ROYAL RAIDERS: The Tories of the American Revolution

After the Carolina Whigs defeated their neighbors (the British-led Carolina Tories) at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776, the Tory muster rolls fell into the Whigs' hands. Suddenly, the Whigs knew just which neighbors to persecute. They repeatedly robbed, plundered and imprisoned Tories, even making their wives flee without their children. The American neighbor who lost the War really lost. When the Declaration of Independence was ratified, many people forfeited their independence and liberty of thought and opinion. Men, in fact, were cited for ""treasonous acts"" which occurred before there was a treason law. And at War's end a hundred thousand Tories were banished. The decline and fall of the Tories is Mr. Callahan's study, and, oddly, they had much in common with the Southern rebels of the Civil War. They were haughty, valorous, fought what became a lost cause. In contrast to the Southern rebels, the Torrie's deeds are forgotten (and there were deeds), mainly because the British didn't use them wisely. Mr. Callahan follows them from their oosely organized beginnings to their final defeat under Cornwallis' banner in the South. He had access to much virgin material, and many quotes from Tory personal testimony are not just fresh but electrical. A valuable and moving book, packed with comment from the men who were there.