▁British ▁forces ▁unable ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁walls ▁due ▁to ▁mus ket ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁tower . ▁ ▁They ▁surrender ed ▁shortly ▁afterwards . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Great ▁Britain ' s ▁" s ou thern ▁strategy " ▁for ▁winning ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁appeared ▁in ▁some ▁ways ▁to ▁be ▁going ▁well ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Gu il ford ▁Cour th ouse ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 7 8 1 . ▁ ▁General ▁Lord ▁Corn wall is ▁had ▁defeated ▁General ▁N ath ana el ▁Gre ene , ▁but ▁his ▁army ▁was ▁short ▁on ▁supplies ▁and ▁had ▁suffered ▁significant ▁cas ual ties , ▁so ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁Wil ming ton , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁to ▁res upp ly ▁and ▁ref it ▁his ▁troops . ▁ ▁Gre ene , ▁while ▁he ▁had ▁lost ▁the ▁battle field , ▁still ▁had ▁his ▁army ▁int act . ▁ ▁After ▁shadow ing ▁Corn wall is ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁he ▁turned ▁south , ▁and ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁an ▁expedition ▁to ▁recover ▁Patri ot ▁control ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina ▁and ▁Georgia , ▁where ▁British ▁and ▁Lo yal ist ▁forces ▁were ▁thin ly ▁distributed , ▁and ▁smaller ▁out posts ▁were ▁subject ▁to ▁attack ▁from ▁larger ▁forces ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Gre ene ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Patri ot ▁milit ia ▁command ers ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁He ▁first ▁ordered ▁Colonel ▁Henry ▁" Light ▁Hor se ▁Harry " ▁Lee ▁to ▁continue ▁shadow ing ▁Corn wall is ▁so ▁that ▁his ▁south ward ▁movement ▁was ▁screen ed . ▁ ▁Once ▁he ▁was ▁on ▁his