't personally know, here there are a number of loyalist units and they are fighting their neighbors, sometimes their family. So things get personal, and when things get personal, things get messy. In fact, as this battle came to a close, some patriots shot or ran through loyalists trying to surrender. These patriots yelled out, Tarleton's quarter, as they did so. Yeah, you're recalling correctly.

That's a reference to the loyalists who massacred patriots at the Waxhaws. See what I mean? It's personal. And further, violence begets violence. So it's one massacre in response for another. And as I said earlier, this likely happened on both sides more times than we'll ever know, or maybe even want to know. This episode is brought to you by Dyson OnTrack. Dyson OnTrack headphones offer best-in-class noise cancellation and an enhanced sound range, making them perfect for enjoying music and podcasts.

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And my stockings looking good. Shop holiday deals early on Amazon now. But to really show you just how personal this war has become, let me tell you about one other incident from Kings Mountain. A loyalist named Branson is severely wounded. He sees his patriot brother-in-law, Captain James Winthrow, and calls to him for assistance. Look to your friends for help, James responds. Yeah, that's how it is. Blood might be thicker than water, but I guess it's thinner than patriotism. Well, the victory is complete. Of Ferguson's 1,105 men, almost every single man who fought was taken captive or killed. The dead number over 200. American casualties stay under 100. Although many of these captured loyalists will escape in the days to come,

Lord Cornwallis has just suffered a major loss. Meanwhile, the swamp fox and the gamecock continue to chip away at his supply lines and cause other casualties too. The damage is severe enough, Lord Cornwallis isn't going to make it to North Carolina. He has to fall back to Winsboro, South Carolina. But now things will get even dicier for Lord Cornwallis because a new southern commander of American forces is here, Nathaniel Green. Now we've mentioned Nathaniel a number of times, but here's a quick refresher. Hailing from Rhode Island, Nathaniel's a walking reminder that you don't want to jump to conclusions about a person because of their religious background. This army general is a Quaker, which, to be clear, Quakerism teaches complete non-violence. I guess Nathaniel was sick the week they covered that. Nathaniel's family was

wealthy enough, but since they didn't value schooling, only labor, his education was lacking. This upset him. I lament the want of a liberal education. I feel the mist of ignorance to surround me, he once wrote. He made up for it Alexander Hamilton and Abe Lincoln style, reading like crazy. He was with George Washington back at the siege of Boston. He took on the quartermastering gig at Valley Forge, despite the fact that, as he put it, quote, nobody ever heard of a quartermaster in history, close quote. His willingness to serve indefinitely in such a background role tells you a lot about how awesome Nathaniel is. But now, it seems the 38-year-old, former foundryman, towering at 5'10 with a strong set of arms, massive chest, and a

cloudy spot in his right eye, is going to make a splash in the history books and podcasts after all. Nathaniel heads south and finds his army camped at Charlotte on December 2nd. He quickly notes that the Continentals' condition is wretched. They lack everything from shoes to pants. Some guys are only wearing blankets. They have lost their pride and hate Horatio Gates. I'll stay light on the details here, but suffice it to say, the former quartermaster gets to work soliciting state legislatures and governors, like Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, for funds and support. And damn, he is good at what he does.

It's painful, but he gets supplies for his roughly 1,500 men. Perhaps as importantly, he's also restored their dignity and will to fight. Nathaniel now does something highly unorthodox. He divides his small forces in two. He gives some of his continentals to the famed rifleman we met during the Saratoga campaign, Daniel Morgan. Yeah, that's right, Daniel's getting back in the fight. Nathaniel will take his forces towards the Pee Dee River in the north-central part of South Carolina, while Daniel takes the other Continentals to the western part of the state. It's normally not considered wise to divide an army, but Nathaniel is hoping to lure Lord Cornwallis into dividing his own with this maneuver.

And it works. Rather than play it safe, the ever-aggressive Lord Cornwallis decides to send Tarleton to deal with Daniel while he keeps his focus on pushing back into North Carolina. And besides, with word that Sir Henry Clinton is sending him 2,500 reinforcements, his lordship feels like he has the troops to spare. By mid-January 1781, Daniel knows he's not just a diversion. Tarleton's closing in on him. A fight is inevitable, and Daniel can't hope for any backup from Nathaniel. Their respective forces are separated by 140 miles. And so Daniel, a brilliant tactician, prepares to receive Tarleton in an open space with hills where backwoods folks graze their animals. It's called the Cowpens.

