of war, and declines giving his own opinion if he has 1780. any, acts below the courage of a foldier, and fhould thenceforward fcreen either his cowardice or treachery, by keeping the matter a profound fecret.

The British army was thus difpofed-the divifion on the right confifted of a small corps of light infantry, the 23d and 33d regiments under lieut. col. Webster ;-the divifion on the left was formed of the volunteers of Ireland, the infantry of the legion, and part of lieut. col. Hamilton's North Carolina regiment, under lord Rawdon, with 2 fix and 2 three pounders, commanded by lieut. M'Leod ;—the 71ft regiment with a fix pounder, composed the referve, one battalion in the rear of the right divifion, the other of the left ;-and the cavalry of the legion was ftationed in the rear, close to the 71ft regiment. This disposition was made at break of day: but before it took place the British appeared in column about 200 yards in front of the American artillery, while gen. Gates was with his corps-de-referve. Col. Williams ordered the artillery to be fired upon them, which was inftantly obeyed; and then went to inform Gates of the occafion of the firing, and of the enemy's having the appearance of fpreading and forming a line by their right, "which," faid the colonel, " gives us a favorable opportunity of commencing the attack of infantry with Stevens's brigade." The general answered, "Very proper, let it be done." Orders were immediately given to Stevens, who advanced with his brigade in excellent order and with great alacrity. The enemy had however, formed their line before he got near enough for action. Both lines were advancing, and had come within firing diftance of each other, when Stevens, en

1780. couraging his men, put them in mind of their bayonets, which they had received only the day before, calling out to them, "My brave fellows, you have bayonets as well as they, we'll charge them." Col. Williams had advanced in front of the brigade, from which he had taken a few volunteers, intending, by a partial fire, to extort that of the enemy at fome diftance, in expectation that the militia would stand the first discharge, and be brought to closer action with their loaded muskets, But the advantage was loft, Lord Cornwallis obferving the movement of the Virginians under Stevens, gave orders to lieut. col. Webster to begin an attack. The British infantry upon that rushed through the thin fire of the militia with great intrepidity, and furiously charged the brigade with a cheer. The intimidated militia threw down most of their arms, bayonets and all, and with the utmost precipitation and trepidation fled from the field, and were followed by the North Carolina milicia light infantry. The whole North Carolina divifion being panic-ftruck, imitated the shameful example; except one regiment, commanded by col. Dixon, next in the line of battle to the continental regulars, which fired feveral rounds indeed, gen. Gregory's brigade, to which that regiment belonged, paused longer than the others: but at laft all fled, and the majority, without their arms, or firing a fingle fhot, It cannot appear exceffively ftrange, that fuch raw militia could not ftand before bayonets, when it is confidered, that for fome time they had fubfifted on fruit fcarcely ripe, without any regular rations of flesh, flour, or fpirituous liquors; -that their ftrength and fpirits were depreffed by such preceding low regimen ;-and that, after an unexpected

meeting of the enemy, they had to lie for hours on 1780. their arms, attended with the apprehenfion of immediate danger, and the horrors of the night.

All the militia who compofed the left wing and centre being routed, the second continental brigade, confifting of Maryland and Delaware troops, making the right wing, and the corps-de-referve, were left to fight or retreat; but as they had no orders for the latter, they maintained their pofition with great refolution, and gave the British an unexpected check. The fecond brigade even gained ground, and took no less than 50 prifoners. But the corps-de-referve being confiderably out-flanked, were thrown into diforder: they were foon rallied by their officers, and renewed the action with much spirit. Overpowered by numbers they were again broken: but the brave examples and exertions of the officers induced them to form afresh. The gallantry of this corps covered, in a great measure, the left of the fecond brigade, which was in a manner blended with the enemy's line on their left, where the conflict was defperate. The Americans thinking themselves mafters of the field, difputed with the British who fhould conquer and retain the other as prisoners of war. At length the enemy directing their whole force against these two devoted corps, the fire of the musketry became yet more tremendous, and was continued with equal perfeverance and obftinacy, till lord Cornwallis obferving that there was no cavalry opposed to him, pushed forward his dragoons, and charging with his bayonets at the fame moment, put an end to the conteft. Never did men behave better than the continentals in the whole of the action; but all attempts to rally the militia were inef

fectual.

1780. fectual. Lieut. col. Tarleton's legion charged them as they broke, and purfued them as they were fleeing. Without having it in their power to defend themselves, they fell in great numbers under the legionary fabres.

General Gates was borne off the field by a torrent of difmayed militia. They conftituted fo great a part of his army, that when he faw them break and flee with fuch precipitation, he loft every hope of victory; and his only care was, if poffible, to rally a fufficient number, to cover the retreat of the regular troops: he retired with gen. Cafwell to Clermont, in hope of halting them at their late encampment. But the further they fled, the more they difperfed, and the generals giving up all as loft, retired with a very few attendants to Charlotte. On their retreat, an officer from col. Sumpter overtook them, and reported to Gates, that the colonel had fucceeded fully in his enterprise the evening before against the enemy's poft on the Wateree; had reduced the redoubt and captured the guard; and had intercepted the efcort with the ftores, which were all taken, with about 40 waggons and upward of 100 prifoners. Gates however could take no advantage of this fuccefs the enemy were at his heels, and his victorious friends on the oppofite fide of a river too distant to form a junction in time to prevent his fate.

Most of the Virginia militia returned to Hillsborough by the route they came to camp; and gen. Stevens found means to stop a confiderable number at that place: but the term for which they had taken the field being nearly expired, all who had not deferted were foon afterward discharged. The North Carolinians fled different ways, as their hopes led or their fears drove them; and

many were intercepted by their difaffected countrymen, 1789. who but a few days before had generally fubmitted to Gates, by whom they were generously fent to their homes, upon a promise of remaining neuter or of following his colours. Several confiderable parties had actually taken arms with a professed design of joining the Americans but fo foon as they heard of their defeat, they became active in the pursuit of the fugitives, and killed or captured all that came in their

way.

Baron de Kalb, while exerting himself with great bravery to prevent the defeat of the day, received eleven wounds. His aid de camp, lieut. col. du Buyffon, embraced him, announced his rank and nation to the furrounding foe, and begged that they would spare his life. While he generously expofed himself to fave his friend, he received fundry dangerous wounds, and was taken prifoner. The baron expired in a fhort time, though he received the most particular affiftance from the British. He spent his laft breath in dictating a letter, expreffive of the warmest affection for the officers and men of his divifion-of the greatest fatisfaction in the testimony given by the British army of the bravery of his troops of his being charmed with the firm oppofition they made to fuperior force, when abandoned by the rest of the army of the infinite pleasure he received from the gallant behaviour of the Delaware regiment, and the companies of artillery attached to the brigades-and of the endearing sense he entertained of the merit of the whole divifion he commanded. The congrefs refolved on the 14th of October, that a monument should be erected to his memory in Annapolis, the metropolis of Maryland, with a very honorable infcription. Gen.