1780. CHAP. till forty mounted infantry, on their return from XXXIX. Rocky Mount, by a judicious feint terrified Sumter's corps, and compelled them to retreat in confufion, leaving a hundred killed and wounded. Lord Cornwallis immediately placed Hanging Rock in perfect fecurity by a reinforcement under major Mecan. 10th Aug. Battle of 16th. INTELLIGENCE of the formidable preparations of the enemy, induced lord Cornwallis to repair to Camden, where the effective force did not exceed two thoufand, while that, advancing against them under general Gates, together with the militia led by Cafwell, Rutherford, Porterfield, and baron de Kalbe, amounted to fix thousand, exclufive of a thousand under Sumter. Notwithstanding this difparity, the British general marched two hours before midnight to attack the enemy encamped at Clermont in South Carolina; his front divifion being commanded by lieutenantcolonel Webster, and his centre by lord Rawdon. He had received intelligence that Gates intended to move forward the fame night, and at two o'clock in the morning the advanced guards of both armies meţ. After a temporary confufion, and fome flight fkirmifhes, both, as if by compact, betook themfelvés to repofe, awaiting the dawn. On reconnoitring, lord Cornwallis found his fituation extremely eligible; a fwamp on either hand preserved him from being outflanked, while the narrownefs of the front diminished the advantages of fuperior numbers. AT dawn, both armies formed in two divifions; but general Gates attempting to change the fituation of two brigades of militia, lord Cornwallis commenced a well-judged, rapid, and effectual attack. The American militia were broken, threw down their arms, and fled; the other divifion, and the reserve, maintained nevertheless a refolute and honourable conflict, but colonel Webfter, inftead of pursuing the fugitives, wifely directed the efforts of his divifion against them; the cavalry under major Hanger and colonel Tarleton poured in with irrefiftible impetuofity, and determined 1780. the fate of the day. Rout and confufion could not CHA P. be more complete; during a purfuit of twenty-two XXXIX. miles, the cavalry found the ground ftrewed with arms, and men whom fatigue prevented from further flight. All the baggage, ftores, and camp equipage, together with feven pieces of cannon, fell into the hands of the victors. Upward of eight hundred were flain, and among a thousand captured, was the baron de Kalbe, mortally wounded. Sumter. THIS important victory reflected great honour on Tarleton the whole British army, in which lord Cornwallis, and routs lord Rawdon then only twenty-five years of age, con- 18th Aug. fpicuously fhared. The advantages were rendered complete by the furprife of Sumter, whom colonel Tarleton, with his ufual ability and expedition, overtook at Catawba ford, on the verge of a friendly fettlement. With no more than a hundred dragoons, and fixty of the light infantry, he vanquifhed more than eight hundred Americans, killing and wounding a hundred and fifty, and taking three hundred. also rescued two hundred and fifty prisoners, and recaptured feveral waggons laden with rum and other ftores, which colonel Sumter had taken in the courfe of his expedition; and all the provincial ftores, ammunition, baggage, artillery, and a thoufand ftand of arms, rewarded the valour and diligence of the con querors. He of lord Cornwallis, LORD CORNWALLIS, awaiting the fupplies requifite Severities for his expedition into North Carolina, fought to reftrain the perfidy of the Americans by fevere edicts. The provocation was abundant, if the measure was wife. His lordfhip fequeftered the estates of all who opposed the re-establishment of the royal government in South Carolina; death was denounced against those who, after receiving British protections, joined the enemy; fome of the most hardened were executed; and many perfons of fuperior rank, who being allowed the benefit of parole in Charlestown, had maintained a traitorous correfpondence with general Gates, were shipped VOL. III. T XXXIX. 1780. CHAP. fhipped off to St. Auguftine in East Florida, and again allowed their parole, but under proper reftrictions. The opinion formed of these measures depended too much on fubfequent events; could the British have retained their afcendancy, the punishments were merciful rather than fevere, but in the courfe of fucceeding tranfactions, they afforded a pretext of retaliation, which was urged to the full extent of the precedent. 