The Glorious Cause - Jeff Shaara [307]
There was already talk in the camp, an unkind slap at Morgan from officers who felt his antics and oversize reputation had pushed some of the more deserving of them out of their rightful place in the sun. All of his reasons for refusing to serve Gates were magnified now, as though the big man was some sort of whining brat, who either got his way or went home crying. The new rumors were that Morgan didn’t care for Greene’s tactics, would have preferred to stand and fight Cornwallis at any point during the retreat. As a result, Morgan was now going to sulk his way back to the Shenandoah Valley.
Morgan had ignored the talk, seemed to appreciate that Greene did as well.
“Nat, what you proposin’ to do? You need more people.”
“Pickens should return soon. I still expect militia from up north. General Smallwood sent word, he’s sending some new recruits to add to the Maryland line.”
“That’s not the people I’m talking about, Nat. You need veterans. Cornwallis may be beat to hell over there, but he’s still got the flower of his army. The more time you give him to rest up, the stronger he gets.”
“I don’t intend to give him time, Daniel. I’m sending the cavalry down, Washington’s men, Harry Lee’s Legion. They’ll keep an eye on him, keep Tarleton from running roughshod along the river. Cornwallis has pulled back to Hillsboro, waiting to see what we’re going to do. We won’t keep him waiting much longer.”
Morgan tried to sit up straight, grimaced, leaned to one side.
“I wish I could stay with you, Nat. I’m no good to this army now. This has been comin’ on for a while. It was just a damned nuisance, but now . . . well, hell, I’m not going to cry to you. You ain’t my mama. If I could ride, I’d ride. If I could fight, I’d fight.”
“Go, rest up. Maybe you’ll be back yet.”
“Don’t think so, Nat. I’m crippled up. This ain’t something that’s just gonna go away.”
There was a silent pause, and Morgan said, “You think you can beat him?”
“Cornwallis? I don’t think we have to, Daniel. All we have to do is hurt him once or twice. He’s too far from Charleston, and he has the same problem we have: He can’t get ammunition. That’s why I need people, Daniel. I need to hold him as long as I can. He’s a very long way from his outposts in South Carolina. He can’t refit, and he has no close base of supply. The one thing I cannot do is risk destroying this army. Another reason I need the reinforcements. The only way Cornwallis succeeds is if he annihilates us. I don’t intend to let that happen.”
“Pick your ground, Nat. Make use of the militia. But don’t depend on them.” Morgan paused, shook his head. “You don’t need my pea-brained counsel. You’ve had the best teacher a soldier can have. If I see George before you do, I’ll let him know how his student turned out. Not bad for a book-learned Rhode Islander.”
Morgan stood slowly, and Greene could see hard pain on the man’s face. Morgan raised one arm, a slow stretch, put his hand against the canvas above him.
“When I get home, I’ll see what I can do to round up some cloth. Half this army’s runnin’ around naked.”
Greene smiled.
“I’ve given that some thought. Could be to our advantage. Imagine an attack led by a line of naked men. Would strike certain fear in the hearts of the enemy.”
Morgan managed a small laugh.
“I don’t think the commanding general would approve. Unless, of course, it worked.” Morgan turned away now, moved to the opening in the tent, stopped.
“I ain’t much for sentiment, Nat. You got some good men here. Hope you make the best use of ’em. God help me, if I could fight with you, I would.”
GUILFORD COURT HOUSE, NORTH CAROLINA,
MARCH 15, 1781
Toward the end of February, Greene ordered his army to recross the Dan River and advance carefully along the roads where Cornwallis had withdrawn. The British did not wait quietly, Cornwallis throwing Tarleton forward in strike after strike, to find some way to maneuver Greene into the fight the British wanted. Though Greene knew he had to prevent the British troops from recovering from the damaging march,