USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 31
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dren, are disposed to treat with you on that subject and take you into our friendship once more. We therefore send this by one of your young men, who is our prisoner, to tell you if you are also disposed to make peace, for six of your head men to come to our agcut, Major Martin, at the Great Island within two moons. They will have a safe passport, if they will notify us of their approach by a runner with a flag, so as to give him time to meet them with a guard on Holstein river, at the boundary line. The wives and chil- dren of these men of your nation that protested against the war, if they are willing to take refuge at the Great Island until peace is restored, we will give them a supply of provisions to keep them alive.
"Warriors listen attentively.
"If we receive no answer to this message until the time already mentioned expires, we shall conclude you intend to continue to be our enemies, which will compel us to send another strong force into your country who will come prepared to stay a long time, and take possession thereof, as conquered by us, without making any restitu- tion to you for your lands.
"Signed at Kai-a-tee the 4th day of January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, by
"ARTHUR CAMPBELL, Col.
"JOHN SEVIER, Lieutenant-Col.
"JOSEPH MARTIN, Agent & Major of Militia."
"The fulfillment of this message will require your Excellency's further instructions, and in which I expect North Carolina will assist, or that Congress will take upon themselves the whole. I believe advantageous promises of peace may be easily obtained with a surrender of such an extent of country, that will defray the expenses of war. But such terms will be best insured by placing a garrison of two hundred men under an active officer on the banks of the Tenasee.
"Our whole loss on this expedition was one man killed by the Indians and two wounded by accident. It would have been very pleasing to the troops to have met the whole force of the nation at once on equal ground, but so great was the panic that seized them, after seeing us in order over the Tenasce, that they never ven- turned themselves in sight of the army, but on rocky clefts and other ground inaccessible to our mounted infantry. By the returns
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of the officers of the different detachments, we killed twenty-nine men and took seventeen prisoners, mostly women and children. The number of wounded is uncertain. Besides these, we brought in the family ci Nancy Ward, whom for their good offices, we considered in another light.
"The whole are in Major Martin's care at the Great Island until the sense of government is known as to how they are to be dis- posed of.
"The towns of Chote, Scitigo, Chilhowee, Toque Mieliqua, Kai-a-tee, Sattooga, Telico, Hiwassee and Chistowee, all principal towns, besides some small ones and several scattering set- tlements, in which were upwards of a thousand houses and not less than fifty thousand bushels of corn and large quantities of other kinds of provisions, were committed to the flames or otherwise destroyed, after taking sufficient subsistence for the army whilst in the country and on its return. No place in the over-hill country remained unvisited, except the small town of Telasee, a scattering settlement in the neighborhood of Chickamogga, and the town of Caloogac, situated on the sources of the Mobile. We found in Oconostato's baggage, which he left behind in his fright, various manuscripts, copies of treaties, commissions, letters and other archives of the nation, some of which shew the double game that people have been carrying on during the present war. There seemed to be not a man of honor among the chiefs, except him of Kai-a-tee, whom I would willingly have excepted had it been in my power. Never did a people so happily situated act more fool- ishly in losing their livings and their country, at a time an advan- tageous neutrality was held out to them, but such is the consequence of British seductions.
"The enemy in my absence did some mischief in Powell's Valley and on the Kentucky path, near Cumberland Gap. besides three small children that they scalped on Holstein, one of the perpetrators of which. we knocked up on our return, and retook a number of horses. The Botetourt and Montgomery militia were too slow in their movements to do any service. The Virginia militia that served with me on the expedition. expect to be paid in the same manner with those that served last year in Carolina.
"What provisions were needed on our setting out were purchased on short credit, which will, I trust, be punctually paid on the first
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
application. Your Excellency will please to excuse the length of this narration. I thought it my duty to give a circumstantial detail of the facts, as the undertaking had something singular in it and may lead to important consequences.
"I am, sir, your most Ob't and very humble Serv't &c., "ARTHUR CAMPBELL."
On the 1st day of January, 1781, the army of Campbell, Sevier and Martin divided into small detachments and returned to their homes by different routes, after having laid waste all the country occupied by the over-hill Cherokees.
