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drooping fpirits of the officers began to revive; and 1780. hopes were entertained, that a refpectable force might foon be again affembled from the country militia, and from the addition of col. Sumpter's victorious detachment. All these prospects however were foon obfcured, by intelligence on the 19th of the complete difperfion of that corps. On hearing of gen. Gates's defeat, col. Sumpter began to retreat up the fouth fide of the Wateree, with his prifoners and captured ftores. Lord Cornwallis on the morning of the 17th, difpatched Tarleton with his legion and a detachment of infantry, to pursue him. This was done with fo much celerity and address, that he was overtaken the next day at Fishingcreek. The British horfe rode into the camp before he was prepared for defence. The Americans having been four days without fleep or provifions, were more obedient to the calls of nature, than attentive to her first law of felf-prefervation. Col. Sumpter had taken every prudent precaution to prevent a furprife, but his videttes were so fatigued that they neglected their duty. With much difficulty he got a few of his corps to make a short stand, but the greater part fled to the river or to the woods. The British prifoners, about 300, were all retaken and conducted to Camden. The colonel loft all his artillery, and the whole detachment was either killed, captured or difperfed.

Every hope from that quarter being thus banished, and the militia not expected to affemble in less than three days, the officers and foldiers at Charlotte began to think their fituation again dangerously critical. No order had yet taken place among those who had fortuitously met there. The troops were half famished; and there

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1780. wounded on the field of battle: owing to their making no ftand, and being firft in flight, but few of them were captivated. From the abstract of mufter and infpection, taken at Hillsborough October the 1ft, 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 enfigns, 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 prifoners. 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.

37,

Aug.
On the 17th and 18th of Auguft, brigadiers Small-
8. 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 fmall partizan corps of horse
from the Waxhaw fettlement had collected. Small-
wood had been separated from the first Maryland bri-
gade, 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 over-
powered and could not retreat, rode off for perfonal
fafety. The little provifion which the troops met with
at Charlotte, proved a most seasonable refreshment. The

drooping fpirits of the officers began to revive; and 1780. hopes were entertained, that a refpectable force might foon be again affembled from the country militia, and from the addition of col. Sumpter's victorious detachment. All these profpects however were foon obfcured, by intelligence on the 19th of the complete difperfion of that corps. On hearing of gen. Gates's defeat, col. Sumpter began to retreat up the fouth fide of the Wateree, with his prifoners and captured ftores. Lord Cornwallis on the morning of the 17th, dispatched Tarleton with his legion and a detachment of infantry, to pursue him. This was done with fo much celerity and addrefs, that he was overtaken the next day at Fishingcreek. The British horfe rode into the camp before he was prepared for defence. The Americans having been four days without fleep or provifions, were more obedient to the calls of nature, than attentive to her first law of felf-prefervation. Col. Sumpter had taken every prudent precaution to prevent a furprife, but his videttes were so fatigued that they neglected their duty. With much difficulty he got a few of his corps to make a fhort ftand, but the greater part fled to the river or to the woods. The British prifoners, about 300, were all retaken and conducted to Camden. The colonel loft all his artillery, and the whole detachment was either killed, captured or difperfed.

Every hope from that quarter being thus banished, and the militia not expected to affemble in less than three days, the officers and foldiers at Charlotte began to think their fituation again dangerously critical. No order had yet taken place among those who had fortuitously met there. The troops were half famished; and there

1780. was no ftore of provifions in the town, which was open on all fides, and no more defenfible than a plain. There was nothing to oppofe or impede the approach of the enemy, for the Wateree was fordable. In fact there were reafons fufficient to apprehend that the wretched remnant of an unfortunate army might be cut to pieces before night. The officers therefore were generally of opinion, that no time fhould be loft in making a retreat toward Salisbury; and the whole were prepared to march at the moment when gen. Smallwood, who quartered at a fmall distance from the town, came to take the command. Col. Williams, the deputy adjutant general, and one of the brigade majors, took the route toward Cam den, to direct those coming that road to file off for Salisbury, as alfo to get further intelligence of the enemy. The neceffary information was sent by exprefs to major Anderfon. The troops were followed by a number of whig families, and the whole tribe of the Catawba Indians, in number about 300, of which there were about 60 warriors. There was greater plenty of provifions in this part of the country, than in that through which the army had advanced. The troops fupplied themselves under the direction of the officers, there being no magazines. In fuch circumftances a ftrict regularity could not be preserved, and the inhabitants neceffarily felt the effects of the general diftrefs.

A minute representation of the retreat from Charlotte to Salisbury, would be the image of complicated wretchedness. Care, anxiety, pain, humiliation and dejection, poverty, hurry and confufion, promifcuously marked the shocking scene. Painful objects prefented themselves to view-feveral men without an arm-fome with but

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The exertions of col. Williams of Ninety Six on the fide of congrefs have been already noticed; it must now be mentioned, that on the day Sumpter was furprised, he engaged a confiderable party of British and tories, at Mufgrove's mills on the Enoree river. On the 17th, he marched, with cols. Shelby and Clark, and a party of about 200 South Carolinians and Georgians, to attack a body of 200 tories. These were reinforced at night by 100 more and 200 regulars. The next day they advanced upon the whig party; every man of which was ordered to take his tree for defence, not to fire till the enemy was within 8 yards, and then to be fure of his object. A warm fire began: after a while the enemy was obliged to retreat, having 60 men killed mostly British, and 70 wounded: the others had 3 killed and 8. wounded.

Major Anderson, having obtained intelligence of lieut. col. Tarleton's retiring after furprising Sumpter, moved flowly in order to give the fugitive foldiers an opportunity of joining him; and continued his march toward Charlotte as the nearest place, of repofe and refreshment, of which his little party was in great want. From Charlotte the major fent an exprefs to gen. Smallwood at Salisbury, to inform him of his arrival, the fituation of the enemy, and the with of the people in that neighbourhood, that he would continue with his party among them. He alfo acquainted the general, that it was the request of the militia, that he would return and take the command of them, Cafwell having left Charlotte, before the time appointed for their meeting. The gene

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