[August 13, 2021] The Revolutionary War was nearing an end, although few realized how close it really was. One of those groups that did not realize how close it was, were those loyal to the English King in South Carolina. Today is a lesson in knowing when to quit.
I’ve always been of the mind never to give up, ever, regardless of circumstances. But that way of thinking brings significant risks, and sometimes it is simply better to conduct a tactical retreat to fight another day. Thus, to quit can be only a temporary respite, not giving up entirely. This is no play on words. To win the war is the goal; a short-term setback is acceptable in some circumstances.
The battles between American Patriots and the English Loyalists were brutal. Atrocities against the Patriots had gone from war to pure hated. The Loyalists had misjudged the Patriots, thinking there was no way they could win. Major Thomas Frazier led a group of 450 Loyalists and was leading the uprising in South Carolina.
On August 13, 1781, Patriot Brigadier General Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox) and Colonel William Harden were determined to trap Frazier and his troops. The trap worked, and the Loyalists were decimated, losing 50% of their troops. The Patriots would have annihilated the entire Loyalist detachment if they ran low on ammunition.
The Loyalists did not know that British General Charles Cornwallis was being led into a trap of his own. Retreating to Yorktown with 8,000 troops, Cornwallis expected help from British ships sent from New York for that purpose. The British ships never arrived. It was the French navy that kept the British ships from entering the Chesapeake Bay. Joining General Washington was French General Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau and with a combined force of 17,000 soldiers, led seize to Yorktown. General Cornwallis was defeated on October 17, 1781.
The rage of the Patriots did not stop with the war’s end. After the Revolutionary War, Loyalists were tracked down, their property seized, and literally ran out of the country.
Very good article, Gen. Satterfield. Please continue with a series on this issue. Too many folks simply don’t know when to quit. Maybe a little more there. Just my humble opinion. Thank you!
I know plenty of people who dont’ seem to know how to prioritize their behavior. Sometimes we do things that does not matter. They can give that up. But what is important (high priority), that you can never give up. Don’t quit if it’s the latter category.
Good article to read more about this:
“American Revolution Brigadier General Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox)”
https://www.thoughtco.com/brigadier-general-francis-marion-swamp-fox-2360605
The “Swamp Fox” what a great name. Brig Gen Marion was re-elected to the state senate in 1782 and 1784. In the years after the war, he generally supported a lenient policy toward the remaining Loyalists and opposed laws intended to strip them of their property. As a gesture of recognition for his services during the conflict, the state of South Carolina appointed him to command Fort Johnson.
Gen. Satterfield, thank you so much for this blog post. I must read more on the history of America. The land of the free was not built upon being weak or ungodly.
Good history lesson.
Yep, and about something I knew little about. The patriots were rightly pissed and they then threw the British loyalists out of the country. Good for them. We should be taking a lesson from that today.
I say throw out the Liberals. The US would be a much better place, economically powerful and socially tolerant. When you have neo-Marxists in your mist, they make things bad for us all. Just look at cancel culture which is a feature of their leftist ideology.
Yes, a good history lesson but how to apply that to us today. Gen. Satterfield makes a good effort at doing so but it would be best to really hammer home the point. Just my thinking.
Once again, Gen. Satterfield, excellent article. A “tactical retreat.” Yes, occasionally you have to know when to back off. Lynn Pitts (below) notes that we have to chose our battles. We cannot fight everything on every front. That is how you lose. We must have priorities and core values driving them. Otherwise we are just adrift in life with nothing to anchor us.
Yes, thanks Dern. Good point here. We should all be mindful of what our limits are and our strengths. Sun Tzu – as Gen. Satterfield has pointed out – writes about this in his book, “On War.” Read it. A short book.
I prefer not to quit.
Yeah, me too. Too easy to quit, cut and run. I learned never to give up, esp on the big things in life. Chose your battles would be more appropriate here.
Yeah, what’s up with this … but I do understand where Gen. Satterfield is coming from. His thinking is about the battlefield where you die if you are wrong or the enemy is better. In the boardroom with a CEO and his minions, maybe not.
Good point, Purse 5 but I still just love the leadership website. If it were not for Gen. Satterfield, I would be in a much worst place in my life. I love this website; the best on leadership, period!!!
Me too. I’ll never quit and those who stand against me on anything know that as well. It makes them think twice before confronting me on anything at all. It just isn’t worth them fighting me so they back off.