USA > North Carolina > The state records of North Carolina, Vol XV > Part 23
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Our Cheraw Militia, having seized & bound their field officers, attack'd & took some boats on the Pedee in which Majr. McAr- thur was sending near one hundred of his sick to Georgetown. I was greatly alarmed for a small detachment which I had sent under Majr. Wemys to reduce the people of Georgetown to some order, & for my water communication of the Santee, on which at that time a large quantity of Rum, Salt, Arms & Military Stores were moving in boats up to Camden.
At this time Genl. Sumpter, whose numbers were much ang- mented by the present prospect of affairs, attack'd our Post at Rocky Mount, but was repulsed by the steady & gallant defence of Lt. Col. Turnbull & the small corps under his command. It now appeared that General Gates was advancing with his whole force from N. Carolina, and Lord Rawdon (whose Capacity & zeal for the service I cannot too much commend) saw the necessity of contracting his Posts & securing Camden, where we had all our Stores & above 700 sick, but He could not immediately withdraw his whole force to that place without a certainty of losing his com- munication with Charlestown & exposing the Posts dependent on the Ninety-Six command to be surrounded & cut off. He therefore continued Lt. Col. Turnbull at Rocky Mount, Reinforced his post at Hanging Rock and placed himself with the principal force at Robertson's, on the west branch of Linche's Creek. The Post at Hanging Rock was attack'd by Genl. Sumner, a few days after his repulse from Rocky Mount, & very nearly carried. The bravery of Capt. Mccullough, since dead of his wounds, & of the Infantry of the Legion preserved it. Lord Rawdon waited for Genl. Gates at Robertson's with the 23d, 33d, 71st & volunteers of Ire- land, who came up but did not think proper to attack him. In the mean time His Lordship performed the ardnons task of remov- ing the sick of the 71st regt. to Camden. Genl. Gates shewing no disposition to attack the Corps at Robertson's, Lord Rawdon wisely apprehending that his intention might be either to reinforce Sump- ter & make a more vigorous attack on the posts at Rocky Mount or Hanging Rock, or by getting round his right destroy his stores & take his sick at Camden, retired from Robertson's to that place, where He was joined by the Corps which had been before moved from Hanging Rock to Rugeley's Mill, & directed Lt. Col. Turn-
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bull to quit Rocky Mount, and either come down the west side of the Wateree to Camden or fall back on the Militia Posts com- manded by Majr. Ferguson on Broad River.
All these incidents & movements on both sides were regularly reported to me while at Charlestown by Lord Rawdon, And I shall have the honor of informing Your Lordship of the conse- quences in my next Dispatch, which will be written to-morrow.
I have the honor to be, with great respect,
Your Lordship's Most Obedient & Most Humble Servant, CORNWALLIS-
Rht. Honble. Lord George Germain, &c., &c., &c.
EARL CORNWALLIS TO LORD GEORGE GERMAIN.
Recd. 9th October, 4 Inclosures. Entd.
CAMDEN, SO. CAROLINA, August 21st, 1780.
No. 2.
MY LORD :
It is with great pleasure that I communicate to Your Lord- ship an Account of a Compleat Victory obtained on the 16th Inst., by His Majesty's Troops under my command, over the Rebel Southern Army, Commanded by General Gates.
In my Dispatch, No. 1, I had the honour to inform Your Lord- ship that while at Charlestown I was regularly acquainted by Lord Rawdon with every Material incident or Movement made by the Enemy, or by the Troops under His Lordship's command. On the 9th inst. two Expresses arrived with an account that Genl. Gates was advancing towards Lynche's Creek with his whole Army, supposed to amount to 6,000 men, exclusive of a Detach- .ment of 1,000 Men under Genl. Sumpter, who, after having in vain attempted to force the Posts at Rocky Mount & Hanging Rock, was believed to be at that time trying to get round the left of our position, to ent off our communication with the Congarees & Charlestown ; That the disaffected Country between Pedee &
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Black River had actually revolted, and that Lord Rawdon was contracting his Posts and preparing to assemble his force at Camden.
In consequence of this information, after finishing some impor- tant points of business at Charlestown, I set out on the evening of the 10th, and arrived at Camden on the night between the 13th & 14th, and there found Lord Rawdon with our whole force, except Lt. Col. Turnbull's small detachment, which fell back from Rocky Mount to Major Ferguson's posts of the Militia of Ninety Six on Little River.
