Existing comment:
War in the South:
The Continental army in the South was small. Backcountry militias harassed British troops and loyalist units.
After devastating losses, the southern department of the Continental army relied heavily on local partisan militias. These irregular units were variously equipped and trained. They often ignored commands or the disciplined practices of conventional warfare, but they could "shout like hell and fight like devils."
Partisan units were often deployed in combined operations with regular troops. More frequently, partisans acted on their own, independently besieging the enemy. They won few outright victories, yet kept the British from controlling Georgia and the Carolinas. |