Book Reviews and Notices in the wars with the Cherokee. Settling in the region along the Santee in South Carolina, the hardy backwoodsman leaped into prominence and wealth by marrying the widow of a large plantation owner. When the Revolution began, Sumter served as captain of militia and then as colonel in the Continental line. It was not until after the fall of Charleston in May 1780 that Sumter emerged in the heroic role as one of the few rebel leaders in South Carolina with the courage to fight on against the victorious Cornwallis. Though Sumter and his militia won some hard- fought battles it was to no avail, for after Gates' defeat at Camden in August, the militia lost heart and disbanded. General Nathanael Greene arrived in December 1780 to take over the all-but-lost cause in the South. He promptly offended Sumter by giving Daniel Morgan permission to call out the militia without having the orders go through Sumter, who was then incapacitated by a wound received in a brush with the enemy. In spite of Sumter's disinclination to cooperate, Morgan won his spectacular victory at Cowpens. Following Cowpens, while Greene was conducting his momentous retreat through North Carolina, Sumter seized the opportunity to try to win some laurels by descending upon several of the British posts in South Carolina. He failed to reap a single victory but his exertions may have helped in preventing reinforcements from reaching the hard-pressed Cornwallis. A few weeks later, when Greene returned triumphantly to South Carolina after forcing Cornwallis to flee to Wilmington, Sumter saw fit to make a better appearance and gave the commander-in-chief more support than he had rendered before. Except perhaps in preventing more help from reaching Camden in April 1781 from posts to the westward, his efforts were of minor importance. Realizing that Sumter had his difficulties, Greene generally refrained from criticism of the Gamecock although many of Sumter's lieutenants were open in their denunciation. Sumter's last important assignment was in the summer of 1781, when Greene sent him to raid the British outposts surrounding Charleston. Henry Lee, said to be the most able of Greene's lieutenants, thought Sumter's handling of the operations incompetent, but again Greene was charitable and acknowledged the Gamecock had done quite well. Most of this book deals with military history and relates almost entirely to South Carolina. The treatment of endless skirmishes and minor operations with about as much emphasis as is placed on more significant events makes it difficult for all but students of the Revolution to understand properly the war in the South. As for Sumter, the author makes him out to be a great strategist and tactician when his very evidence proves the contrary. To Nathanael Greene, says the author, Sumter "seemed a glory fighter, a Carolina freebooter, a backwoods condottiere subsisting his private army by plundering Tories." After reading Mr. Bass's life of Sumter, readers will probably agree with Greene. The book would be of greater value and perhaps more interesting if 418