I had now my option to make, either to retire or attack the Enemy, for the position at Camden was a bad one to be attack'd in, and by Genl. Sumpter's advancing down the Wateree my supplies must have failed me in a few days.
I saw no difficulty in making good my retreat to Charlestown with the Troops that were able to march, but in taking that resolution I must have not only left near 800 sick and a great quantity of Stores at that place, but I clearly saw the loss of the whole Province, except Charlestown, and of all Georgia, except Savannah, as immediate consequences; besides forfeiting all pretensions to future confidence from our friends in this part of America.
On the other hand, there was no doubt of the Rebel Army being well appointed, & of its number being upwards of Five thousand Men, exclusive of Genl. Sumpter's detachment, and of a Corps of Virginia Militia of 12 or 1,500 men, either actually joined or expected to join the main body every hour ; And my own Corps, which never was numerous, was now reduced by sick- ness & other casualties to about 1,400 fighting men of Regulars & Provincials, with 4 or 500 Militia & N. Carolina Refugees.
However, the greatest part of the troops being perfectly good, and having left Charlestown sufficiently garrisoned & provided for a siege, and seeing little to lose by a defeat, & much to gain by a Victory, I resolved to take the first good opportunity to Attack the Rebel Army.
Accordingly I took great pains to procure good information of their movements & position, and I learned that they had encamped, after marching from Hanging Rock, at Col. Rugeley's, about 12 miles from hence, on the afternoon of the 14th.
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After consulting some intelligent people well acquainted with the ground, I determined to march at ten o'clock on the night of the 15th, & to Attack at day break, pointing my principal force against their Continentals, who,from good Intelligence, I knew to be badly posted close to Col. Rugeley's House. Late in the even- ing I received information that the Virginians had joined that day; however, that having been expected, Idid not alter my Plan, but marched at the hour appointed, leaving the defence of Camden to some Provincials, Militia & Convalescents and a detachment of the 63d regt. which, by being mounted on horses which they had pressed on the road, it was hoped would arrive in the conrse of the night.
I had proceeded nine miles, when, about half an hour past two in the Morning, my advanced guard fell in with the enemy. By the weight of the fire I was convinced that they were in consider- able force, & was soon assured by some deserters and prisoners that it was the whole Rebel Army on its march to attack us at Camden. Iimmediately halted & formed, & the enemy doing the same, the firing soon ceased.
Confiding in the disciplined, Courage of His Majesty's Troops, and well apprized by several intelligent Inhabitants that the ground on which both Armies stood, being narrowed by swamps on the right & left, was extremely favourable for my numbers I did not chuse to hazard the great stake for which I was going to fight to the uncertainty & confusion to which an action in the dark is so particularly liable, but having taken measures that the Enemy should not have it in their Power to avoid an engagement on that ground, I resolved to defer the attack 'till day. At the Dawn I made my last disposition, and formed the Troops in the folowing order: The division of the right consisting of a small Corps of Lt. Infantry, the 23d & 33d Regts. under the command of Lt. Col. Webster; The division of the left consisting of the Vol- unteers of Ireland, Infantry of the Legion, & part of Lt. Col. Hamilton's North Carolina Regt. under the command of Lord Rawdon, with two six & two three pounders, which were com- manded by Lieut. McLeod. The 71st Regt., with two six pound- ers, was formed as a reserve, one Battalion in the rear of the divis- ion of the right, the other of that of the left, And the Cavalry of the Legion in the rear, & (the country being woody) close to the
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71st regt, with orders to seize any opportunity that might offer to break the Enemy's line, & to be ready to protect our own in case any Corps should meet with a Check.
This disposition was just made when I perceived that the Enemy, having likewise persisted in their resolution to fight, were formed in two lines opposite & near to us, and observing a movement on their left, which I supposed to be with an intention to make some alteration in their order, I directed Lt. Col. Webster to begin the attack, which was done with great vigour, and in a few Minutes the action was general along the whole front. It was at this time a dead calm, with a little haziness in the Air, which, preventing the smoke from rising, occasioned so thick a darkness that it was diffi- cult to see the effect of a very heavy & well-supported fire on both sides. Our line continued to advance in good order, and with the cool intrepidity of experienced British Soldiers, keeping up a con- stant fire, or making use of Bayonets as opportunity offered, and after an obstinate resistance during three quarters of an hour threw the enemy into total Confusion & forced them to give way in all quarters. At this instant I ordered the Cavalry to compleat the Ronte, which was performed with their usual promptitude & gal- Jantry, and after doing great execution on the Field of Battle they continued the pursuit to hanging Rock, 22 miles from this place, where the action happened, During which many of the enemy were slain, a number of prisoners, near 150 waggons, (in one of which was a brass Cannon, the carriage of which had been damaged in the skirmish of the night) a considerable quantity of military Stores, and all the baggage & Camp Equipage of the Rebel Army fell into our hands.
