so much gallantry, that the British reserve was ordered to support their right; and notwithstand. ing the great superiority of the enemy, Elbert supported the conflict, until every avenue of a retreat was cut off. Finding that further resistance would be temerity, he ordered his gallant little band to ground their arms and surrender. Nearly the whole of his command was killed, wounded, or made prisoners.

The Americans who fled, entered the river swamp, of two or three miles in extent, to escape from the enemy; such of them as could swim passed the river, and many who made the attempt were drowned.

The American loss was estimated at one hundred and fifty killed and drowned; twenty-seven officers, and one hundred and sixty-two noncommissioned officers and privates, were taken prisoners; seven pieces of field artillery, a quan. tity of ammunition, provisions, and baggage, and five hundred stand of arms, were lost or fell into the possession of the victors. The British loss was one commissioned officer and fifteen privates killed and wounded. Generals Ash and Bryant, with two or three hundred of the fugitives were stopped at Bee's creek bridge, twenty miles from the scene of action, in the evening of the same day, by captain Peter Herry, who was marching with a detachment to join the camp; some with, and some without arms.

The loss of general Elbert and his command, of Neal's dragoons, and many of Pirkins' regiment of North-Carolina, was considered as seriously calamitous to Georgia; which had more than one thousand men, including nearly all the regular troops of the state, in captivity with the British.

The defeat of general Ash added something to the stock of American experience; and although it was purchased at so high a price, it had some effect on the subsequent conduct of the militia their independence and ungovernable dispositions were checked; and a practical lesson was taught them of the necessity of more subordination, and of guarding with greater precaution against surprise. On the evening after the defeat of general Ash, he made the following communi cation to general Lincoln:

"Matthews' Bluff, March 3, 1779. "SIR-I am sorry to inform you, that at three o'clock, P. M. the enemy came down upon us in force, what number I know not: the troops in my division, did not stand fire five minutes; many fled without discharging their pieces. I went with the fugitives half a mile, and finding it impossible to rally the troops, I made my escape into the river swamp, and made up in the evening to this place; two officers and two soldiers came off with me. The rest of the troops, I am afraid, have fallen into the enemy's hands, as they had but li...e further where they could fly to: luckily

major Grimkie had not got the artillery out of the boat, so that I shall keep them here with general Rutherford's brigade, to defend this pass, until I receive further orders from you. This instant general Bryant and colonel Pirkins arrived. Colonel Eaton was drowned crossing the river.* Since writing the above, a number of officers and soldiers have arrived: we have taken a man, who says he was taken by them, and would not take their oath, and was formerly under Lee to the northward. He informed there were seventeen hundred red-coats in the action, also a number of new levies from New York, Georgia militia, and Florida scouts: that fifteen hundred men had been marched up to Augusta to fortify that place; that they are fortifying Hudson's ferry strongly; that the day before they marched off, seven thousand men had arrived from New-York. Generals Bryant and Rutherford are of opinion, that it is better to retreat to your quarters: therefore I am inclined to march to-night, when we get all our fugitives over. I am, &c.

JOHN ASH."

Majors Ross and Cooper, who had been detached to reconnoitre the enemy's camp at Hudson's, succeeded in bringing off the piquet, consisting of forty men. They had entered the British camp before they were apprised of Ash's defeat. They succeeded in making a retreat, but

* Colonel Eaton was not drowned, but the first who arrived at general Lincoln's camp, and gave an account of the defeat.

lost their prisoners. They marched up the river a few miles and fell in with Ash's ammunition waggons, which they escorted to Spirit creek, near Augusta.

The defeat of Ash disconcerted the plans of general Lincoln. If the army had been concentred, as was intended, the American forces, including the re-enforcements about to join them, would have amounted to seven thousand men; an army sufficient, as it was believed, to have driven the British troops out of Georgia. The wavering and disaffected would have joined the American standard, and South-Carolina would not have been invaded. The parties of militia, who were on their march' to join the army, heard of the disaster, and returned home; such as were previously undecided in their politics, joined the enemy.

In order to reconcile the inhabitants of this colony to Great-Britain, it was declared that no duty, tax, or assessment whatever, should be levied upon the colonists, except only such duties as it should be expedient to impose for the regulation of commerce; the nett proceeds of such duties to be paid and applied only to the use of the colony.

The eastern division of Georgia, having at this time fallen into the possession of the enemy, the English laws which had been in force to the close of the year 1775, re commenced their operation. At the same time, president Heard, and

the executive council had retreated to Wilkes county; so that there was a royal government in the eastern, and a republican government in the western parts of the state at the same time.

The different corps which composed the British army in Georgia, were the first, second, and third battalions of the seventy-first regiment of royal Scots light infantry; part of the sixteenth and sixtieth regiments; two battalions of Hessians; Dulaney's corps from New-York; Jersey volunteers; King's rangers, and Carolina loya lists: making a total of more than four thousand men, and general Vaughn, with five thousand, were daily expected from New-York. After these arrived, the capital of South-Carolina was intended as the object of future operations. Previously to the embarkation of lieutenant-colonel Campbell, he had refused to take command of the southern British army, until he received assurances that the expedition against South-Carolina would be supported with adequate re-enforcements. He appears to have been dissatisfied with general Provost's having taken the chief command and government of Georgia, after he had made the conquest.

Colonel Campbell was an officer at all points; eircumspect, quick, brave, and profound in military finesse; courteous, humane, polished in his manners, and perfect in his knowledge of mankind. The departure of such an officer from the southern states, and from America, excited joy