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utter ruin, by returning to the care and management of their eftates and private affairs. That they had hitherto freely fpent their blood, and dedicated their lives to the defence of their country; but that it would be moft unreasonable to expect that they alone, of all the members of the community, fhould be likewife deftined to the facrifice of their whole private fortunes for its fervice.

It may then be well confidered as a fingular circumftance, in this ftate of great difcontent, and of no lefs real grievance, that fuch vaft offers held out to them, fhould not have produced fome very confiderable effect in the American

army. And yet, the matter of fact is, that the example of a man of the highest military fame amongst them, fo far from being the means of bringing over, even any fmall body or detachment of troops, does not seem to be fairly chargeable with the defertion of a fingle foldier, much lefs of an officer. It may not be eafy to trace many inftances in hiftory, of an ill paid, and in every respect ill provided army, however veteran in fervice, and elated by former fuccefs, and however knit together by many bands of union here wanting, which could have been proof to fuch a trial and temptation.

CHA P. IV:

War in South Carolina. State of affairs after the battle of Camden. Inaction caufed by the fickly feafon. Sequeftration of eftates. Col. Fergufon defeated and killed on the King's Mountain. Gen. Sumpter routed by Col Tarleton. Brig. Gen. Leffie fent on an expedition from New York to the Chesapeak. Proceeds to Charles Town, and joins Lord Cornwallis. Gen. Greene arrives in North Carolina, and takes the command of the Southern American army. Colonel Tarleton dispatched to oppofe General Morgan, who advances on the fide of Ninety-Six. Tarleton defeated with great lofs. Unfortunate confequences of the deftruction of the light troops under Ferguson and Tarleton. Lord Cornwallis enters North Carolina by the upper roads. Leaves Lord Rawdon with a confiderable force at Camden, to refrain the commotions in South Carolina. Vigorous but ineffectual purfuit of Morgan. Deftruction of the baggage in the British army. Admirable temper of the troops. Mafterly movements by Lord Cornwallis for paffing the Catawba. General Williamfon killed, and his party routed. Militia furprised and routed by Tarleton. Rapid purfunts of Morgan, who notwithstanding paffes the Yadkin, and fecures the boats on the other fide. British army marches to Salisbury; from whence Lord Cornwallis proceeds with the utmost expedition to feize the fords on the river Dan, and thereby cut Greene off from Virginia. Succeeds in gaining the fords. Rapid pursuit of the American army. Their efcape, by unexpectedly paffing the Roanoke. Extraordinary exertions and hardhips. of the British army. Proceeds to Hillborough. Expedition from

Charles

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Charles Town to Cape Fear River. Wilmington taken, and made a [51 place of arms and fupply. Gen Greene, being reinforced, returns from Virginia; and the British army marches to Allemance Creek. Skirmish between Tarleton's corps, and Lee's legion. Greene falls back to the Reedy Fork. Strange defect of intelligence, experienced by the British general in North Carolina. American army being farther reinforced, Gen. Greene again advances. Movements on both fides, preparatory to the battle of Guildford. Account of that fevere and well-fought action. British officers killed and wounded. Col. Webfter dies of his wound. Gen. Greene retires to the Iron Works on Troublesome Creek. Lord Cornwallis obliged to march to the Deep River, through the want of provifions and forage. Neceflities and diftreffes of the army oblige Lord Cornwallis to proceed to Wilmington for fupplies. Unusual confequences of victory.

URING thefe tranfactions on the fide of New York, the exceffive heats, and great unhealthiness of the feafon in South Carolina, had laid an infuperable reftraint upon the arms and activity of Lord Cornwallis, for no fmall time after the battle of Camden. In the mean time he iffued a proclamation for feSept. 16th, 1708. questering the eftates of those perfons within the province, who were either actually in arms with the enemy, who had abandoned their plantations with a view of joining or fupporting them, or who, by an open avowal of rebellious principles, and other criminal acts, fhould manifeft a defperate perfeverance in oppofing the re-eftablifhment of his majefty's government. To give effect to this purpofe, he appointed a commiffioner to take poffeffion of fuch eftates and property, the annual product of which, excepting the part allotted for the maintenance of the families of thofe defaulters and abfentees, was to be applied to the public fervice, in contributing to defray the expences of the war.

