accordingly, without hefitation, determined at once upon the part which he fhould take; and chufing his ground, boldly prepared for battle.

Tarleton came up with his enemy at eight in the morning of Jan. 18. 1781, and nothing could appear more inviting than the profpect before him. They were drawn up on the edge of an open wood without defences; and though their numbers might have been fomewhat fuperior to his own, the quality of the troops was fo different as not to admit a doubt of fuccefs; which was ftill farther confirmed by his great fuperio rity in cavalry, fo that every thing feemed to indicate a most complete victory. His line of attack was compofed of the 7th regiment, with the foot of the legion, and the corps of light infantry an nexed to it; a troop of cavalry covered cach flank. The first battalion of the 71ft, and the remainder of the cavalry, formed a fecond line.

Morgan fhewed uncommon ability and judgement in the difpofition of his force. Seven hundred militia, on whom he placed no great confidence, were expofed to open view, as we have feen, in the firft line, on the edge of the wood; but the fecond, compofed of the continental and Virginia troops, was out of fight in the wood; where they were drawn up in excellent order, and prepared for all events. The militia were little capable of fuftaining the impetuofity of their affailants; and were foon broken, routed, and scattered on all fides. It is not to be wondered at, that those troops who had been fo long used to carry every thing before them, almoft without refiftance, now meeting with the ufual facility, thould at once conclude the day to be their own, and pursue the fugitives with the utmost rapidity. In the mean time, the fecond line having opened on the right and left in the wood, as well to lead the victors on, as to afford a clear paffage for the fugitives, as soon as the former were far enough advanced, poured in a clofe and deadly fire on both fides, which took the moft fatal effect. The ground was, in an inftant, covered with the killed and wounded; and those brave troops, who had been fo long inured to conquer, were, by this fevere and unthought-of check, thrown into irremediable disorder and confufion.

A total defeat was the immediate consequence. The 7th regiment loft their

colours; and the brave men of the royal artillery, who attended the two pieces of cannon, with the characteristic intrepidity and magnanimity of their corps, fcorning either to abandon or furrender their guns, were cut to pieces by them. The lofs every way, in killed, wounded, and prifoners, exceeded 400 men. Tarleton, in the midst of defeat, exhibited a trait of his character and spirit. When all was loft, he notwithstanding rallied a part of his routed cavalry, who were ftill afhamed to abandon an officer, who had fo often led them to victory; with thefe, he unexpectedly charged and repulfed Washington's horse; and had the fortune of retaking the baggage, the flender guard in whofe cuftody it was left being cut to pieces. This, however, from the impoffibility of carrying it off, he was obliged mostly to deftroy.

This blow, coming fo clofely upon that at the King's Mountain, produced effects worse than could have been feared from fuch partial difafters. Indeed they feemed seriously to have influenced all the fubfequent operations of the war, and deeply affected its general fortune. The lofs of the light troops, especially of the cavalry, could scarcely be repaired; and the nature of the war rendered this fort of force one of its most effectual arms.

It was the more grievous to Lord Cornwallis, from its being one of thofe unexpected events, which as it could neither be forefeen nor apprehended, no wisdom could poffibly provide against. Moft of the troops that were now defeated, had been much diftinguished, and conflantly fuccefsful. It is not even clear, that there was any difparity in point of number; and if there had, from long and confirmed experience, it could not have been a matter of much confideration. Nor was it even to be fuppofed, that Morgan would in any poffible circumftance have ventured an engagement; for Greene had already, upon the advance of Lord Cornwallis, abandoned Mecklenburgh county, and retired to the eastern fide of the Pedee; which increafed the distance fo much, that his retreat, under the confequences of an action, seemed extremely hazardous.

The plan adopted by Lord Cornwallis for the winter campaign, was to advance to North Carolina, by the upper, instead of the lower roads, or in other words, to make his way on the western fide, inftead of keeping the central courfe through

through both provinces. Among other motives for this choice, was the hope of cutting Morgan off, or if that failed, at any rate to drive him entirely out of South Carolina, and thereby to relieve Ninety-fix, and all that fide, from trou ble and danger while he pushed forward. Another motive not lefs cogent for taking the upper road was, that it kept nearer the heads of the rivers, and accordingly led to the fords, which generally lie above their forks; whereas the great rivers were at that feafon, nearly, if not entirely impassable below the forks, which was the course that the lower road took.