The loss of the Enemy was very considerable, A number of Col- ours and Seven pieces of orass Canon (being all their artillery that were in the Action) with all their Ammunition waggons, were taken. Between eight & nine hundred were killed, among that number Brigr. Genl. Gregory, and about one thousand Prisoners, many of whom wounded, of which number were Majr. Genl. Baron de Kalb, since dead, and Brigr. Genl. Rutherford.
I have the honour to inelose a Return of Killed & wounded on our side. The loss of so many brave men is much to be lamented, but the number is Moderate in proportion to so great an advan- tage.
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The behaviour of His Majesty's troops in general was beyond all praise ; It did honour to themselves & to their Country. I was particularly indebted to Col. Lord Rawdon and to Lt. Col. Web- ster for the distinguished courage and ability with which they con- ducted their respective divisions ; and the Capacity and Vigour of Lt. Col. Tarleton at the head of the Cavalry deserve my highest commendations. Lieut. McLeod exerted himself greatly in the con- duct of our Artillery. My Aid de Camp, Capt. Ross, & Lieut. Haldane of the Engineers, who acted in that Capacity, rendered me most essential Service, and the public Officers, Major of Brigade England, who acted as Deputy Adjutant General, & the Majors of Brigade, Manley & Doyle, shewed the most active and zealous attention to their duty ; Governor Martin became again a Military Man, & behaved with the spirit of a young Volunteer.
The fatigue of the Troops rendered them incapable of further exertions on the Day of the Action; But as I saw the importance of Destroying or Dispersing, if possible, the Corps under General Sumpter, as it might prove a foundation for assembling the routed Army, On the Morning of the 17th I detached Lt. Col. Tarleton with the Legion Cavalry & Infantry & the Corps of Light Infantry, making in all about 350 men, with orders to attack him wherever He could find him, And at the same time I sent orders to Lt. Col. Turnbull & Major Ferguson, at that time on Little river, to put their Corps in motion immediately, and on their side to pursue & endeavour to attack Genl. Sumpter. Lt. Col. Tarleton executed this service with his usual activity & military address. He procured good information of Sumpter's movements, and by forced and con- cealed marches came up with & surprized him in the middle of the day on the 18th near the Catawba Fords. He totally destroyed or dispersed his detachment, consisting then of 700 men, killing 150 on the Spot & taking two pieces of Brass Canon & 300 Prisoners, & 44 waggons. He likewise retook 100 of our men, who had fallen into their hands, partly at the action at Hanging Rock, & partly in escorting some waggons from Congarees to Camden, & He released 150 of our Militia Men or friendly Country people who had been seized by the Rebels. Capt. Campbell who commanded the light Infantry, a very promising Officer, was unfortunately killed in this affair; our loss otherwise was trifling. This action is too brilliant to need any comment of mine, & will, I have no
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doubt, highly recommend Lt. Col. Tarleton to His Majesty's Favour. The Rebel Forces being at present dispersed, the inter- nal commotions & insurrections in the Province will now subside. But I shall give directions to inflict exemplary punishment on some of the most guilty, in hopes to deter others in future from sporting with allegiance, with Oaths, & with the lenity and gener- osity of the British Government.
On the morning of the 17th I dispatched proper people into North Carolina with directions to our friends there to take arms & assemble immediately, & to seize the most Violent People and all military Stores & magazines belonging to the Rebels, & to inter- cept all stragglers from the routed Army ; And I have promised to march without loss of time to their support. Some necessary supplies for the Army are now on their way from Charlestown, and I hope that their arrival will enable me to Move in a few days.
My Aid de Camp, Capt. Ross, will have the honour of deliver- ing this Dispatch to Your Lordship, & will be able to give You the fullest account of the State of the Army & the country. He is a very deserving Officer, and I take the liberty of recommending him to your Lordship's favour and patronage.