In answer to the talk sent to the Indians, a number of chiefs met Colonel Martin at Chote, but nothing was accomplished at this time.
Upon the return of Colonel Arthur Campbell to his home, he immediately communicated with General Greene, the Commander of the Southern Department, when General Greene appointed Arthur Campbell, William Freston, William Christian, Joseph Mar- tin. on behalf of Virginia, and Robert Lanier, Evan Shelby, Joseph Williams and John Sevier, on the part of North Carolina, commis- sioners, to negotiate a treaty with the Cherokee Indians, at the Long Island of Holston river, on the 24th of March, 1781; on which day, Colonels Campbell, Martin, Shelby and Sevier met at the Long Island and sent off one of the Indian prisoners to the Indian nation proposing peace and fixing the 10th day of June as the time ; which time of meeting was afterwards postponed until the 20th dav of July, 1781, on which day the negotiations were completed. But at the instigation of British agents, the Indians continued their dopredations upon the white settlers. On the 13th of January, 1781, a settler in Powell's Valley was killed and fourteen horses that belonged to a party of men coming from Kentucky were carried off. In the latter part of January, a considerable number of Indians attacked Fort Blackmore* in this county, and, about the middle of February, three men were killed in Powell's Valley and a consid- erable number of horses carried off.
A company of militia was organized by Colonel Campbell and ordered to patrol Powell's Valley, under the command of Colonel Joseph Martin and Major Aaron Lewis. As this company of troops
*Now Scott county.
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proceeded on their outward trip, they discovered a large body of Indians in Powell's Valley. The Indians discovering the presence of Major Lewis, made their escape, but several traces of smaller parties, all making towards the mouth of Powell's river, were dis- covered, and the one that appeared the freshest was followed by Colonel Martin and his men, for about thirty miles below Cum- berland Gap, where the Indians were surprised and surrounded. but the cane was so thick they could not easily be detected or pur- sted on horseback. Thirty guns at least were fired upon them, and. while it was thought that some of them were wounded. there were none killed or left upon the ground. Martin's militia captured a number of shot pouches and blankets, upon one of which was found the name, John Brown, written in full, the said John Brown having been previously killed in Cumberland Gap. Colonel Mar- tin and his men pursued the Indians for about seventy miles. In the latter part of March, a party of northward Indians came up on the Sandy river and penetrated as far as the settlement on Hols- ton, where they carried off a son of Captain Bledsoe's, and the frontiers were invaded at numerous other points by the Indians. The settlements were threatened by an invasion from the united forces of the Cherokee and Creek Indians, assisted by the British agents and Tories.
Colonel Arthur Campbell recommended to the Governor of Vir- ginia the building of a fort at the junction of the Tennessee and Holston rivers, and was actively engaged in building the fort at Cumberland-Gap as previously ordered by the Governor.
The Continental Congress and the officers of the Continental army having ascertained the value of the mountain militia, a pressing application from General Greene for men was received by Colonel Arthur Campbell, the county lieutenant of this county. Colonel Campbell immediately ordered out the militia of this county, not- withstanding their circumstances were ill-suited to such an expedi- tion, as matters with the Cherokees were still unsettled and the Indians from the northward were constantly invading the settle- ments. On the 25th day of February, 1281, one hundred men under Colonel William Campbell set out to join the militia of Botetourt and Montgomery counties, on their march to General Greene's army. Colonel Arthur Campbell, in a letter to the Governor on the 28th day of this month, said: "A large number would have gone, were
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it not for the daily apprehension of attacks from the northward and southern Indians."
Colonel William Campbell and his men marched to a point at or near the Lead Mines, where they were joined by the Montgomery militia.
In the month of March, 1781, Colonel Arthur Campbell, county- lieutenant of Washington county, made a return of the militia of this county, from which it appears that there were, at this time, in this county, 2 battalions, 6 field officers, 55 commissioned officers, 48 non-commissioned officers, 953 rank and file. In addition there were about one hundred men residing between Walker's and Hender- son's lines, who did duty at times as their inclination led them."