Daniel wakes his men at 3 a.m. on January 17th. He's gone with a curious formation. In the front, 150 sharpshooting riflemen hide behind trees. Behind them are 300 Carolinian militiamen. In the third lineback, Daniels placed his 450 or so Continentals on a hill. And even further behind them is a reserve of 80 cavalry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Washington. And yes, he's related to George. We met him at the Battle of Trenton, remember? Well, Tarleton and his army of 1,100

loyalists and regulars arrive just after dawn. Marching long before sunrise, they are exhausted. But Tarleton doesn't take that into consideration. He simply gets them into formation. A single main line with two pieces of artillery and cavalry men in the back. Thinking the usual bayonet attack should do the trick, Tarleton sends his men forward. They yell out ferociously as they advance. The Patriot riflemen fire away. It's effective. Fifteen of Tarleton's soldiers on horseback are hit. And then the sharpshooting riflemen fall back. So Tarleton's men push forward toward Daniel's militia. As they get close, the militia unleash two back-to-back volleys.

They inflict even more damage to Tarleton's army. But like the sharpshooters, they fall back as well. Huh. Tarleton's suffering losses, but this looks good. The Americans keep falling back. It's like Camden all over again. But wait. Here the British and Loyalist troops find the Continentals. Yeah, instead of placing his strongest troops at the front, Daniel let his sharpshooters and militia take potshots and then retire. They didn't retreat. This was all part of the plan.

Tarleton's greatly weakened force now have to face Daniel's finest. Still hopeful, Tarleton sends in his reinforcements. The Americans appear to fall back, but once they are out of sight on the other side of the hill, Daniel has them wait. As soon as the British appear, they unleash another deadly volley. By 10 a.m., the battle's fate is sealed. Daniel and his men have killed 110 and taken 702 captive. American casualties are a mere 12 dead and 60 wounded. Seeing all is lost, Tarleton and a small retinue of other mounted soldiers ride off for their lives. But Colonel Washington won't have any of that. He and a few others ride off in hot pursuit. They catch up to Tarleton, where another small fight ensues with everyone on

horseback. Washington's sword breaks off at the hilt as he slashes at one of Tarleton's officers. When another officer takes a swing at Washington, George's second cousin is only saved by his quick acting orderly who shoots the attacker. Tarleton manages to shoot Washington's horse. He escapes Washington in the end, but like Horatio at Camden, he only manages to save his own hide while losing an entire army. Ugh! Lord Cornwallis is livid. These damned rebels who cheat by not fighting in open fields like Europeans have now killed Ferguson, taken his forces at King's Mountain, and they've annihilated Tarleton's forces. Our aggressive British southern commander won't stand for this.

On January 25th, he makes a rash choice. He abandons nearly all his army's supplies. This way, they won't be bogged down and can move rapidly. Every man is given an extra portion of rum, fed heartily, and told that's it. No rum from here on out. And the only food to be had is what they can fit in their personal bags. Apart from salt, ammo, and medical supplies, everything else, food, tents, you name it, is destroyed. They will scavenge from now on as they move quickly to chase down that infernal Daniel Morgan. But that's just what Daniel and Nathaniel,

both instinctively and independently, figured Lord Cornwallis will do. Remember, it's the 18th century, no text messages, no email. If they had waited for word, it had been too late. Despite terrible rain, the logistical nightmare of moving hundreds of prisoners of war and dealing with his sciatica flaring up, Daniel leads his fleeing army to North Carolina. At the same time, Nathaniel moves quickly to meet him. Nathaniel now leads the retreat northward, all the way up North Carolina and into Virginia as Lord Cornwallis pursues. Throughout this retreat, American forces travel separately, together, use misdirection to throw Lord Cornwallis off their tracks, and cross several rivers. The Catawba, Yadkin, Deep River, and finally the Dan. Here, Nathaniel brilliantly ensures

none of the boats are left behind for Lord Cornwallis as he gets his American troops across it in mid-February. This extraordinarily executed flight is known as the Race to the Dan, and it's a race that Lord Cornwallis has very much lost. You know, his lordship has taken a gamble in destroying those stores. Had he caught the Americans, he'd be a hero. But he didn't. And now he needs supplies. So, Lord Cornwallis falls back to Hillsborough, North Carolina,

where he hopes to gain supplies and new recruits with a call for loyalists to join him. He gains few men, but that doesn't stop a false report from getting to Nathaniel that Lord Cornwallis raises seven loyalist companies in a single day. It's amazing how false information can impact our lives. Largely due to these rumors, Nathaniel decides he must cross the Dan back into North Carolina and keep harassing Lord Cornwallis. And Nathaniel doesn't want to do this. Sure, his armies rested for a few days and received a few hundred reinforcements in the form of Virginia militia. But as he explains in a letter to Joseph Reed in Pennsylvania,