During this fickly feafon, by

which the army, notwithstanding its ceffation from toil, was much affected, Lord Cornwallis had difpatched Col. Ferguson, with his own corps of light infantry, and training, which was attached to a body of militia, likewife of his it, to make incurfions on the borders of North Carolina. great matter was expected from If no this expedition, yet, as he was neither incumbered with baggage or artillery, and that his troops their activity and alertnefs, as litwere particularly distinguished by tle danger feemed to be hazarded and difpirited enemy; and misforin the experiment with a broken by the inftructions give to the tune was farther guarded against turn upon the apprehenfion of any commander, immediately to refuperior force; though, in fact, pected. There were feveral fufnone fuch was reasonably to be exficient motives for this expedition. For befides, that the nature of that fort of troops, requires their being kept in almoft continual motion and action, it feemed neceffary to keep the war alive in well to check the confidence of the fome degree upon the frontier; as [D] 2

enemy,

enemy, as to prevent the fpirits of the loyalifts in that province (where there were many more of the defcription than in any other) from finking under the unavoidable delay and flow movement of the army.

all capable of withstanding the impetuofity of their charge. A total rout enfued. The colonel, with 150 of his men, were killed upon the fpot; about the fame number were wounded; and the prifoners, including the latter, exceeded 800. The Americans fay they took 1500 ftand of arms; and state Ferguson's force at 1400

men.

The fall of this officer, who poffeffed very diftinguished talents as a partizan, and in the conduct of irregular warfare, was, independently even of his detachment, no fmall lofs to the fervice. He was perhaps the best markfman living; and probably brought the art of rifle fhooting to its highest point of perfection. He even invented a gun of that kind upon a new conftruction, which was faid to have far exceeded in facility and execution any thing of the fort before known; and he is faid to have greatly outdone even the American Indians, in the adroitnefs and quickness of firing and loading, and in the certainty of hitting the mark, lying upon the

Ferguson was tempted to ftay longer in the mountainous country which partly borders on, and partly forms a part of, Tryon county in North Carolina, than was abfolutely neceffary, under the hope of cutting off a Col. Clarke, who was returning with his detachment from an expedition into Georgia; and was the more encouraged in this delay, from his not having an idea that there was any force in the country at all able to look him in the face. A numerous, fierce, and unexpected enemy, however, fuddenly sprung up in the depth of the deferts. The fcattered inhabitants of the mountains affembled without noife or warning under the conduct of fix or seven of their militia colonels, to the number of 1600, daring, well mounted, and excellent horfemen. Col. Fergufon had already received orders from Lord Cornwal-back, or belly, and in every other lis for his return, and was on his way to pafs the Catawba for that purpofe. But difcovering, as he croffed the King's Mountain, that he was eagerly purfued by a thick cloud of cavalry, he took the beft pofition for receiving them which time and the place would admit of; and which happened to be by no means a bad one. But his men being neither covered by horfe nor artillery, and being likewife difmayed and aftonifhed, at finding themfelves fo unexpectedly furrounded and attacked on every fide by this cavalry, were not at

poffible pofition of the body. It is not certain, that thefe improvements produced all the effect in real fervice, which had been expected from thofe aftonishing fpecimens of them that were difplayed in England. Humanity cannot, however, but with that this barbarous mode of hoftility was, by univerfal confent, banished from the warfare of all nations. It has been reported that General Washington owed his life at the battle of Germantown to this gentleman's total ignorance of his perfon; as he had him fufficiently

within reach and view during that action for the purpofe.

This was the firft reverse of fortune which Earl Cornwallis had experienced in his military career; but the feemed now to take vengeance for the delay; for the ftate of his force, and the nature of the war confidered, few things could have been more peculiarly unlucky in the prefent juncture. It was, however, in fome degree apparently recompenced, by the fevere blow which Sumpter, not long after, received from Col. Tarleton.

Gen. Sumpter having raifed about a thousand men, advanced towards Ninety-Six, with a view of acting fome of the polts in that debourhood, if not the Pet Tarleton was then a diftance, as afforded no for apprehenfion of him, at least, fome confiderable t of the bufinets was effected; tut his motions were fo fudden and unexpected, and he paffed the Wateree, and the Broad River with fuch rapidity, that he had nearly furprized his too fecure enemy on the South banks of the Ennoree, before he had the smallest apprehenfion of his danger. This being, however, prevented, by the lucky information of a deferter, Sumpter had barely time to pass that river with the utmot precipitation; but could not fave his rear-guard from being cut to pieces.