Colonel Campbell, with his company of one hundred men pro- ceeded from Abingdon by the Lead Mines and on into North Carolina, where, on March 2d, he joined General Greene with four hundred volunteers. Colonel Campbell was now to oppose Lord Cornwallis, who had imbibed a personal resentment towards him as the commander at King's mountain, and who had threatened that, should Colonel Campbell fall into his hands, he would have him instantly put to death, for his rigor against the Tories, evidently designing to hold him personally responsible for the execution of the Tory leaders at Bickerstaff. This, instead of intimidating Colonel Campbell, had the contrary effect, and Campbell, in turn, resolved that, if the fortunes of war should place Cornwallis in his power, he should meet the fate of Ferguson. It was not long until Campbell and his men were called into action.
The Virginia militia, other than Colonels Preston's and Camp- bell's commands, while on the march to join General Greene, were threatened with an attack from Colonel Tarleton's cavalry, with four hundred infantry and two pieces of artillery sent out by Corn- wallis to intercept them. General Greene had dispatched Colonel Otho Williams to protect the advancing reinforcements from his camp at Speedwell's Iron Works, on the upper waters of Trouble- some creek. The Virginia militia were marching on a highway, "running west from a point below Hillsborough, to General Greene's headquarters. Cornwallis was in camp on the Alamance creek, about thirty miles west from Hillsborough. The command of Colonel Wil- liams was between the camp of Cornwallis and the advancing mili- tia. The roads leading from Cornwallis's camp and Williams's camp
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to the position occupied by the militia, intersected each other at Whitsill's Mill, which was the nearest point at which Cornwallis could attack the advancing militia.
It was the design of Cornwallis to attack and scatter this militia force and to destroy the three thousand arms they were bringing to General Greene's camp.
General Greene moved his camp to Boyd's Mill, within fifteen miles of Cornwallis, and Colonels Williams and Pickens were on the flank of the enemy. General Greene anxiously awaited results at his camp, seven miles above Whitsill's Mill. Thus matters stood on the 6th of March, when Cornwallis made a sudden dash north. expecting to reach Whitsill's Mill in advance of Williams, and, passing north ten miles further, to intercept the militia reinforce- ments at High Rock Ford on Haw river, but Cornwallis had hardly left his camp before Colonel Williams received the news, and the race for Whitsill's Mill began. They were traveling on parallel roads. Williams with his light troops flying to the rescue of his friends. Cornwallis with his heavy wagon train, dashing through every obstruction with reckless speed, hoping to intercept and destroy General Greene's reinforcements. "As the patrols and scouts passed from one column to the other, apprising each of the advance of his competitor. the race grew more animated, the com- petitors more carnest and resolute. The goal was now getting nearer and the excitement greater, when Williams, putting forth his whole energy, urged his men to a triumphant speed and dashed down the hill and across the Reedy Fork. as the enemy appeared upon the crest in their rear, entering from the other road."*
Colonel Williams drew up his forces on the north bank of the stream. where he attacked the British and checked them in their onward march.
Colonel Williams' command was composed of some North Caro- lina troops and the Virginia militia under the command of Colonels Campbell and Preston, who, as previously stated, had joined General Greene on March 2d, and the cavalry corps of Washington and Lee. The position occupied by Colonel Williams' forces was in front of the ford and some two hundred yards below the mill.
As the British forces approached, their riflemen formed the front rank and fired at a distance, continuing to advance toward the creek
*Schenck's North Carolina, 1780-1781.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
until they were within eighty yards of the American line, when Campbell's and Preston's riflemen fired upon them with deadly effect. One of the British officers, when shot, bounding up several feet fell dead. The enemy continued to advance, and when within forty-five yards of the American line, they were again fired upon by the riflemen. The enemy used their small arms and field pieces, but, in every instance, their firing was too high, and took effect only among the limbs of the trees.
The enemy's forces were on the hill, and their view was greatly obstructed by the smoke from the discharge of the guns of the Americans, who were below them. One of the principal objects which Colonel Williams had in view was the protection of Whit- sill's Mill for a time sufficient to enable the provision wagons belonging to General Greene's army to load with provision, which was effected, and to prevent Cornwallis from surprising the rein- forcements on their way to General Greene. The Americans, hav- ing accomplished their object, retired over the ford, which was about three feet deep, with a rapid current, a slippery, rocky bottom and a precipitous brushy bank on the northern side.
