I love this site, but I guess I missed this article.
https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/12/revolutionary-war-south-re-evaluations-certain-revolutionary-actors-events/
"Overall, I assert in The Cornwallis Papers that he consistently displayed a marked streak of ruthlessness which did not scruple to employ measures such as cold-blooded murder on a grand scale."
"For example, when Sumter captured Orangeburg on May 11, 1781, thirteen of the loyalist prisoners were shot in cold blood. On November 23, 1780 Cornwallis, who had no reason to lie to a subordinate, advised Lt. Col. John Harris Cruger that Sumter's men "have been guilty of the most horrid outrages." Not only was Sumter responsible but also Col. Thomas Brandon, Lt. Col. Elijah Clark and others, who, as Cornwallis explained on December 3, 1780 to Clinton, "had different corps plundering the houses and putting to death the well affected inhabitants between Tyger River and Pacolet." Next day he observed to Clinton, "I will not hurt your Excellency's feelings by attempting to describe the shocking tortures and inhuman murders which are every day committed by the enemy, not only on those who have taken part with us, but on many who refuse to join them I am very sure that unless some steps are taken [by the enemy] to check it, the war in this quarter will become truly savage." On March 7, 1781, when Col. Francis Lord Rawdon, then commanding in the field in South Carolina and Georgia,reported to Cornwallis on Sumter's foray down the Congaree and Santee, he remarked generally on "the savage cruelty of the enemy, who commit the most wanton murders in cold blood upon the friends of Government that fall into their hands." Turning specifically to Sumter, he related that, while blockading Fort Granby, Sumter "summoned by proclamation all the inhabitants to join him, offering to all such as would take part with him a full pardon for their former attachment to us and denouncing penalty of death to all who did not range themselves under his standard by the 23rd of February. To give weight to these threats several persons known to be friendly towards us were inhumanly murdered, tho' unarmed and remaining peaceably at their own houses."
From the examples I have cited it is in my opinion fallacious to believe that Sumter did not condone or approve of the barbarous conduct of his men.
Cornwallis well understood the nature of the creature opposed to him. When Major James Wemyss and his wounded men were captured at Fishdam Ford, Cornwallis immediately assumed that they had been ill treated by Sumter. He was of course mistaken, for Sumter never mistreated captured British or British American troops, but Cornwallis's reaction speaks volumes. Nor could he bring himself to write personally to Sumter about the exchange of John Hutchison, a loyalist prisoner whom it was suspected Sumter was about to hang. Although Cornwallis drafted the letter himself, it was signed by Lt. John Money, his aide-de-camp. By contrast he had no compunction about writing to Major Gen. Horatio Gates, Major Gen. Nathanael Greene and Major Gen. William Smallwood, who were other revolutionary commanders in the south.[url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/12/revolutionary-war-south-re-evaluations-certain-revolutionary-actors-events/#_edn7][7]"[/url]
https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/12/revolutionary-war-south-re-evaluations-certain-revolutionary-actors-events/
"Overall, I assert in The Cornwallis Papers that he consistently displayed a marked streak of ruthlessness which did not scruple to employ measures such as cold-blooded murder on a grand scale."
"For example, when Sumter captured Orangeburg on May 11, 1781, thirteen of the loyalist prisoners were shot in cold blood. On November 23, 1780 Cornwallis, who had no reason to lie to a subordinate, advised Lt. Col. John Harris Cruger that Sumter's men "have been guilty of the most horrid outrages." Not only was Sumter responsible but also Col. Thomas Brandon, Lt. Col. Elijah Clark and others, who, as Cornwallis explained on December 3, 1780 to Clinton, "had different corps plundering the houses and putting to death the well affected inhabitants between Tyger River and Pacolet." Next day he observed to Clinton, "I will not hurt your Excellency's feelings by attempting to describe the shocking tortures and inhuman murders which are every day committed by the enemy, not only on those who have taken part with us, but on many who refuse to join them I am very sure that unless some steps are taken [by the enemy] to check it, the war in this quarter will become truly savage." On March 7, 1781, when Col. Francis Lord Rawdon, then commanding in the field in South Carolina and Georgia,reported to Cornwallis on Sumter's foray down the Congaree and Santee, he remarked generally on "the savage cruelty of the enemy, who commit the most wanton murders in cold blood upon the friends of Government that fall into their hands." Turning specifically to Sumter, he related that, while blockading Fort Granby, Sumter "summoned by proclamation all the inhabitants to join him, offering to all such as would take part with him a full pardon for their former attachment to us and denouncing penalty of death to all who did not range themselves under his standard by the 23rd of February. To give weight to these threats several persons known to be friendly towards us were inhumanly murdered, tho' unarmed and remaining peaceably at their own houses."
From the examples I have cited it is in my opinion fallacious to believe that Sumter did not condone or approve of the barbarous conduct of his men.
Cornwallis well understood the nature of the creature opposed to him. When Major James Wemyss and his wounded men were captured at Fishdam Ford, Cornwallis immediately assumed that they had been ill treated by Sumter. He was of course mistaken, for Sumter never mistreated captured British or British American troops, but Cornwallis's reaction speaks volumes. Nor could he bring himself to write personally to Sumter about the exchange of John Hutchison, a loyalist prisoner whom it was suspected Sumter was about to hang. Although Cornwallis drafted the letter himself, it was signed by Lt. John Money, his aide-de-camp. By contrast he had no compunction about writing to Major Gen. Horatio Gates, Major Gen. Nathanael Greene and Major Gen. William Smallwood, who were other revolutionary commanders in the south.[url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/12/revolutionary-war-south-re-evaluations-certain-revolutionary-actors-events/#_edn7][7]"[/url]
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