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were continental infantry, and 70 cavalry. The British force under Cornwallis consisted of 1,700 infantry and 300 cavalry. On the night of Aug. 15th he advanced with his army to attack the Americans in their camp at Clermont. They at the same hour began to move toward Camden. The advanced parties met in the night and engaged. The British being successful in several skirmishes, it had a disastrous effect on the spirits of the militia.

On the morning of the 16th of August, 1780, the enemy advanced to the attack. At the first onset the militia fled from the field. The regular American troops, though left alone, maintained the conflict with great bravery against superior numbers, and for a short time had the advantage, but they were finally overpowered, and the flight became general. Baron De Kalb, while exerting himself with great bravery at the head of a regiment to prevent the loss of the battle, received eleven wounds, and soon after expired. In this engagement the British lost 500 men in killed and wounded. The loss of the Americans could not be ascertained, as no returns of militia were made after the action. British authors state the loss about 2,000, while the American make it but seven or eight hundred. They, however, lost their artillery wagons and 2,000 stands of arms.

The fugitives were pursued by Tarleton's legion with relentless fury. When all were killed, captured or dispersed, he took the route toward Col. Sumpter's camp. This officer, on hearing of the defeat of Gates, retreated to the Catawba ford. Supposing he was beyond danger, he halted that his troops might repose. His sentinels slept at their posts, and Tarleton's legion rode into the American camp before preparations could be made for defense. Between three aud four hundred were killed or wounded, and the remainder dispersed in the woods, and the three hundred prisoners he had taken were released. Gen. Gates, after the action at Camden, retreated to Charlotte, and from thence to Hillsborough, in North Carolina, with the remnant of his forces.

Cornwallis, after the victory at Camden, again supposing the state to be subdued, adopted severe measures to repress all opposition to the royal cause. He directed that all who once having submitted, had given aid to the American troops, should have their property confiscated and imprisoned; and that all who had once borne arms with the British, and afterward joined the Americans, should suffer death. Several persons were executed in consequence of these orders, and many were reduced to poverty and distress. The slaves on the plantations, in these times of confusion and distress in the country, instead of aiding in its defense, by a variety of means, threw their little influence into the opposite scale.

BUFORD'S DEFEAT.

The defeat of Buford occurred the May previous to the battle of Camden. This event took place on Waxhaw Creek, near the North Carolina line, about 45 miles northerly from Camden. The narrative of this event is from Lossing's Field Book.

The regiment of Col. Abraham Buford was massacred by Tarleton on the 29th of May, 1780. Sir Henry Clinton took possession of Charleston on the 12th, and immediately commenced measures for securing the homage of the whole state. He sent out three large detachments of his army. The first and largest, under Cornwallis, was ordered toward the frontiers of North Carolina; the second, under Lieut. Col. Cruger, was directed to pass the Saluda, to Ninety-Six; and the third, under Lieut. Col. Brown, was ordered up the Savannah, to Augusta. Soon after he had passed the Santee, Cornwallis was informed that parties of Americans who had come into South Carolina, and had hurried toward Charleston to assist Lincoln, were as hastily retreating. Among these was Col. Buford. His force consisted of nearly 400 continental infantry, a small detachment of Washington's cavalry, and two field pieces. He had evacuated Camden, and, in fancied security, was retreating leisurely toward Charlotte, in North Carolina. Cornwallis resolved to strike Bu

ford, if possible, and, for that purpose, he dispatched Tarleton, with 700 men, consisting of cavalry and mounted infantry. That officer marched 105 miles in 54 hours, and came up with Buford on the Waxhaw. Impatient of delay, he had left his mounted infantry behind, and with only his cavalry, he almost surrounded Buford before that officer was aware of danger. Tarleton demanded an immediate surrender upon the terms granted to the Americans at Charleston. Those terms were humiliating, and Buford refused compliance. While the flags for conference were passing and repassing, Tarleton, contrary to military rules, was making preparations for an assault, and the instant he received Buford's reply, his cavalry made a furious charge upon the American ranks. Having received no orders to defend themselves, and supposing the negotiations were yet pending, the continentals were utterly dismayed by this charge. All was confusion, and while some fired upon their assailants, others threw down their arms and begged for quarter. None was given; and men without arms were hewn in pieces by Tarleton's cavalry; 113 were slain; 150 were so maimed as to be unable to travel; and 53 were made prisoners, to grace the triumphal entry of the conqueror into Camden. Only five of the British killed, and 15 wounded. The whole of Buford's artillery, ammunition, and baggage, fell into the hands of the enemy. For this savage feat, Cornwallis eulogized Tarleton, and commended him to the ministry as worthy of special favor. It was nothing less than a cold-blooded massacre; and Tarleton's quarter became proverbial as a synonym to cruelty. The liberal press, and all right-minded men in England, cried shame!

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After the battle, a large number of the wounded were taken to the log meeting-house of the Waxhaw Presbyterian congregation, where they were tenderly nursed by a few who had the boldness to remain. With the defeat of Buford, every semblance of a continental army in South Carolina was effaced. This terrible blow spread consternation over that region, and women and children were seen flying from their homes to seek refuge from British cruelty in more distant settlements. Among the fugitives was the widowed mother of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, who, with her two sons, Robert and Andrew, took refuge in the Sugar Creek congregation, at the house of the widow of the Rev. J. M. Wilson, near Charlotte. This was the first practical lesson of hatred to

tyranny which young Jackson learned, and it doubtless had an abiding influence upon his future life."*

BATTLE OF COWPENS.