The objects in view with Lord Cornwallis were, by rapid marches, to get between Gen. Greene and Virginia, and by cutting off his reinforcements from that country, either reduce him to a neceffity of fighting with his prefent force, or of giving up the caufe altogether, by abandoning North Carolina with precipitation and difgrace. In either cafe, as he had no doubt of success in the former, an opportunity would be afforded, and encouragement given to the loyalifts, to fulfil their promifes of a general rifing, in order to affift in the re-establishment of the British government. In this flattering state of things, government being eftablished, and the province competent to the maintenance of its own internal fecurity, it would likewife prove the means of fecuring the tranquillity of South Carolina. And thus every thing being fecured behind, he might then well look forward, with the warmest hopes, and with every prospect of advantage, to the profecution of his intended operations in Virginia, Maryland, and even ftill farther northward.

Lord Cornwallis was not lefs attentive to the fecurity of South Carolina during his abfence, than he was to the providing for the active operations of the army under his own immediate command. For this purpose, befides the ftationary force at Charlestown, he left a confider able body of troops under the conduct of Lord Rawdon; whofe central fituation at Camden was equally calculated to reprefs the infurgents within the province, and to maintain the frontiers. A measure indeed that greatly leffened his active force, already too much weakened by the late loffes; but which the fituation of affairs rendered indifpenfably neceffary. For Greene's fituation, hang

ing with his force upon the eastern banks of the Pedee, whofe waters covered him from all near danger, would have afforded him fuch a command of a great part of the fouthern frontier, when the main army had pushed on to the northward, as would have endangered, at least, all the eastern side of the province, without fuch a check as was now provided. And to this was to be added, that South Carolina itself was ftill torn to pieces by internal commotions, which indeed seemed rather to increase than to leffen with lofs and defeat; and that, as Sumpter, Marion, and their other leaders, had now made it a rule to mount all their ádhe rents, and to act entirely on horseback; it became a matter of no small difficulty, either to reprefs or to punish their irruptions.

Lord Cornwallis, with his ufual alertnefs, immediately difpatched a part of the army, unincumbered with baggage, in the hope of intercepting Morgan, or at leaft of recovering the prisoners; while he staid behind a day with the remainder, for the purpose of collecting the remains of Tarleton's corps. Nothing could exceed the exertions made by the purfuing troops; but fuch was the celerity of the enemy, and fuch the difficulties they encountered, from violent and continual rains, and the confequent fwelling of the numberless creeks in their way, that all their efforts were fruitlefs; and Morgan had gained the upper fords on the Catawba, before they could poffibly reach them.

Upon the failure of intercepting Morgan, the army was assembled on Jan. 25. at Ramfoure's Mills, on the fouth fork of the Catawba. And as the lofs of the light troops could only be remedied by the general activity of the whole army, Lord Cornwallis fpent two days in the deftruction of all the fuperfluous baggage, and of every thing whatever, which could retard the celerity of the troops, and which was not abfolutely necessary to their existence or action. Upon this principle, all the waggons, excepting, thofe loaded with hospital stores, falt, or ammunition, and four empty ones, referved for the fick or wounded, were deftroyed. The temper with which they fubmitted not only to this, but to a number of other unusual trials and hardfhips, does infinite honour to every part of that army. They beheld the deftruction of their most valuable, and even

much

much of their moft neceffary baggage; they beheld their fpirituous liquors ftaved, at a season when it would be most wanted, and upon the entrance of a fervice which cut off every profpect and hope of a future fupply; and the moderate pittance of flower, which they were able to procure and to carry along with them, was their only certain refource for fubfiftance; yet these difficulties and evils, new and ftrange as they were, were fubmitted to with the moft general and chearful acquiefcence. It seemed indeed the lefs irksome, as the example was fet by the commander in chief himfelf with the utmost rigour. It was a new phenomenon in a modern army, to behold the General's quarters incapable of affording a glass of wine, or of any kind of ftrong liquor, and his table as deftitute of any thing orderly or comfortable, and even of furniture, as the common foldier's.

