J02 The Winning of the West 



consequence the struggle in the Carolinas and Geor- 

 gia 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 reveled 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 mur- 

 dered, 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 8 ; of course retaliation in kind followed. 

 Ferguson himself hanged 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 



8 Gates MSS. See Letter from Sumter, August i2th and 

 passim, for instances of hanging by express command of the 

 British officers. 



