light troops, especially of the cavalry, could fcarcely be repaired; and the nature of the war, rendered this fort of force one of its moft effectual arms.

It was the more grievous to Lord Cornwallis, from its being one of thofe unexpected events, which as it could neither be forefeen nor apprehended, no wisdom could poffibly provide against. Moft of the troops that were now defeated, had been much diftinguifhed, and conftantly fuccefsful. It is not even clear that there was any difparity in point of number; and if there had, from long and confirmed experience, it could not have been a matter of much confideration. Nor was it even to be fuppofed, that Morgan would in any potfible circumftance have ventured an engagement; for Greene had already, upon the advance of Lord Cornwallis, abandoned Mecklenburgh county, and retired to the eaftern fide of the Pedee; which increased the diftance fo much, that his retreat, under the contequences of an action, seemed extremely hazardous.

The plan adopted by Lord Cornwallis for the winter eampaign, was to advance to North Carolina, by the upper, inftead of the lower roads, or in other words, to make his way on the western fide, inftead of keeping the central courfe through both provinces. Among other motives for this choice, was the hope of cutting Morgan off, or if that failed, at any rate to drive him entirely out of South Carolina, and thereby to relieve Ninety-fix, and all that fide, from trouble and danger while he pushed for

ward.

Another motive not less cogent for taking the upper road was, that it kept nearer the heads of the rivers, and accordingly led to the fords, which generally lie above their forks; whereas the great rivers were at that feafon, nearly, if not entirely impaflable below the forks, which was the course that the lower road took.

The objects in view with Lord Cornwallis were, by rapid marches, to get between Gen. Greene and Virginia, and by cutting off his reinforcements from that country, either reduce him to a neceflity of fighting with his prefent force, or of giving up the caufe altogether, by abandoning North Carolina with precipitation and difgrace. In either cafe, as he had no doubt of fucceis in the former, an opportunity would be afforded, and encouragement given to the loyalifts, to fulfil their promifes of a general rifing, in order to affift in the re-establishment of the British government. In this flattering fate of things, government being established, and the province competent to the maintenance of its own internal fecurity, it would likewife prove the means of fecuring the tranquillity of South Carolina. And thus every thing being fecured behind, he might then well look forward, with the warmeft hopes, and with every profpect of advantage, to the profecution of his intended operations in Virginia, Maryland, and even fill farther northward.

Lord Cornwallis was not lef attentive to the security of South Carolina during his abfence, than he was to the providing for the active operations of the army under his own immediate command.

For

For this purpofe, befides the ftationary force at Charles-Town, he left a confiderable body of troops under the conduct of Lord Rawdon; whose central fituation at Camden, was equally calculated to reprefs the infurgents within the province, and to maintain the frontiers. A meafure indeed that greatly leffened his active force, already too much weakened by the late loffes; but which the fituation of affairs rendered indispensably neceffary. For Green's fituation, hanging with his force upon the eastern banks of the Pedee, whofe waters covered him from all near danger, would have afforded him fuch a command of a great part of the fouthern frontier, when the main army had pushed on to the northward, as would have endangered, at least, all the eastern side of the province, without fuch a check as was now provided. And to this was to be added, that South Carolina itself was ftill torn to pieces by internal commotions, which indeed feemed rather to increase than to leffen with lofs and defeat; and that, as Sumpter, Marion, and their other leaders, had now made it a rule to mount all their adherents, and to act entirely on horfe back; it became a matter of no fmall difficulty, either to reprefs or to punish their irruptions.

Lord Cornwallis, with his ufual alertnefs, immediately difpatched a part of the army, unincumbered with baggage, in the hope of intercepting Morgan, or at leaft of recovering the prifoners; while he ftaid behind a day with the remainder, for the purpofe of collecting the remains of Tarleton's corps. Nothing could exceed the

exertions made by the pursuing troops; but fuch was the celerity of the enemy, and fuch the difficulties they encountered, from violent and continual rains, and the confequent fwelling of the numberless creeks in their way, that all their efforts were fruitless and Morgan had gained the upper fords on the Catawba, before they could poffibly reach them.

Upon the failure of intercepting Morgan, the army was affembled on the 25th of January, at Ram-. foure's Mills, on the fouth fork of the Catawba. And as the lofs of the light troops could only be remedied by the general activity of the whole army, Lord Cornwallis fpent two days in the destruction of all the fuperfluous baggage, and of every thing whatever, which could retard the celerity of the troops, and which was not abfolutely neceffary to their existence or action. Upon this principle, all the waggons, excepting those loaded with hospital ftores, falt, or ammunition, and four empty ones, referved for the fick or wounded, were deftroyed. The temper with which they fubmitted not only to this, but to a number of other unusual trials and hardships, does infinite honour to every part of that army. They beheld the deftruction of their most valuable, and even much of their most neceffary baggage; they beheld their fpirituous liquors flaved, at a feafon when it would be most wanted, and upon the entrance of a fervice, which cut off every profpect and hope of a future fupply; and the moderate pittance of flour, which they were able to procure and to carry along with them, was their only certain refource for fubfift,

ence:

ence; yet thefe difficulties and evils, new and ftrange as they were, were fubmitted to with the moft general and chearful acquiescence. It seemed indeed the lefs irkfome, as the example was fet by the commander in chief himfelf with the utmost rigour. It was a new phenomenon in a modern army, to behold the general's quarters incapable of affording a glafs of wine, or of any kind of ftrong liquor, and his table as deftitute of any thing orderly or comfortable, and even of furniture, as the common foldier's.