8th Sept. Colonel Fer Ar this period, lord Cornwallis prepared a judicious gafonrouted, plan for overpowering all oppofition in North Carolina; he penetrated through the hostile fettlement of Waxhaws, to a town called Charlotte. One part of his plan was to detach major Ferguson with a corps of about a thoufand loyal militia, for the purpose of approaching the frontiers: the fervice was important; but the militia, unfupported by regulars, could not be fufficiently relied on. Colonel Clarke, an inhabitant of Georgia, had collected a force, and made an unfuccessful attack on Augufta. Ferguson hoped to intercept his retreat, and for that purpofe advanced near the mountains, where he was encountered by a select body of backwoodfmen, amounting to fifteen hundred. These men were almost in a favage ftate, collected with various views under different commanders, well mounted, unincumbered, and armed with rifles. They overtook major Ferguson at King's Mountain: he defended himself with great fkill and valour, but their mode of fighting prevented fuccefs. They attacked in different quarters, and wherever the major prefented his front, the oppofing party fled from the bayonet; but another corps at the fame moment advanced and affailed his rear. After maintaining this unequal combat during an hour, he received a mortal wound; his men were difheartened, and his fucceffor reluctantly furrendered. The victors, with characteristic inhumanity, maltreated the corpfe of the dead commander, hanged feveral of the prifoners, and treated others with deteftable cruelty. 9th Oct. 1780. Tarleton dif THIS fatal difafter difconcerted the plans of lord CHA P. Cornwallis. Although abundantly supplied with pro- XXXIX. vifions at Charlotte, he fuftained great inconvenience from the inveterate hoftility of the natives, and there- Efect of this fore gladly retreated for the protection of South Caro difaster. lina, deferring the profecution of his enterprize till he fhould receive fome expected reinforcement from Sir Henry Clinton. This interval was employed by colonel Tarleton in checking the inroads of an American partizan named Marion, who, after the retreat of the mountaineers, infested the province. COLONEL SUMTER, having again collected a force, November. effected a junction with Clarke and Brannen, com- períes Summanders of ftraggling parties, and projected an attack ter's forces. on Ninety-fix. Colonel Tarleton was recalled from his expedition against the eastern parts of the province to oppose this force, and purfuing his object with his accustomed celerity, would have effected a surprise, had not Sumter been informed of his danger by a deferter. Tarleton, however, learning his retreat, overtook him 20th Nov. at Blackstock's Hill, with a detachment of eighty cavalry, and without waiting for the arrival of the infantry, gallantly affailed a force greatly fuperior, wounded the commander, and difperfed his troop. The fact of Tarleton's being victor is difputed; but all the benefits of victory undoubtedly refulted from this exploit. THE defeat of major Ferguson not only frustrated End of the the hopes which lord Cornwallis had entertained, of campaign. being joined by a confiderable body of loyalifts, but animated the infurgents in both Carolinas. The illfuccefs of general Gates at Camden, was a fufficient motive with congrefs for fuperfeding him, although the measure was accompanied with perfonal civilities: general Greene was his fucceffor, but no tranfaction of importance marked the refidue of the campaign ". Befide the other hiftories, I have confulted Tarleton's Hiftory of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, Mackenzie's Strictures, Ramfay's Hiftory of the Revolution of South Carolina, and the pamphlets publifhed by lord Cornwallis and Sir Henry Clinton, and have received mucha private information. T 2 DURING 1 С НА Р. XXXIX. 1780. DURING the abfence of the commander in chief, and after his return, no remarkable military exploit was performed in the vicinity of New York. The winter Tranfactions was fevere beyond all precedent; the rivers, and even at New York. arms of the fea, were covered with ice fufficiently thick to admit the paffage of the heaviest artillery. The city was thus deprived of the defence arifing from an infular fituation, and reduced to great extremities for want of provifions and fuel. General Knyphaufen adopted vigorous and judicious meafures of protection; but General Washington was not in a condition to venture an attack. His army was alfo in extreme diftrefs; their force weakened by the large detachments fent to Charlestown, and the remaining regiments mutinous, through famine and despair. Thus mutual weaknefs occafioned mutual fafety. No enterprize was attempted till the breaking up of the froft, except an unfuccefsful attack by the American lord Sterling against Staten Island, and an expedition to a poft called Young's Houfe, in the neighbourhood of White Plains, which was gallantly stormed by colonel Morton, forty of the enemy killed, and ninety captured. January. ad Feb. 7th June. Incurfions into the Jerfeys. GENERAL KNYPHAUSEN having received information that the American army was generally mutinous, and the inhabitants of the Jerseys defirous to re-establish the ancient government, detached a confiderable force under generals Matthew and Sterling. They landed at Elizabeth-town, but found the militia prepared for refiftance, and the mutiny in the army confined to loud complaints agamft want and hardship, but not calculated to produce a revolt to the British government. The generals, perceiving no hopes of accomplishing their intentions, remained a few days on the iland to avoid the difgraceful imputation of flight, and were joined by Sir Henry Clinton, in his return from Charlestown. Although difpleafed at the premature and unexpected effort which fruftrated a combined movement he had in contemplation, he co-ope rated |