He continued his flight to the River Tyger, and was pursued by Tarleton, with the cavalry of his legion, and the 63d regiment mounted on horfeback, with the utmoft rapidity; the infantry of the legion, with the artillery,

confifting of a fingle three-pounder, being feveral miles behind. Sumpter perceiving the danger of attempting to cross the Tyger, with an enemy, flushed with fuccefs, clofe upon his rear, and having alfo received intelligence that Tarleton had come forward without his infantry, he took a ftrong pofition at a place called Black Stocks, a little fhort of the river, and confiding in his own fuperiority of number, determined to stand his attack. This Tarleton did not then intend; for he only wanted to interrupt the flight of the enemy, and keep them in play, until he was joined by the rear; but the eager coming up of the 63d, and their being inftantly attacked as they threw themfelves from their horfes, obliged him, at no fmall hazard, to put all at the iffue, and to fall on directly with his cavalry. Notwithstanding the cover of fome log houfes, and the natural advantages of the place, the enemy were driven from their ftrong poft, and forced to pafs the river in the utmost diforder.

The Americans loft about 120 men, killed, wounded, or taken. Three of their colonels were among the flain, and Sumpter himself was dangerously wounded. They were certainly fortutunate in bringing on the action before the arrival of the rear, as the whole party must otherwise have been inevitably cut off. Of the British troops above fifty were killed or wounded; among the former were fome promifing and gallant young officers. Tarleton purfued the blow, as foon as he had provided for the wounded; and crothing the river, did not [D] 3

quit

quit the purfuit until he had entirely difperfed Sumpter's corps.

It has perhaps produced no fmall effect on the fortune of the American war, that every confiderable fuccefs obtained in its progrefs, has been eagerly confidered at home as decifive and final, at least with refpect to that quarter or part of the continent where the advantage was gained, if not to the whole, Nor has repeated experience of the mischief of fuch confidence, been able to prevent its revival when any new occafion was offered.

The victory at Camden feems to have been confidered, even in America, as decifive with respect to the fouthern colonies; and no obftacle fiems to have been understood in Lord Cornwallis's way from thence to the Chefapeak. North Carolina was only confidered as the road to Virginia; the determined refiftance, and the oppofition in every inftance of the inhabitants, do not appear to have been any more thought of, than the unconquerable difaffection of thofe in South Carolina. It must have been under thefe perfuafions, that the commander in chief at New York, difpatched Brig. Gen. Leflie, with a corps of near 3000 choice troops, about the middle of October, to the Chefapeak, in order to co-operate with Lord Cornwallis's operations in Virginia. It v is likewife farther in view, that Leslie, with the aid of the marine by which he was convoyed, might, by taking proper ftations towards the head of the Chefapeak, or in the vaft rivers which fall into it, traverfe any fuccours which were fent from the northern army to the fouth

ward. But in all cafes, he was to act entirely according to the orders which he should receive from Lord Cornwallis.

The troops were landed at Portfmouth, and other neighbouring places in Virginia, where they found fome tobacco and ftores; but the veffels which were feized in the harbours and rivers, were the most valuable part of the booty. This was, however, by no means an object to compensate for the delay, which the expedition in the Chesapeak, inftead of proceeding directly to CharlesTown, neceffarily occafioned to the operations of the fouthern army.

Lord Cornwallis being at too great a diftance to profit of any operations upon the Chesapeak, and it being impoffible to form a junction with Leflie's corps by that way, as foon as he had received advice from Sir Henry Clinton of the circumftances, immediately difpatched inftructions to the fleet and troops, to proceed without delay to Charles-Town; where they arrived about the middle of December, and Leslie found orders in waiting, that he fhould immediately march with about 1500 of his men to join the army; the remainder, it seems, being deemed neceflary, for the fecurity of the capital, and the fupport of the communications.

Towards the clofe of the year, whilft Lord Cornwallis was making every preparation for a vigorous irruption into North Carolina, Gen. Greene was fent from the northern army by Wafhington, to take the command of the fouthern; Gates being now entirely retired; but, as we have

here

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