The Battles of Fort Watson and Fort Motte, 1781

On May 9, 1781, American general Nathanael Greene and his Continental army were outside of British—held Camden, South Carolina. Greene was despondent and contemplating resigning his commission, believing he could not force the British out of the fortified village. His compatriot Francis Marion, standing before Fort Motte forty miles to the south, was also in the same mood, informing Greene that he was frustrated by the militia, and he was going to resign after the fort’s capture. The next d...