While crossing the ford, Major Joseph Cloyd observed Colonel William Preston, his commander, on foot, Preston having lost his horse in the skirmish, whereupon Cloud dismounted and assisted Colonel Preston into his saddle, when both escaped.
The principal part of the fighting in this skirmish was done by Campbell's and Preston's riflemen and Lee's Legion.
Colonel Campbell, in speaking of this engagement, said: "John Craig. one of his riflemen, acted with his usual courage," and Gen- cral Greene, in speaking of the battle, said : "The enemy were hand- somely opposed and suffered considerably."
Cornwallis immediately withdrew his forces from the Alamance to a position on Deep river, not far from Jamestown, North Caro- lina, and the militia reinforcements proceeded on their way and reached General Greene's camp at High Rock Ford, on Sunday. March 11, 1781, four days before the battle of Guilford Courthouse. All preparations were made by General Greene to give Cornwallis battle at the first opportunity, and while Colonel Campbell took fewer men upon this expedition than any other commander, he was assigned one of the conspicuous parts in the subsequent campaign,
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
and all of the forces under his command have been since spoken of as "Campbell's Corps."
The aggregate number of the Virginia militia, outside of the regular army. that participated in the battle of Guilford Court- house, was as follows :
Colonel William Preston's command. 300
Colonel William Campbell's command, 60
Colonel Charles Lynch's command, 150
Watkins's dragoons 50
Virginia militia. 1.693
Total 2,253
It is estimated that the number of forces commanded by General Greene at the battle of Guilford Courthouse was not less than 4,500 men.
General Greene, having collected an army of not less than 4,500 men at the High Rock Ford of Haw river, began his march from that place, on Monday, the 12th day of March, determined to give battle to the enemy upon the first opportunity, and reached Guilford Courthouse on the evening of the 14th. He encamped about a mile above the town that night, while Corwallis was stationed about eight miles above the Courthouse.
Guilford Courthouse, at the time in question, was the capital of Guilford county, North Carolina, and contained a population of about two hundred people. Its principal buildings were the court- house, jail and a large coppersmith shop. In recent years. it is noth- ing more than an open field, the county seat having been moved to Greensboro.
General Greene had inspected the battlefield at Guilford court- house on the 10th of February, and pronounced it very desirable for his army. "It afforded a forest where the militia could fight from tree to tree, for shelter. and be protected from the charge of cavalry, and for the same reason, a solid column of bayonets could not be kept together, among the undergrowth of the trees. The roads that concentrated from the north, northeast and east. all afforded safe lines of retreat for his army to his supplies and reinforcements."*
General Greene, in forming his line of battle, placed Campbell's
*Schenck's North Carolina, 1780-1781.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
corps, consisting of about five hundred and forty men, under the command of Colonel William Campbell, of Virginia, on the left of Butler's line and obliquely to it in the woods, and in the rear of the angle formed by these two lines was placed Lee's Legion, and in the rear of this line, on the gentle slope of the hill and about three hundred yards distant to the east, were posted the Virginia militia.
On the evening of the 14th of March, Colonels Campbell and Lynch, each in command of a corps of riflemen, and Lieutenant- Colonels Lee and Washington, in command of the Light Dragoons, wore advanced about a mile in front of the army and within seven miles of Cornwallis's camp. The next morning early, it was ascer- tained that the enemy was in motion and advancing toward Guilford Courthouse, whereupon Colonel Lee, with his Legion and about thirty of Campbell's riflemen from Washington county under com- mand of Captain William Tate, of Augusta county, advanced to meet the enemy, while the rest of the riflemen, with Colonel Wash- ington's Horse, formed at their place of encampment on the pre- ceding night, to support Lee and Tate upon their retreat. Lee and Tate with their men met the enemy within two miles of their encampment and began to skirmish with them, and continued fight- ing and retreating for about half an hour, which disconcerted and delayed the enemy very much. In the skirmish between the forces of Lee and Tate and the forces of Colonel Tarleton, a loss of about fifty men was inflicted upon the British forces, while the light infantry of the guard, after losing about one hundred of their num- ber at the hands of the riflemen, were relieved by a portion of Tarle- ton's cavalry, which were ordered to their assistance.
