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utter ruin, by returning to the care and management of their eftates and private affairs. That they had hitherto freely spent 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 service.

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 effe&t 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 feem 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 caused 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. Leflie 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 reftrain the commotions in South Carolina. Vigorous, but ineffectual pursuit 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 Surprized and routed by Tarleton. Rapid pursuit of Morgan, who notwithstanding paffes the Yadkin, and fecures the boats on the other fide. British army march 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 paing the Roanoke. Extraordinary exertions and hardships of the British army. Proceeds to Hillsborough. Expedition from Charles

Town

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Town to Cape Fear River. Wilmington taken, and made a 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 Britif 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 wounds. 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. Neceffities and diftreffes of the army, oblige Lord Cornwallis to proceed to Wilmington for Jupplies. Unufual confequences of victory.

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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

Sept. 16th. a proclamation for fequeftrating the eftates 1780. 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. Fergufon, with his own corps of light infantry, and a body of militia, likewife of his training, which was attached to it, to make incurfions on the borders of North Carolina. If no great matter was expected from this expedition, yet, as he was neither incumbered with baggage or artillery, and that his troops were particularly diftinguifhed by their activity and alertnefs, as litthe danger feemed to be hazarded in the experiment with a broken and difpirited enemy; and misfortune was farther guarded against by the inftructions given to the commander, immediately to return upon the apprehenfion of any fuperior force; though in fact, none fuch was reasonably to be expected. There were feveral fufficient motives for this expedition. For befides, that the nature of that fort of troops, requires their being kept in almost continual motion and action, it feemed ne ceffary to keep the war alive in fome degree upon the frontier; as well to check the confidence of the

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enemy, as to prevent the fpirits of the loyalists 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.

Ferguson was tempted to flay 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 cnemy, however, fuddenly fprung up in the depth of the defarts. 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. Ferguson had already received orders from Lord Cornwallis for his return, and was on his way to pass the Catawba for that purpose. But difcovering as he croffed the King's Mountain, that he was eagerly pursued by a thick cloud of cavalry, he took the best 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 aftonished, at finding themselves fo unexpectedly furrounded and attacked on every fide by this cavalry, were not at

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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. was perhaps the best marksman 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 construction, 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 back, or belly, and in every other poffible pofition of the body. It is not certain, that thefe improvements produced all the effect in real fervice, which had been expected, from those astonishing specimens of them that were displayed 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 Gen. Washington owed his life at the battle of Germantown to this gentleman's total ignorance of his perfon; as he had him fufficiently

within

within reach and view during that action for the purpose.

This was the firft reverfe of fortune which Earl Cornwallis had experienced in his military career; but the feemed now to take ven. geance 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 raised about a thousand men, advanced towards Ninety-Six, with a view of attacking fome of the pofts in that neighbourhood, if not the place itfelf. Tarleton was then at fuch a distance, as afforded no room for apprehenfion of him, until, at leaft, fome confiderable part of the bufinefs was effected; but 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 fmallest apprehenfion of his danger. This being, however, prevented, by the lucky information of a deferter, Sumpter had barely time to pafs that river with the utmost precipitation; but could not fave his rear-guard from being cut to pieces.

He continued his flight to the River Tyger, and was purfued by Tarleton, with the cavalry of his legion, and the 63d regiment mounted on horfeback, with the utmot 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, flufhed 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 ftand 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 themselves from their horfes, obliged him, at no small hazard, to put all at the iffue, and to fall on directly with his cavalry. Notwithstanding the cover of fome log houses, and the natural advantages of the place, the enemy were driven from their ftrong poft, and forced to pass the river in the utmoft diforder.

The Americans loft about 120 men, killed, wounded, or taken. Three of their colonels were among the flain, and Sumpter himfelf was dangerously wounded. They were certainly fortutunate in bringing on the action before the arrival of the rear, as the whole party muft otherwife 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 croffing 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 respect to that quarter or part of the continent where the ad. vantage was gained, if not to the whole. Nor has repeated experience of the mifchief 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 refpect to the fouthern colonies; and no obftacle feems 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 instance 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 was likewife farther în view, that Leflie, with the aid of the marine by which he was convoyed, might, by taking proper ftations towards the head of the Chesapeak, or in the vaft rivers which fall into it, traverfe any fuccours which were fent from the northern army to the fouth

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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 Portsmouth, 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 compenfate for the delay, which the expedi tion in the Chesapeak, instead of proceeding directly to CharlesTown, neceffarily occafioned to the operations of the fouthern army,

Lord Cornwallis being at too great a distance 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 circumstances, immediately difpatched inftructions to the feet 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 feems, being deemed neceflary, for the fecurity of the capital, and the fupport of the communications.

Towards the close 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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