Life of Count Rumford. 127 



which was convened at Jacksonborough by Governor 

 Rutledge. This was watched over by Greene's advance. 

 General Leslie, the British commander at Charleston, 

 baffled in all his enterprises, was at his wits' end, and 

 had reason to apprehend starvation, the main security 

 against which was to be found in successful inroads into 



o 



the country. In vain did he issue his proclamations to 

 rally Tories and provisions. He must have welcomed 

 the weather-bound new-comer who told Pictet that he 

 made himself so serviceable. By a bold movement in 

 January, 1782, Major Craig, who with a small British 

 force was in command on John's Island, was driven 

 into Charleston by a body of Greene's army, with the 

 loss of a few prisoners and stores. Becoming desperate 

 in their need of supplies, in a skirmish on one of their 

 sorties they had been repulsed by Marion's Brigade 

 near Monk's Corner. Marion, soon after filling his 

 seat in the Legislature, left his brigade in command of 

 Colonel Horrey. An attack was made upon him by a 

 larger force under Colonel Thompson, near the Santee, 

 and though Marion came in season to take part in the 

 action, he had the mortification of witnessing the dis- 

 comfiture of his little band with the loss of men and 

 munitions. This is the only conspicuous action which 

 our own historian has credited to Thompson while at 

 the South.* 



A few other brief extracts from Rivington, contain- 

 ing information collected from ports below New York, 

 contain for us hints of Thompson's activity. 



Under date February 18 : "A detachment of the royal Ameri- 

 cans went on service, supposed against Greene." 



* Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States. By 

 Henry Lee. Washington, 1827. p. 397. 



