The injudicious advance of our left which took place about day light, was instantly observed by the enemy, and Colonel Webster was ordered to charge upon them with his veterans; the artillery from our centre was at the same time opened and the action soon became general. Stevens's militia, as ought to have been foreseen and expected, being unable to stand against the shock of Webster's vigorous assault, after one fire, threw down their arms, and took to flight; and the North Carolina brigade in our centre soon followed their example. All attempts to rally these cowardly fugitives, by their respective Generals, and Gates in person, proved ineffectual; they continued to run, nor did they stop until they had reached a place of ignominious safety. The second Maryland brigade and the Delaware regiment, had now to sustain the whole force of the action; and most gallantly was it sustained for a considerable time. Lieutenant Colonel Howard, who commanded Williams's regiment, and who was in the van of our right, several timės drove in the enemy under Lord Rawdon. De Kalb and Gist were pushing on with evident advantage, when the shameful flight of the militia opposed to the enemy's right, enabled Webster to bring his whole corps against the reserve of Smallwood, who came up to take the place of the fugitives. Three times Smallwood was compelled to give ground, and three times returned to the charge with desperate valour, until Dixon's regiment of North Carolinians, who for a time seemed resolved to wipe away the stain from their flying countrymen, at last followed their example, and compelled the Marylanders to quit the unequal contest: De Kalb in the mean time gallantly supported the right and made a desperate charge with VOL. í. 41

the bayonet, in which he gained a decided superiority. But Lord Cornwallis, now discovering our entire want of cavalry, ordered Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton to make a charge, while his whole force was concentrated against our brave troops on the right. The consequence was decisive; the gallant Marylanders, and the heroick regiment of Delaware, were compelled after doing all that soldiers could do, to save themselves as they could. The enemy pursued them for more than twenty miles from the field of action, and the defeat was in every respect complete.

Our loss on this occasion was terrible. The brave De Kalb at the head of the Marylanders, fell, covered with wounds, which he survived only a few days. As he fell, one of his aids, Lieutenant Colonel de Buysson, caught him in his arms, to save him from the uplifted bayonets of the enemy, which this heroick young man received in his own body. In his dying moments, he dictated a letter to General Smallwood, the worthy successor to his command, in which he expressed the most ardent affection for the Americans and their cause, praised the bravery of the Maryland and Delaware troops, which he said, had even extorted the admiration of the enemy, and declared the satisfaction which he felt at having fallen in such a cause. Lieutenant Colonel Porterfield was also mortally wounded, in the brave stand which he had made after the dastardly flight of Armand's corps, as was also Brigadier General Gregory. Brigadier General Rutherford, of the North Carolina militia, was wounded, and unable to rally his troops, surrendered to a party of the pursuers; and Major Thomas Pinkney, one of General Gates's aids was also

wounded and taken prisoner. Besides these, our army had to lament the loss of many excellent officers. The field of battle, the road and the swamps for some distance, were covered with the wounded and slain. The Delaware regiment was literally cut to pieces, less than two companies being left; and more than a third of the continentals were killed and wounded. Dixon's North Carolina regiment, which deserves the more praise as being the only one out of two brigades that stood the fight, suffered also very severely, having lost nearly 100 killed and wounded, and more than 300 taken. The whole of our artillery, nearly 200 wagons, a large quantity of military stores and baggage, fell into the hands of the enemy, The British state their loss in killed and wounded, including 11 missing, to be no more than 324; but it is probable, from the extreme severity of the action, and the brave stand of our troops on the side of Lord Rawdon, that they have estimated it considerably below the reality.

Complete as was the defeat and dispersion of our army, the Maryland and Delaware troops gained imperishable laurels for their conduct. General Gist, Colonel Otho H. Williams, the Deputy Adjutant General, Lieutenant Colonel John E. Howard, all of Maryland, and Captain Kirkwood, almost the only officer left of the Delaware regiment, were eminently conspicuous throughout the action, for the cool and determined bravery, zeal and skill, which they displayed. Nor is it possible to withhold from Colonel Dixon the most unqualified applause.

In the meantime, General Sumpter, having been joined by the detachment under Lieutenant Colonel Woolford, completely succeeded in his attempt

against the British convoy, and learning soon afterwards the defeat of Gates, took post at the Catawba Fords where he supposed himself secure. Cornwallis, however, had received information of his movements and situation, and immediately after the battle of the 16th, he detached Colonel Tarleton with 380 of his legion, who overtook and effectually surprised Sumpter, who on the morning of the 18th, had changed his position, and advanced about eight miles beyond Fishing Creek, where he halted and imprudently suffered his men to stack their arms, and indulge themselves in amusement or repose. Tarleton came up with him in this unguarded situation about noon; and the consequence, as might have been looked for, was an indiscriminate slaughter and rout, 150 of Sumpter's men were killed on the spot, and 300 taken prisoners; he himself fortunately escaped with the remnant of his force to the amount of 350 men. Two brass pieces were left on the field, all the British prisoners, and a number of wagons. It is worthy of remark, that Tarleton performed this exploit with only half the force he had set out with, having left the other half on the road too much exhausted and fatigued, to proceed with the rash celerity and impetuosity which characterised all his movements. Nothing but the improvidence of General Sumpter, upon which he had certainly no right to calculate, could have saved Tarleton from the fate which such temerity deserved.

General Gates, Smallwood and Gist, with the small shattered remnants of their regulars, had arrived on the 17th and 18th, at Charlotte, eighty miles from the scene of action. Here Armand's flying cavalry had halted, and besides these, Major Davie was es

tablished here with his partizan corps of horse, and about 100 regular infantry. On the 19th, they heard of Sumpter's defeat, and it was deemed adviseable by a council of officers to make a further retreat to Salisbury, which was effected under an accumulation of wretchedness and suffering never exceeded. Smallwood commanded the retreat to Salisbury, where he had halted only a few days before he received orders from General Gates to continue his march to Hillsborough, at which place this wretched army arrived on the 6th of September. At this place, being 180 miles distant from Camden, General Gates determined to collect his scattered forces, and wait such reinforcements as should enable him again to face his adversary. Thus was the conqueror of Burgoyne, whose appearance in the south was hailed with universal gratulations, and who fancied that his name alone, would compel Cornwallis to hide his head in terrour, who pressed on, regardless alike of the strength or comforts of his army, in the false expectation of driving the enemy before him without resistance, most cruelly disappointed-his army, elate with the hopes of victory under his guidance, cut to piecesthe friends of liberty, who had every where raised their drooping heads at his approach, sunk in utter despair. Military reputation is even a more delicate commodity than female chastity. It is often acquired without merit, and as often lost without justice: a breath gives it, and a whisper takes it away. That the conduct of General Gates previous to the fatal battle of the 16th, was full of blame, will hardly be denied. He trusted too much to himself, and too easily spurned the advice of those who merited his attention; but here the blame stops, his conduct in