While this skirmish was in progress, the main body of Greene's army was formed about three-quarters of a mile in the rear of the position occupied by Campbell and Washington; and, upon the arrival of Lee and Tate, the advance guard was ordered back and directed to take the position assigned them in the line of battle by General Greene. Lee's Legion and Campbell's riflemen formed the corps of observation on the left flank, while the riflemen occupied a woodland position. About this time the enemy began a cannon- , ade in the center, which lasted about twenty minutes, during which time they formed their line of battle by filing off to the right and loft, and then immediately advanced upon the American troops. The battle lasted about two and one half hours.
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While the militia on the left of the American line had been driven from their position. Colonel Campbell, with his riflemen, made such a spirited attack on the British regiment on the right wing. that it was driven back, and the fire became so deadly that Colonel Norton, in command of the first battalion of British guards, was directed to join the British line on the right and oppose the advance of Campbell's Corps; and at this point the struggle became des- perate.
"As the Hessian regiment passed the line of militia, it wheeled to the right. and, in line with Norton, faced Campbell. Campbell was reinforced by many of Butler's brigade, who retreated in that direction, and by all of Forbes' men, who formed on Campbell's right. Lee's Legion was on that flank. The Seventy-first Regiment of Highlanders continued on its course up the road and soon engaged Stevens' brigade of Virginians.
"It had been the intention of Campbell to fall back and put his corps in line on the left of Stevens, but the Hessians passed so rapidly in the front as to cut him off. He was also delayed by his conflict with Norton on the left. The riflemen, retiring deeper into the forest, took to the trees, and made it so hot for the guards that they were compelled to retreat in great disorder. Cornwallis came in person to their rescue. and by riding in their front and e: posing himself to imminent danger, succeeded in rallying them. The Hessians, being now joined again by the guards, made a com- bined charge and drove Campbell to the south, and entirely sep- arated his command from the American army, so that, in fact, two distinct battles were raging at the same time.
"About one-quarter of a mile on the southeast of Campbell's first position Cornwallis, who was following up Norton and the Hes- sians, had a large iron gray horse shot under him. The spot is now marked by a persimmon tree, a century old, whose identity is well authenticated by tradition.
"Campbell would retreat and fire, then the British would fall back, and, using the bayonet, push the riflemen back again : so it raged and alternated between them until Campbell was driven to a higli range of hills, or a little mountain range as it is sometimes called, about one mile from Campbell's first position. Here the riflemen began to gain a decided advantage and to drive the Hes-
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sians before them, when Lee, unexpectedly, left Campbell's flank and Tarleton appeared on the scene."*
Lee suddenly left Campbell without warning, and was now an idle spectator of this scene from the courthouse hill, across Hunting creek, without notifying Greene of his presence or offering to cover the flanks.
Colonel Tarleton had been sent by Cornwallis to rescue Colo- nel Norton. who was engaged by Campbell, and Tarleton, finding Campbell's rear unprotected, ordered the Hessians to fire, and rushed his cavalry on the riflemen under cover of smoke and cut them to pieces.
"Colonel Campbell, with his Virginia and North Carolina rifle- men, was the last to fire a gun on this bloody field, and was still firing when Greene sounded the retreat. They became scattered after Tarleton's charge upon them, and made their way as best they could to the camp of Greene next day."*
Colonel Campbell was very much angered at Colonel Lee, and freely expressed his opinion of his conduct, charging that Colonel Lee, with his cavalry, rode off just as Tarleton began his charge upon the flanks of the riflemen. It is the opinion of many that, had Colonel Lee acted well his part in this battle, Cornwallis would have been defeated and possibly captured, instead of the American army being forced to retreat.
General Greene, with his army, retreated in good order to Speed- well's Furnace, about ten miles below the battlefield, not being pursued by the enemy further than the heights above Guilford Courthouse.
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