As part of my ongoing effort to describe the events of the A Southern Campaign on the AWI (See issues #66 & 67), a quick look at some of the major characters is necessary.

Looking at these guys in the vacuum of the AWI is okay to a point, but I think we often forget how that conflict impacted on the careers of the men involved.

So, whatever happened to, let's say, George Washington. Okay, we all know he went on to have a distinguished political career. But what about the rest? Here are some very short bio descriptions of the gentlemen who had large and small roles in the Southern Campaign and what they did after the AWI.

GENERAL SIR HENRY CLINTON: Died in 1795. Spent most of the remaining years after the war defending his actions and critisizing his subordinates, mainly Cornwallis. Was appointed Governor of Gibraltor in 1794 and died there shortly after arriving.

GENERAL CHARLES LORD CORNWALLIS: His defeat at Yorktown did little to negatively impact his long term career prospects. His even-handedness and humane nature was a signature of future jobs. He also had ideals and was willing to stand by them. He was the Governor-General of India and the Viceroy of Ireland. He won several more battles in India and enacted a number of legal and civil service reforms while in both jobs. He resigned his post in Ireland as a protest over the lack of political rights for Catholics. He died in India in 1805.

BAISESTRE TARLETON: He continued to live the life of a British gentlemen with a fondness for ladies (i.e. a rake) for many years after the war. He was elected a member of Parliament in 1790 and made the rank of general in 1812. However, he fought no more battles. He died in 1833.

GENERAL CHARLES O'HARA: He was captured (again, Yorktown wasn't enough I guess) by the French at the battle of Toulon. He was exchanged, ironically enough, for General Rochambeau, son of Marshall Rochambeau who led the French troops in America. He was Governor of Gibraltor from 1798-1802. He died in 1802 a very wealthy man who left his money to his two mistresses and children.

BENEDICT ARNOLD: He went into a variety of businesses in Canada and the West Indies but was pretty much a bust in making money. He left his wife, the infamous Peggy Shippen, a pile of debt at his death which she skillfully managed to pay off before she died three years after her husband. He was blackballed by British society for what he had done and of course, the Americans hated him.

He died lonely and embittered in 1801. You can't even find his exact gravesite to spit on anymore. He was buried in a small plot south of London but due to an administrative oversight, his body was exumed in the late 19th century and put into a common grave with hundreds of others nearby.

FRANCES LORD RAWDON: Another fine British commander who went on to have an excellent career. He was Governor General of India in 1813, following his mentor Cornwallis and was also Governor of Malta in 1824. Like Cornwallis, he was noted for trying to reform the local government and being an excellent administrator. He died onboard the HMS Revenge in 1826.

NATHANIEL GREENE: He spent the years immediately after the war in the South which he adopted as his new home. Business scandals followed him after rumours surfaced of "ethical misconduct" toward government contractors while he was in the army (sound familiar). He finally settled down on a farm in South Carolina in 1785 and died the following year.

DANIEL MORGAN: For a supposedly old man in poor health, he outlived a number of his contemporaries. He participated in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion and was a Representative to Congress between 1797-99. He died in Winchester, VA in 1802.

HENRY LEE: "Light Horse Harry" had his ups and downs after the war. He was no money manager and was imprisoned for debt at one time. His political career was somewhat more succesful as he was a senator from Virginia in the first Congress. He died in 1818 leaving his family pretty much broke.

FRANCIS MARION: Became a state senator in South Carolina in 1782 and 1784. He settled down to rebuild his ruined farm and died in 1795.

THOMAS SUMTER: He was the oldest surviving American general from the war who was only outlived by Tarleton and Lafayette. He went on to have a very successful political career despite the mixed results on the battlefield. He served in Congress from 1789-93 and again from 1797-1801. He was a Senator from 1801-1810. He died in 1832 at the age of 97.

MARQUI LAFAYETTE: He outlived everybody and had a very storied career. He was active during the French Revolution. Captured by Austria in 1792 (some say he defected since the Terror was catching up with him), he was liberated by Napoleon in 1797. Lafayette commanded the armies that helped overthrow Charles X in 1830. Lafayette died in 1834 having spent many years as a gentleman farmer. The Marqui either observed or was an active particpant in some of the most exciting moments in French history.

COL. WILIIAM WASHINGTON: The guy who personally routed Ban Tarleton from the field at Cowpens had his horse shot out from under him at Eutaw Springs and was captured. He spent the remainder of the war in captivity. However, he met and married a South Carolina women during that time and settled down in Charleston. He was a member of the South Carolina legislature and was also a member of the Army Chief of Staff as a brigadier general under President John Adams. He died in 1810.

ANTHONY WAYNE: Wayne stayed active in the remnants of the American army after the war. He eventually became the Commander in Chief of the US Army in 1792. He retired in 1795 and died the following year.