The north fork of the Catawba had been rendered impaffable for feveral days by the rains; and all the fords for more than forty miles above the fork, were befides vigilantly guarded by detachments of the enemy; compofed not only of Morgan's corps, but of the militia of the two neighbouring counties of Rowen and Mecklenburg (both of which were peculiarly inimical to the royal caufe), under the conduct of a General Davidfon. Lord Cornwallis approached the river by fhort marches during its height, and by feveral movements and feints, which indicated a defign of forcing his way at different fords before they were yet paffable, endeavoured to divide and diftract the attention of the enemy. In the mean time, he fpared no pains to procure all poffible information, as well of the nature of the river, and of the country on the other fide, as of the ftate and condition of the enemy. His plan being fettled, and the waters fomewhat fallen, he detached Colonel Webfter, with a part of the army, and all the remaining baggage, to a ford

called Beattie's, which lies fix miles higher up the river, than another principal ford, which is known by the name of M'Cowens. General Davidson, was fuppofed to be pofted with 500 militia at Beattie's; and Webfter had inftructions to make every poffible demonstration, as well by cannonading as by manoeuvres, of his determination to force a paffage at that ford.

While Webfter was gone upon this fervice, Lord Cornwallis with the remainder of the army, confifting of the brigade of guards, the regiment of Bofe, the 23d, 200 cavalry, and two three-pounders, began his march Feb. Ift.

about one in the morning, to a private ford, about a mile from M'Cowen's, which was the real object of attempt. The morning being very dark and rainy, and part of their way being thro' a wood where there was no road, the artillery were fo embarraffed in a swamp, that the line of march was pushed on to the ford without them; where the head of the column arrived juft at the opening of the day. The general foon perceived, by the number of fires on the other fide, that the ford was much better guarded, and the oppofition would confequently be greater than he expected. This rendered the delay of the artillery the more vexatious. But as he knew that the rain then falling would foon render the river impalfable, and had before received intelligence, that Greene was on full march from the Pedee, with his whole force, to join Morgan, he faw that fomething must neceffarily be hazarded at the prefent,

to

to avoid greater future difficulties; and being likewife full of confidence in the zeal and gallantry of Brig. General O'Hara, and of the brigade of guards under his com mand, which formed the head of the column, he determined on the attempt; and directly ordered them to march on through the river, and, to prevent confusion, charged them not to fire, until they had gained the oppofite bank.

The guards, and their com mander, fully juttified the high opinion which Lord Cornwallis had entertained of them. The terrors and difficulties of an untried river, upwards of five hundred yards wide, with a ftrong current, a rocky bottom, water up to the middle, and expofed through the whole paffage, to the deliberate aim, and continual fire of the enemy, were equally incapable of making any impreffion on their cool and determined valour, and of, in any degree, affecting the excellency of their difcipline. The light infantry of the guards, being the firft that were landed, inftantly formed, and in a few minutes killed or difperfed every thing that appeared before them. Gen. Davidion, who unexpectedly, and for himfelf unfortunately, had arrived at this poft, with zoo militia on the preceding evening, was, with fome other officers, found among the flain. Colonel Hall of the guards was the only officer who fell on the British fide; and though a good many private men were wounded, yet thelofs in every refpect would appear incredibly fmall to thofe, who are not accustomed to confider the prodigious difference between real and

eftimated danger, in many parts of military action.

In the mean time, the rear of the column being come up, and the whole paffed with the utmost expedition over the river, Colonel Tarleton was difpatched with the cavalry, fupported by the 23d regiment, in purfuit of the fugitives, and likewife to fcour and examine the country. Having received intelligence from the prifoners, that three or four hundred of the militia were to affemble that day at a place about ten miles diftant, he eagerly feized that opportunity, as well of avenging, as of effacing the memory of the late disaster. He therefore, immediately quitting the infantry, proceeded thither at the head of his cavalry with the utmost expedition; his arrival being fo fudden and unexpected, that a complete furprize, great execution, and total difperfion, were almoft the instantaneous confe. quences. This fevere ftroke, along with the preceding defeat at the ford, had fuch an effect upon the militia, who had hitherto only. heard of the rigours and dangers of war, that they not only immediately abandoned all their pofts on the river, but were fo totally cowed and difpirited, that they did not once. after, in any manner make the fmalleft attempt to interrupt the progrefs of the army in its march to the Yadkin, although its course lay (to use Lord Cornwallis's own words) through one of the most rebellious tracts in America.

Though the enemy had abandoned Beattie's Ford, yet the continual fall of rain, and fwelling of the river, had rendered the paf

fage