The British chose not to pursue General Howe or his troops, so there was an orderly crossing into South Carolina at a place called Sister’s Ferry. Captain Clarke and his men were requested to stand guard, and they watched the big ferry make repeated trips across the river, loaded almost to the gunwales with troops, horses, and what was left of their arms and ammunition. He thought about just taking his men home but decided to seek official permission and also to learn what plans General Howe had for the further defense of Georgia. He found the general alone in his tent, surprisingly attended only by a lieutenant and two sergeants. After the lieutenant obtained the general’s permission, Elijah approached the tent, letting his boots make as much noise as possible so Howe could hear him as he walked near the closed tent flap.

He said, “General, permission to enter?”

He heard a muffled voice say, “Enter.”

The general was sitting on a campstool, with his elbows on his knees. His face was ashen, and his eyes were red as though he had been weeping. He looked up without speaking, and Elijah had a feeling that the general did not recognize him.

He said, “General, this is Captain Elijah Clarke, and I’ve come for further orders for my men.”

General Howe looked at him dully and finally said, “Just get the hell out of Georgia.”

“Sir, our families are all up the river, and we can’t afford to leave them and the others. We seen what the British done to the people in Savannah.”

“What do you want, Captain?”

“To go back home, sir, and to keep on fightin’.”

“You can go where you wish, but the British are too strong for us to fight them anymore. I’ve sent orders down to Sunbury for all the troops to join me in Carolina.”

“Well, General, I figure we might have enough men up the river to give the Redcoats some real trouble around Augusta.”

“I’ve also ordered all my troops in Augusta to cross the river.”

Clarke’s face flushed in anger and disgust to know that the entire colony was being abandoned, and after a few moments he was glad that the general was looking at the ground and that he hadn’t expressed his feelings.

He took a step backward. “Thank you, sir. We’ll be goin’ home.”

Aaron Hart was waiting nearby and quickly joined Clarke.

“What’s wrong, Cap’n?”

“That bloody general has lost Savannah, and now he’s givin’ up Georgia.”

He went on to recount the conversation and finally said, “Howe and his Continentals was in Savannah for more than three months and never knew as much about the marsh as what Campbell learned from one nigger woman in two hours.”

“What are we going to do now, Cap’n?”