General Cornwallis
Lord Cornwallis, British commander in the south, moved into South Carolina to meet and crush a Patriot force under Horatio Gates. Gates was replaced with Nathanael Greene who confused Cornwallis by separating his troops into small, fast-moving contingents. Soon Corwallis had lost so many men that he decided to abandon the Carolina campaign. He withdrew t the port town of Wilmington, North Carolina to receive supplies. Later he moved north to launch raids in the interior of Virginia. Cornwallis then had to retreat to Yorktown where he began to build fortifications.