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1781.

The name of Tarleton and his fucceffes, had CHAP. XIL fo long been the terror of one fide, and the triumph of the other, that neither had calculated on a derangement or defeat of his projects. But three hundred of his men killed in the action at Cow-pens, five hundred captured, and himself obliged to fly with precipitation, convinced the people that he was no longer invincible. The militia of the country were infpirited, and many of them flocked to the American ftandard, who had heretofore been too much intimidated to rally around it.

Colonel Tarleton was feverely cenfured by the British officers, for fuffering himself to be defeated, with his advantages of difcipline, numbers, and every thing else that in all human probability might have insured him victory. They did not tax him with a want of perfonal bravery; but fome of them would not allow, that he had talents for any thing fuperior to the requifites for "a captain of dragoons, who might "fkirmish and defeat in detail." However, he had certainly been confidered by most of them in a higher point of view, before this misfortune but his flight, and the lofs of his light troops, left a tarnish on his military character,

it must have been by desertion, or by a fudden defection of the inhabitants of the state, who had previously aided him.

CHAP. XIX.

1781.

that could not be eafily wiped off, or forgiven. The lofs of these light troops, fo peculiarly neceffary in the present service, was felt through all the fucceeding campaign. But Tarleton foon recovered himself, and returned from his flight he appeared within a day or two, not far from the ground from which he had been beaten, and resumed his usual boldness and barbarity.

Tarleton's defeat was a blow entirely unexpected to lord Cornwallis, and induced him to march himself from Wynnefborough to the Yadkin, in pursuit of general Morgan, with the hope of overtaking him, and recovering the prifoners. The British troops endured this long and fatiguing march under every fpecies of dif ficulty, over rivers, fwamps, marfhes, and creeks, with uncommon refolution and patience. What greatly enhanced their hardfhips and inconveniences, the path of their route was, as lord Cornwallis expreffed it, "through one of the most rebellious tracts in Amer

"ica."

General Greene, on hearing that his lordship was in pursuit of Morgan, left his poft near the Pedee under the command of general Huger, and with great celerity marched with a small party of friends and domeftics, one hundred and fifty miles, and joined general Morgan before lord Cornwallis arrived at the Catawba. In

1781.

this purfuit, lord Cornwallis cut off fome of the CHAP. XIX. small detachments, not in fufficient force for effectual oppofition. It is true, general Davidfon made an unsuccessful stand on the banks of the Catawba, with three or four hundred men ; but the British fording the river unexpectedly, he was himself killed, and his troops dispersed; and the croffing the river by the British army, was no farther impeded.

General Greene had ordered the colonels Huger and Williams, whom he had left some days before at the Pedee, to join him with their troops: however it was but a very short time after this junction, before general Greene had the highest reason to conclude, that the safety of his troops lay only in retreat; nor was this accomplished but with the utmost difficulty, as the way he was obliged to traverse, was frequently interrupted by steep ascents and unfordable rivers. But he remarkably escaped a purfuing and powerful army, whose progress was, fortunately for the Americans, checked by the fame impediments, and at much lefs favorable moments of arrival. Though we do not affert, a miracle was wrought on the occafion, it is certain from good authority,* that the freshets

* See general Greene's own letters, and the letters of other officers.

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CHAP. XIX.

1781.

fwelled, and retarded the paffage of the Britifn, while they seemed at times, to fufpend their rapidity in favor to the Americans and the piety of general Greene in feveral of his letters, attributed his remarkable efcapes, and the protection of his little army, to the intervention of a fuperintending Providence.

Thus after a flight and a chace of fifteen or twenty days, fupported by the most determined spirit and perfeverance on both fides, general Greene reached Guilford about the middle of February, where he ordered all the troops he had left near the Pedee, under officers on whom he could depend, to repair immediately to him.

Lord Cornwallis at or near the fame time, took post at Hillsborough, and there erected the royal standard. General Leslie had according to orders left Virginia, and marched further fouth. He had arrived at Charleston about the middle of December. He without delay marched with fifteen hundred men, and foon overtook and joined lord Cornwallis, in the extreme part of the ftate. He had found the British commander immersed in cares, perplexity, and fatigue, endeavouring with all his ability, to restore by force the authority of his mafter, among a people, the majority of whom, he foon found to his mortification, were totally averse to the government and authority of Great Britain. General Leflie continued with

him until fome time after the battle of Guil CHAP. XIx. ford, and by his bravery and activity was effentially serviceable to the royal cause.

At Hillsborough, lord Cornwallis, by procla mation, called upon all the faithful votaries to the crown of Britain, to repair immediately to his camp with ten days provifions, to assist in the full restoration of conftitutional government. Numbers from all parts of the country, liftened anew to the invitations and threatenings of the British commander, and moved with all poffible dispatch towards his camp. But many of them fell on their way, by the fatal miftake of misapprehending the characters and connexions of the partifans about them. It must be extremely difficult in a country rent in funder by civil feuds, and in arms under different leaders of parties oppofed to each other, to know at once, in the hurry and confufion of croffing and re-croffing to join their friends, whether they were not encircled by their enemies.

Tarleton himself had sometimes miftaken his own partifans for the friends of congrefs: thus many of the royalifts, as they were haftening to take protection under the banners of their king, were cut down by the fame hand that spread flaughter and defolation among the oppofers of the monarch. Many unfortunate victims of the sword, drew deftruction upon themselves by

1781.

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