quote, our numbers were much inferior to the enemy and we were without ammunition, provisions, or stores of any kind, close quote. As such, Nathaniel avoids a major engagement, sticking to guerrilla tactics. This goes on day in and day out until finally, on March 11th, Nathaniel gets even more reinforcements, a mix of Virginians and Carolinians. But alas, all militia. I say that because militia is a mixed bag. As you've seen in this very episode, they are about as reliable as Wi-Fi in an airport. Sure, it's there. I mean, it says it's there. But what's going to happen when you try to rely on it? Especially for something big, like streaming a movie. Well, that's anyone's guess. Nonetheless, these reinforcements up Nathaniel's numbers to over 4,000, which is

about double what Lord Cornwallis currently has. So Nathaniel decides it's time to take him on in a proper fight. He picks the location, North Central, North Carolina's Guilford Courthouse, and Lord Cornwallis is happy to oblige. He might be outnumbered, but with the hubris often displayed in the Americas by European commanders, he's sure his 2,000 plus trained regulars can handle the far larger force of mere American militia. The battle goes down on March 15th, 1781. I don't know if Nathaniel heard about Daniel's brilliant strategy at Cowpens from his soldiers or from Daniel himself, but he's happy to mimic it. His first line consists mostly of a thousand North Carolinian militia. They stand by a rail fence running along the edge of the

woods behind them. 300 yards back into those woods is a second line of 600 Virginia militia. Finally, back on a hill by the courthouse are 1,400 or so Continentals. The battle gets underway with the British line marching straight for the North Carolinian militia. But as they draw close enough to see the Americans' well, panic sets in when they notice the fence. As Sergeant Lamb of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers explains, quote, their whole force had their arms presented and resting on a rail fence. They were taking aim with the nicest precision. At this awful period, a general pause took place. Both parties surveyed each other for the moment with the most anxious suspense. Close quote. Ugh, can't you picture this? The British know many of them will be dead in the next minute.

The poor North Carolinians are rookies, so despite having all the advantage in the world, they're scared to death seeing these British killing machines. Finally, Sergeant Lamb's commander yells out, Come on, my brave Fusiliers! The men's training snaps them back into action. They obediently charge forward, screaming as they do so, knowing death is at hand. The North Carolinians fire. They have deadly effect.

Elsewhere in the line, on the British right, a Highlander captain reports half of the 71st Regiment, quote, fell dead on the spot, close quote. Like the militia at Cowpens, the North Carolinians are supposed to fire two volleys, then fall back. Instead, after firing one shot, they flee before these screaming, charging, bayonet-wielding British troops, who clearly have no fear of death. Many threw away their arms and fled, even before a gun was fired at them, Nathaniel later writes. I can't give you a play-by-play after this. The records aren't clear, and historians argue over it. I can tell

you that Nathaniel is pleased with the Virginia militia's performance, and that Lord Cornwallis nearly gets himself killed or captured by almost riding straight into the Americans without knowing it. Sergeant Lamb, who we just met, saw what was happening, grabbed the bridle of his lordship's horse, and turned him away. But here's the important thing to know. Lord Cornwallis technically wins the battle, in that he chases off the Americans, but it nearly destroys him. As British parliamentarian Charles James Fox says after the battle, quote, another such victory would destroy the British army, close quote. Lord Cornwallis loses about a fourth of his forces.

93 are dead, 413 are wounded, and another 26 are missing. As for Nathaniel, 78 dead and only 183 wounded. Both southern commanders write their respective leaders after the battle with their different directions in mind. I am determined to carry the war into South Carolina. The enemy will be obliged to follow us or give up their post in the state, Nathaniel informs George Washington. But Lord Cornwallis will not follow Nathaniel. As he explains in his April 10th letter to Sir Henry Clinton, he's done with the Southern strategy. He's now convinced that one of the main tenants of this strategy,

that Loyalists would sufficiently help the British Army, is Bunk. He thinks they should focus their efforts on Virginia instead. Quote, Until Virginia is in a manner subdued, our hold of the Carolinas must be difficult, if not precarious, unless material assistance could be got from the inhabitants, the contrary of which I have sufficiently experienced. Close quote.

Lord Cornwallis marches his army north to Virginia, contrary of which I have sufficiently experienced. Close quote. Lord Cornwallis marches his army north to Virginia, utterly ignorant that his decision will ensure the end of British rule in the Thirteen Colonies. History That Doesn't Suck is created, hosted, researched, and written by me, Greg Jackson. Production and sound design by Josh Beatty. Musical score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill. For bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com.

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