ROBERT KIRKWOOD: The little company of Deleware Continentals commanded by Captain Kirkwood hiked over 5000 miles during the war, most of it with Greene in the south. Kirkwood's 80 or so men were the Audie Murphy's of the entire war, that is they were fugitives from the law of averages, i.e. alive.

Kirkwood fought in 32 actions in 6 years and was at the battles on Long Island, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, and lived through the nightmarish winter at Morristown in 79-80. Deleware's lone Continental Regiment proved to be one of the best in the world.

Originally commanded by Col Haslett, the regiment reformed under Col Hall after Haslett fell at Princeton and the 1776 enlistments expired. The regiment was ordered commanded by Col Vaughn when it was ordered south with DeKalb in 1780. Most of the regiment was killed or captured while repulsing two hours of British attacks at Camden-- except that Iron Bob led out about 80 men during the rout.

Let me stress these men did not run but fought their way out. They were without doubt the best troops in the American army being able to fight toe to toe with any British foe, including the Guards. After Camden, the small Delaware band was formed under Kirkwood who was the senior remaining officer in the regiment (a captain) and remained with Greene until the end of 1781 when they were finally sent home after 6 years of continuous service.

The law of averages finally cought up with this redoubtable soldier in 1791. He died in battle serving under St Clair at the hands of the Indians on the Ohio frontier. Light Horse Harry Lee wrote a very nice memorial for Kirkwood at his funeral.

JOHN EAGER HOWARD: Another of Greene's line commanders who amazingly was not killed during the fighting, Howard was from Maryland and had a sterling record in the Southem Campaign. After the war, he was a Maryland delegate to the Continental Congress and served a term as governor of the state. He also served in the US Senate from 1796-1803. He died in 1827.

HORATIO GATES: After his thoroughbred ride north after the battle of Camden, he lived a very quiet life until he died in New York City in 1806.

OTHO WILLIAMS: Another fine soldier from Maryland who had a distinguished war record under Greene. He was appointed collector of customs at Baltimore after the war. He held that job until his death in 1794.

ANDREW PICKENS: He served in the South Carolina legislature (I see a trend here among American commanders) between 1783-94. He was then a member of the US Congress. His wife was the aunt of John Calhoun. His political career lasted until his death in 1817 at the age of 78.

COMPTE DE ROCHEAMBEAU: He was eventually promoted to Field Marshall by Louis XVI and was commander of the Army of the North during the Revolution. He was imprisoned during the Terror and narrowly escaped the guillotine. Napoleon gave him a cross of the grand officer of the Legion of Honor and a pension.

As mentioned, his son was also a career military man who was captured by the British at Martinique and exchanged for O'Hara in 1796. After the war and the Terror, he retired to his estate. He died in 1807 at the age of 82.

BENJAMIN LINCOLN: After his capture at Charleston, he was exchanged in November 1780. He accepted Cornwallis' sword from O'Hara at Yorktown in a memorable scene during the surrender ceromonies. Lincoln was Sec of War from 1781-84. In 1786-87 he commanded the militia that supressed Shay's Rebellion. He became Lt governor of Massachusetts in 1787 and was also the customs collector at Boston from 1789-1809. He died in 1810 at age 77.

"BARON" "VON" STEUBON: Although given a generous pension and over 16,000 acres of land in the New York boonies, Steubon was free with his money regardless of income. He was generous to a fault. He never held a "real" job after the war living on his vanous grants and pensions. He died in 1795 at age 64.

HENRY KNOX: The pudgy bookseller was with Washington throughout the war and directed the American artillery at Yorktown. He succeeded Lincoln as Sec of War and served in that post from 1785-1796. He then retired to Maine where he died in 1806 at age 56.

WILLIAM DAVIE: An important although lesser known figure of the Southern Campaign. He commanded forces at Hanging Rock, Ramsours Mill and was also in Pulaski's Legion at one time. He served with Greene at Hobkirks Hill and the seige of 96. After the war, he was responsible for getting buildings built at the University of NC at Chapel Hill. He was a brigadier general in the US Army in 1798 and also became governor of NC that same year. He was also the Ambassador to France from 1799-1802. He retired and died in 1820 at age 64.

ISAAC SHELBY: One of the leaders of the "over mountain men" at Kings Mountain. He served with Marion later in the war. Afterward, he was one of the authors of the Kentucky state constitution and was the first governor of that state. He fought at Lake Erie during the War of 1812. He was offerred Sec of War in 1817 but declined due to his age. He died in 1826 at the age of 76.

WILLIAM CAMPBELL: Another "over mountain" leader, he had a very short career. He was made a colonel in the Continental line and commanded a light infantry regiment under Lafayette. He took ill a few weeks before Yorktown and died. He was only 36.

Related

The Southern Campaign of the American Revolution: Part II
Pour Le Merit: Rules for the AWI
Uniforms of the Southern Campaign