the
31st of August.

In the mean time, Capt. Cooper passed on to the Cypress, and there
routed a party of tories, and then proceeding down the road, he drove
off the cattle from before the enemy's fort at Dorchester. He next moved
on down the Charleston road; a body of tories lay in a brick church,
which stood then twelve miles from town; he charged and drove them
before him. Next, passing into Goose creek road, he proceeded to the
ten mile house, returned and passed over Goose creek bridge, took a
circuitous route around the British at Monk's corner and arrived in camp
at Peyre's plantation near the canal, where Gen. Marion now lay, with
many prisoners, and without the loss of a man. In his letter of the 10th
of August, 1781, noted above, Gen. Greene writes to Marion, "you will
see by Col. Harden's letter, the enemy have hung Col. Hayne; do not take
any measure in the matter towards retaliation, for I do not intend to
retaliate on the tory officers, but the British. It is my intention to
demand the reasons of the colonel's being put to death, and if they are
unsatisfactory, as I am sure they will be, and if they refuse to make
satisfaction, as I suppose they will, to publish my intentions of giving
no quarters to British officers of any rank that fall into our hands.
This will be delayed for some few days, to give our friends in St.
Augustine* time to get off." The measure thus proposed was quite too
extensive in its nature to have been carried into effect. The true
reason why there was no retaliation was the last, respecting the friends
in St. Augustine, and it is suspected that it originated with the
governor and council. The British army was now no longer commanded by
Lord Rawdon; he had retired to Europe, and was succeeded by Brigadier
Gen. Stewart. Lord Rawdon had defended Camden as long as he could with
vigour and ability; but lately stained his reputation by the execution
of Col. Hayne. In extenuation of this act, it is said by his friends,
he only obeyed the orders of his superior; but if he really disapproved
that act of cruelty, he could easily have avoided taking a part in
it, for as he was shortly to sail for Europe, he might have left the
execution of it to Col. Balfour; as being congenial to his natural
disposition. This proceeding was sudden and unexpected, and produced
a great sensation in the American army. When Gen. Greene demanded the
reason of it, Lord Rawdon had either departed or returned no answ