1780. fectual. Lieut. col. Tarleton's legion charged them as they broke, and pursued 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. Sump`ter 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 escort 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 diftant 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 ftop 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 soon 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 sent to their homes, upon a promise of remaining neuter or of following his colours. Several confiderable parties had actually taken arms with a profeffed defign of joining the Americans; but fo foon as they heard of their defeat, they became active in the purfuit 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 short time, though he received the most particular affiftance from the British. He spent his last 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 fenfe he entertained of the merit of the whole divifion he commanded. The congress refolved on the 14th of October, that a monument fhould be erected to his memory in Annapolis, the metropolis of Maryland, with a very honorable infcription. Gen.

1780, Rutherford furrendered to a party of the British legion. All the other general officers escaped; but were fepa rated from their respective commands, and obliged to flee with precipitation. Every corps was broken, and difperfed through the woods. The bogs and brush, which in a degree fcreened them from the fury of their foes, laid them under the neceffity of feparating from each other. Major Anderson of the 3d Maryland regiment, was the only infantry officer, whofe efforts to rally the men, after the total rout, were in any degree effectual. A few individuals of feveral companies joined him at fome diftance from the field, and others added to that small number by falling into his ranks on the march. The removal of the heavy baggage to Waxhaws was delayed till the morning of the action, contrary to Gates's express orders the day preceding: fo that the greatest part, together with all that followed the army, fell into the hands of the enemy, or was plundered in the route by those who went off early, and could take time for fuch basenefs. A general transfer of property took place: even that which escaped the foe fell not again into the hands of the right owners, except some small part of the officers baggage, which was recovered at Charlotte. The baggage waggons indeed of gen. Gates and baron de Kalb, being furnished with ftout horfes and clever drivers, who understood their bufinefs and knew the roads, were fully preferved. All the baron's baggage and papers were faved: as were Gates's, and every paper and private letter of all the gentlemen belonging to his family. The purfuit was rapid for more than twenty miles; and fo great was the difmay of the retreating troops (the cries of the mur

dered in the rear, being echoed by the women and wounded men with increafing terror) that at the distance of forty miles, whole teams of horfes were cut out of the waggons to accelerate the flight. Many wounded officers and foldiers were got off by like expedients: fome of whom gave aftonishing proofs of what pain, fatigue and want, the human conftitution can bear. The road by which the troops fled, was covered with arms, baggage, the fick, the wounded, and the dead. Gates was perfuaded by all that he faw and heard, that the regular troops were entirely cut off, and the whole either killed or captured; and that there was no profpect of collecting a force at Charlotte (where he arrived late in the night) adequate to the defence of the country: he therefore left gen. Cafwell at Charlotte to affemble the militia of Mecklenburgh county, and proceeded with all poffible dispatch to Hillsborough, to devife fome plan of defence in conjunction with the legislative body of North Carolina. He confidered not, that by fhortening his journey, and remaining at Charlotte or Salifbury, appearances would be lefs unfavorable to his perfonal reputation, though less beneficial to the public

cause.

Lord Cornwallis's victory was complete. The Americans loft eight field pieces, the whole of their artillery, with all their ammunition waggons, befide 150 others, a confiderable quantity of military stores, and the greatest part of their baggage. The numbers flain cannot be precisely ascertained, no returns of the militia ever being made after the action. Three hundred of the North Carolina militia, befide 63 wounded, were made prifoners. Only three of the Virginia militia were left

1780.

1780. wounded on the field of battle: owing to their making no ftand, and being first in flight, but few of them were captivated. From the abstract of muster and inspection, taken at Hillsborough October the ft, it appears that exclufive of baron de Kalb and gen. Rutherford, the numbers of killed, captured and miffing, in the actions of the 16th and 18th, were 4 lieutenant colonels, 3 majors, 14 captains, 4 captain lieutenants, 16 lieutenants, 3 ensigns, 4 staff, 78 fubalterns, and 604 rank and file. The impoffibility of accounting with certainty for those who fell in battle, and those who fell into the hands of the enemy, obliged the officers to make many miffing, who were probably killed, or prisoners. Though Cornwallis's victory was complete, yet from the accounts which the British gave of the action, it may be inferred that it was dearly bought. Gates apprehended early in September, that he had established it as a certain fact, that more than 500 of their old troops were killed and wounded.

17,

Aug. On the 17th and 18th of Auguft, brigadiers Small8. wood and Gift, with feveral other officers, arrived at Charlotte (full 80 miles from the place of action) where upward of a hundred regular infantry, col. Armand's cavalry, and a major Davie's small partizan corps of horse from the Waxhaw fettlement had collected. Smallwood had been separated from the first Maryland brigade, after the men had been engaged a while, by the interpofal of the enemy; and finding it impracticable to rejoin them, as well as apprehending they must be overpowered and could not retreat, rode off for personal fafety. The little provision which the troops met with at Charlotte, proved a most seasonable refreshment. The