The north fork of the Catawba had been rendered impaffable for several days by the rains; and all the fords for more than forty miles above the fork, were befides vigilantly guarded by detachments of the enemy; compofed not only of Morgan's corps, but of the militia of the two neighbouring counties of Rowen and Mecklenburg, (both of which were peculiarly inimical to the royal caufe), under the conduct of a Gen. Davidfon. Lord Cornwallis approached the river by fhort marches during its height, and by feveral movements and feints, which indicated a defign of forcing his way at different fords before they were yet paffable, endeavoured to divide and diftract the attention of the enemy. In the mean time, he spared no pains to procure all poffible information, as well of the nature of the river, and of the country on the other fide, as of the ftate and condition of the enemy. His plan being fettled, and the waters fomewhat fallen, he detached Col. Webfter, with a part of the army, and all the remaining baggage, to a ford called Beattie's, which lies fix miles higher up the river, than another principal ford, which is known by the name of M'Cowen's. Gen. Davidson, was fuppofed to be pofted with 500 militia at Beattie's; and Webster had inftructions to make every poffible demonftration, as well by cannonading as by manœuvres, of his determination to force a paffage at that ford.

While Webster was gone upon this fervice, Lord Cornwallis, with the remainder of the army, confifting of the brigade of guards, the regiment of Bofe, the 23d, 200 cavalry, and two three pounders, began his march about one in the morning of Feb. 1. to a private ford, about a mile from M'Cowen's, which was the real object of attempt. The morning being very dark and rainy, and part of their way being through a wood where there was no road, the artillery were fo embarraffed in a swamp, that the line of march was pushed on to the ford without them; where the head of the column arrived juft at the opening of the day. The General foon perceived, by the number of fires on the other fide, that the ford was much better guarded, and the oppofition would confequently be greater than he expected. This rendered the delay of the artillery the more vexatious. But as he knew that the rain then falling would soon render the river impaffable, and had before received intelligence that Greene was on full march from the Pedee, with his whole force, to join Morgan, he faw that fomething muft neceffarily be hazarded at the prefent, to avoid greater future difficulties; and being likewife full of confidence in the zeal and gallantry of Brig. Gen. O'Hara, and of the brigade of guards under his command, which formed the head of the column, he determined on the attempt; and directly ordered them to march on through the river, and to prevent confufion, charged them not to fire, until they had gained the oppofite bank.

The guards, and their commander, fully juftified the high opinion which Lord Cornwallis had entertained of them. The terrors and difficulties of an untried river, upwards of 500 yards wide, with a ftrong current, a rocky bottom, water up to the middle, and exposed through the whole paffage, to the deliberate aim, and continual fire of the enemy, were equally incapable of making any impreffion on their cool and determined valour, and of, in any degree, affecting the excellency of their difcipline. The light infantry of the guards, being the first that were landed, inftantly formed, and in a few minutes killed or difperfed every thing that appeared before them. Gen, Davidfon, who unexpectedly, and for himself unfortunately, had arrived at this poft, with 300 militia on the preceding

evening,

evening, was, with fome other officers, found among the flain. Col. Hall of the guards was the only officer who fell on the British fide; and though a good many private men were wounded, yet the lofs in every refpect would appear incredibly small to those who are not ac cuftomed to confider the prodigious dif. ference between real and eftimated danger, in many parts of military action.

In the mean time, the rear of the column being come up, and the whole paffed with the utmoft expedition over the river, Col. Tarleton was dispatched with the cavalry, fupported by the 23d regiment, in purfuit of the fugitives, and likewife to fcour and examine the country. Having received intelligence from the prifoners, that 3 or 400 of the militia were to affemble that day at a place about ten miles diftant, he eagerly feized that opportunity, as well of avenging, as of effacing the memory of the late difafter. He therefore, immediately quitting the infantry, proceeded thither at the head of his cavalry with the ut. moft expedition; his arrival being fo fudden and unexpected, that a complete furprife, great execution, and total difperfion, were almoft the inftantaneous confequences. This fevere ftroke, along with the preceding defeat at the ford, had fuch an effect upon the militia, who had hitherto only heard of the rigours and dangers of war, that they not only immediately abandoned all their pofts on the river, but were fo totally cowed and difpirited, that they did not once after, in any manner, make the smallest attempt to interrupt the progrefs of the army in its march to the Yadkin, although its course lay (to use Lord Cornwallis's own words) through one of the most rebellious tracts in America.

Though the enemy had abandoned Beattie's ford, yet the continual fall of rain, and fwelling of the river, had rendered the paffage both tedious and difficult to Col. Webster. It was, however, at length accomplished towards the even ing; and he was enabled to join the commander in chief, in fome time after dark, at about fix miles diftance from the ford.