I have the honor to be, with great respect,
Your Lordship's Most Obedient & Most. Humble Servant,
CORNWALLIS.
Rht. Honble. Lord George Germain, &c., &c., &c.
EARL CORNWALLIS TO SIR HENRY CLINTON.
CAMDEN, August 23d, 1780.
SIR :
Your Excellency will have, in all probability, received my letters of the 6th and 10th by Captain Lutwidge. The oppor- tunity was so safe, & I am at present so hurried with business, 15-18
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with everybody belonging to me Sick, that I shall omit sending the Duplicates until another opportunity.
I left Charlestown on the Evening of the 10th & arrived here in the night of the 13th, having suffered the most anxious suspense on the road, where I met frequently the most alarm- ing reports and had the greatest reason to apprehend that if our Affairs did not speedily take a more favourable turn the greatest part of the inhabitants between Camden & Charles Town would appear in Arms against us.
As I thought it of the greatest consequence to His Majesty's Service that the account of the important event of the 16th should be communicated with all possible expedition to the Sec- retary of State, and as your Excellency told me in a conversation at Williams' House, that if I fought a battle and took Cannon I should write directly to England, I have on this occasion dispatched my Aid-de-Camp, Captain Ross, with the letters to Lord George Germain, of which I have the honour to enclose to you the copies.
I must beg leave to recommend in the strongest manner to you the brave Troops who fought with me on that day. Their behav- iour was indeed above all praise & deserves every encouragement- Poor Major Mecan died a few days before the Action, & as I can- not possibly dispense with Lt. Col. Balfour's remaining at Charles- town, where he is of infinite use, I must particularly request that you will please to appoint some active, good Officer to the Majority of the 23d Regiment.
I have not yet heard any accounts from No. Carolina, but I hope that our friends will immediately take Arms, as I have directed them to do. The diversion in the Chesapeak will be of the utmost importance. The troops here have gained reputation, but they have lost numbers, and there can be no doubt that the enemy will use every effort to repel an attack, which, if successful, must end in their losing all the Southern Colonies.
I have likewise to observe that, if a general Exchange should take place, the Enemy's prisoners should, in my opinion, be deliv- ered at the same place as ours are sent in. The Rebels now con- fined at Charlestown are almost all Continentals, and of the old Country, and would, if released from hence, soon form a Corps on the frontiers of Virginia, far superior in number to the troops
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under my command ; & I do not think, if the Prisoners were all removed, that I could draw any considerable reinforcement from the Garrison of Charlestown, considering the great distance we shall be removed from thence.
It is difficult to form a plan of operations which must depend so much on circumstances, but it at present appears to me that I should endeavor to get, as soon as possible, to Hillsborough, & there assemble and try to arrange the friends who are inclined to arm in our favour, and endeavor to form a very large Mag- azine for the Winter of Flour & Meal from the Country, and of Rum, Salt, &c .. from Cross Creek, which I understand to be about eighty miles' carriage. But all this will depend on the operations which your Excellency may think proper to pursue in the Chesapeak, which appears to me, next to the Security of New York, to be one of the most important objects of the War. I can only repeat what I have often had the honour of saying to you that, wherever you may think my presence can be most conducive to His Majesty's Service, thither I am at all times ready and will- ing to go.
When I found that Genl. Gates was advancing towards Camden, I sent orders to the Commanding Officer at Ninety-Six to push parties of Militia, supported by Provincials, in the rear of his right, and endeavor to harrass his convoys, and be ready to take advantage of any success that we might have against him. I have since received a report that Lieut. Col. Innes, in attempting this Service, fell in on the 19th with a party of Rebels, when he was deserted by the Militia & himself wounded in the neck, and about Fifty Officers & men of his Provincials Killed, Wounded or taken. The rebels who were pursuing him heard of our Successes against Gates & Sumpter, and went off with great precipitation. Major Wemys performed his march from George Town without loss or difficulty, and is now in the neighborhood of this place.
I am sorry to say that I fear Major Harrison will totally fail in his attempts to raise a Corps.
Our sickness is great, and truly alarming. The Officers are particularly affected ; Doctor Hayes and almost all the Hospital
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Surgeons are laid up. Every person of my family, and every Pub- lic Officer of the Army, is now incapable of doing his duty. I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most Obedient & most humble servant,
CORNWALLIS.
His Excellency Sir Henry Clinton, &c., &c., &c.