Intelligence being received, that Morgan had commenced a forced march in the afternoon, which it was afterwards found that he had continued through the night, to the northward, towards Salif bury, the defire of retaliating on that

commander was so ftrong with the army, that they purfued him in the morning with the utmost spirit and vigour; hoping, notwithstanding the distance he had gained, by dint of exertion, ftill to overtake or intercept him while he was entangled among the rivers. But the difficulties of bad roads, bad weather, and fwelled creeks, which they had to furmount, were fo great and fo numerous, that it could not poffibly be done, with the effect that was wished. Morgan had arrived at the trading fort on the Yadkin, in the night between the 2d and 3d of February, and during the remainder of that, and the courfe of the following day, had paffed the body of his infantry, with the cavalry, and moft of the waggons over the river; fo that when the guards, by a course of the most ftrenu. ous exertions, had come up in the evening, they could only rout and difperfe his rear, and take the few remaining waggons.

Morgan having fecured the boats on the other fide, and the ford through which he had paffed his waggons and cavalry being now rendered impaffable by the fudden rife of the river, Lord Cornwallis determined to march to the upper fords, which, as we before obferved, are generally paffable; but he was under a neceffity of making fome fhort delay by the way at Salisbury, for the procuring of a hafty and scanty fupply of provifions. In the mean time he received intelligence, that Morgan had quitted the banks of the Yadkin, and that Greene was marching with the ut moft difpatch to form a junction with him at Guildford. The British commander knowing that Greene had not yet received his reinforcements from Virginia, nor even had time to collect the North Carolina militia, was fenfible, that he would by all poffible means avoid an engagement in the latter, and of course endeavour to make his way into the other, where his fupport lay. To counteract this defign was therefore his great object; and he accordingly endea voured, with the utmoft diligence, and every degree of exertion, to get before him to the river Dan; for that river, and the Roanoke into which it falls, form the boundary between the twó provinces; and by feizing the upper fords on the firft, he hoped to reduce Greene to a neceffity either of fighting or of abandoning his communication

fhall ftill form only very faint and inadequate ideas of the fufferings which they endured.

with, and all hope of fuccour from Virginia; while, in the latter cafe, he would run no fmall risk of being inextricably inclosed and hemmed in, between the great rivers on the well, the fea on the eat, and the forces under the Lords Cornwallis and Rawdon, on the north and fouth.

It was now a trial of dispatch between both armies, which should first gain the northern frontier. The British fucceeded, and cut Greene off from the upper fords; and Lord Cornwallis being af fured, that the lower were impracticable, and that the country could not afford any number of boats, at all fufficient for the paffage of Greene's army, thought he could not now escape without a decifive blow, and accordingly pursued him with the utmost expedition. This was, however, impeded by great and numerous difficulties. The intelligence to be obtained, was not only extremely defective, but feems to have been in. tendedly delufive. The want of light troops was now feverely felt; and the enemy by their abundance of them, were enabled to break down all the bridges in

the line of march, and to throw numberlefs other impediments in the way of the army. Upon their arrival at Boyd's Ferry, Feb. 15. they discovered, to their inexpreffible grief and vexation, that all their toil and exertions had been vain, and that all their hopes were fruftrated. The enemy had been furnimed with boats fufficient (in direct contradiction to all the intelligence received by the British General) to convey their whole army and baggage, on the preceding day and night, over the river.

Nothing ever exceeded, except the vigour and perfeverance with which they were encountered and furmounted, the hardships and difficulties which the army endured in this long course of march, from Salisbury to the Dan, and then in the pursuit of Greene to Boyd's ferry. Their wants and diftreffes were not less than their toils and fatigues. They traversed a country, which was alternately a wild and inhospitable forest, or inhabited by a people who were at leaft highly adverfe, however they might venture or not to be hoftile. When to these we add all the poffible incommodities, incident to bad roads, heavy rains, want of cover, and the continual wading through numberless deep creeks and rivers in the depth of winter, we VOL. XLV.

The army being in no condition to venture the invafion of fo powerful a province as Virginia, in the prefent circumftances, and North Carolina being in a state of the utmost disorder and confufion, Lord Cornwallis, after giving the troops a day's reft, led them by easy marches to Hillsborough, where he e rected the royal standard, and iffued a proclamation, inviting all loyal fubjects to repair to it, and to take an active part in affifting him to restore order and conftitutional government in the colony. [To be continued.]