- -
EARL CORNWALLIS TO SIR HENRY CLINTON.
Received Septr. 23rd, No. 3. In Sir Henry Clinton's No. 107.
CAMDEN, 29th August, 1780.
SIR :
I send Duplicates of my Letters of the 23rd and those of the 6th & 10th of this Month. Nothing very material has occurred since the 23d. We receive the strongest Professions of Friend- ship from North Carolina. Our Friends, however, do not seem inclined to rise until they see our Army in Motion. The Severity of the Rebel Government has so terrified & totally subdued the Minds of the People that it is very difficult to rouze them to any Exertions. The taking that violent and cruel Incendiary, Genl. Rutherford, has been a lucky Circumstance, but the indefat- igable Sumpter is again in the Field, & is beating up for Recruits with the greatest Assiduity.
Major Wemyss is going with a detachment of the 63d Regiment mounted, some Refugees, Provincials & Militia, to disarm in the most rigid Manner the Country between Santee & Pedee, and to punish severely all those who submitted or pretended to live peaceably under His Majesty's Government since the Reduction of Charlestown, and have joined in this second Revolt, And I ordered him to hang up all those Militia Men who were concerned in seizing their Officers and capturing the Sick of the 71st Regiment. I have myself ordered several Militia Men to be executed, who had voluntarily enrolled them- selves and borne Arms with us, and afterwards revolted to the Enemy.
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The Number of Prisoners was a great Inconvenience to us here, in a small Village so crowded and so sickly. I was afraid that the close place in which we were obliged to confine them might produce some pestilential Fever during the excessive hot Weather. I therefore sent them off as early as possible, by Divisions of 150 each, under the Escort of 38 Men, about two thirds of which were composed of the 63d & Prince of Wales' Regiments, the rest Militia. In order to cover their March, altho' I did not appre- hend much danger, I posted Major Wemyss, with a part of the 63d, at the high Hills of Santee, and I sent Lieut. Colonel Tarleton, with a Detachment of the Legion, & Lieut. Colonel Hamilton's Corps & some Militia to Ratcliffe's Bridge on Linche's Creek, which I thought would effectually awe the lower Country. The Disaffection, however, of the Country East of Santee is so great that the Account of our Victory could not penetrate into it, any person daring to speak of it being threatened with instant Death. And so great was the Ignorance in which these People were kept that on the Night of the 23d a Party of about 200 mounted Militia under Colonel Marion went to Murray's Ferry, where they passed some Men in Canoes, drove away our Militia Guard and destroyed the Ferry Boats to prevent our making our Escape from General Gates over the Santee. On the 24th they were proceeding to do the same at Nelson's Ferry, when they heard of the March of the first Division of Prisoners, and that they were to halt that Night at Sumpter's House, (which halting place was not very well chosen by the Qr. Mr. General). The Ensign of the Militia of the Escort contrived to get over to the Enemy, and conducted them to the Attack, the Consequence of which was that our Escort was taken and the Prisoners released. By this time some Patroles of Lieut. Colonel Tarleton's to Kingstree Bridge on Black River had spreed the Alarm in their Rear, and being perfectly convinced by the Prisoners of General Gates's total Defeat, they retired with great Precipitation to George Town. The greatest Part of the Escort escaped from them, and above eighty of the Prisoners, all Continentals, either English or Irish, declared their Determination to proceed to Charlestown. I am assured that not more than twelve of the Escort and forty of the Prisoners were carried off by the Enemy. I believe that Capt. Roberts, of the
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63d, who commanded the Escort, did his Duty perfectly well, & was not to blame in any respect.
I hope to be able to move my first Division in eight or nine days into North Carolina by Charlotte-town & Salisbury; the Second will follow in about ten days after, with convalescents & Stores. I shall leave the New York Volunteers and Innes's Corps to take Care of this Place untill the Sick & Stores can be removed. Our Sickness at present is rather at a Stand, the Recoveries nearly keeping Pace with the falling down. I dread the Convalescents not being able to march ; but it is very tempting to try it, as a move of forty or fifty Miles would put us in a much better Climate.
Ferguson is to move into Tryon County with some Militia, whom he says He is sure he can depend upon for doing their Duty and fighting well; but I am sorry to say that his own Experience, as well as that of every other Officer, is totally anainst him.
. I am very anxious to hear again from the Northward, as our Accounts of the French Fleet were very imperfect.
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