The successes of the British upon the capture of Savannah and Charleston encouraged them to invade North Carolina. Gen. Gates, after his defeat,

rendezvoused at Hillsboro; and toward the end of the year 1780 advanced to Charlottetown. At this place he transferred his command to Gen. Greene, whom congress had sent to take charge of the southern army. His whole force consisted of about 2,000 men, of whom more than half were militia. Nearly onehalf of these he sent under Gen. Morgan into the western section of South Carolina, where a British party, aided by the tories, were plundering and ravaging the country without restraint. When Morgan had entered into the district of NinetySix, Lord Cornwallis dispatched Lieut. Col. Tarleton with about 1,100 men, to drive him from this station and "push him to the utmost." Morgan began a retreat, but being soon convinced that he could not escape he determined to hazard a battle, at a place called Cowpens, near Pacolet River. Tarleton had two field pieces and a superiority of infantry, in the proportion of five to four, and of cavalry of three to one. The account of this conflict, Jan. 17, 1781, is from Holmes' Annals:

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"Gen. Morgan had drawn up his men in two lines. The front line was composed entirely of militia, placed under the command of Col. Pickens, and was advanced a few yards before the second, with orders to form on the right of the second when forced to retire. Maj. M'Dowell, with a battalion of the North Carolina volunteers, and Maj. Cunningham, with a battalion of Georgia volunteers, were advanced about 150 yards in front of this line. The second line consisted of the light infantry and a corps of Virginia riflemen. The cavalry, under Lieut. Col. Washington, were drawn up at some distance in the rear of the whole. The British, led to the attack by Tarleton himself, advanced with a shout, and poured in an incessant fire of musketry. The militia, though they received the charge with firmness, were soon compelled to fall back into the rear of the second line; and this line, in its turn, after an obstinate conflict, was compelled to retreat to the cavalry.

MONUMENT AT COWPENS.

At this juncture, Lieutenant-Colonel Washington made a successful charge on Captain Ogilvie, who, with about forty dragoons, was cutting down the retreating militia; LieutenantColonel Howard then, almost at the same moment, rallied the continental

"The massacre of Buford's regiment fired the patriotism of young Andrew Jackson, and at the age of 13 he entered the army, with his brother Robert, under Sumpter. They were both made prisoners, but even while in the power of the British the indomitable courage of the after man appeared in the boy."

troops, and charged with fixed bayonets; and the militia instantly followed the example. By these sudden and unexpected charges, the British, who had considered the fate of the day decided, were thrown into confusion, and driven from the ground with great slaughter. Howard and Washington pressed the advantage, which they had respectively gained, until the artillery and a great part of the infantry had surrendered. So sudden was the defeat, that 250 horse, which had not been brought into action, fled with precipitation. The first battalion of the 71st, and two British light infantry companies, laid down their arms to the American militia. Upward of 300 of the British were killed or wounded, and above 500 taken prisoners; 800 muskets, two field pieces, two standards, 35 baggage wagons, and 100 dragoon horses, fell into the hands of the conquerors. Of the Americans, 12 men only were killed, and 60 wounded. Congress, in honor of the good conduct of Gen. Morgan, presented him a gold medal; to Lieut. Cols. Washington and Howard, medals of silver; and to Col. Pickens, a sword."

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View at King's Mountain Battle-ground.

The view annexed is from the foot of the hill whereon the hottest of King's Mountain fight occurred. The north slope of that eminence is seen on the left. The simple monument, in memory of Ferguson and others, by which a man is standing, is seen in the central part. The large tulip-tree on the right, is that on which 10 tories were hung. This spot is about a mile and a half south of the North Carolina line.

Of those who submitted through fear, or from attachment to the British cause-Maj. Ferguson, a British officer, was appointed commander. He was dispatched, by Cornwallis, into the western part of North Carolina. Here his force was augmented to 1,400 men. An enterprise against this party was concerted by the commanders of the militia in the adjacent part of the two Carolinas and Virginia. By great exertion, about 3,000 men were assembled at Gilbert-town. About 1,600 riflemen were selected and mounted on their fleetest horses, soon overtook the retreating army, Oct. 7, 1780.

"They came up with the enemy at King's Mountain, where Ferguson, on finding that he should be overtaken, had chosen his ground, and waited for an attack The Americans formed themselves into three divisions, led by Cols. Campbell, Shelby, and Cleveland, and began to ascend the mountain in three different and opposite directions. Ferguson, falling with great boldness and impetuosity on the

first assailants with fixed bayonets, compelled them to give way; but before one division could be dispersed, another came up, and poured in a heavy fire. Against the second body of assailants, the bayonet was again used with success; but before any material advantage could be gained, a new enemy presented himself in another quarter. Ferguson again successfully used the bayonet; but both the corps, which had been repulsed, now returning to the charge, a very galling fire was kept up against him on all sides. The action having been continued in this manner nearly an hour, Maj. Ferguson received a mortal wound, and instantly expired. The survivors ended the contest by submission. In this sharp action, 150 of Ferguson's party were killed on the spot, and about the same number wounded; 810, of whom 100 were British troops, were made prisoners; and 1,500 stand of excellent arms were taken."

"No battle during the war," says Lossing, "was more obstinately contested than this; for the Americans were greatly exasperated by the cruelty of the tories, and to the latter it was a question of life and death. It was with difficulty that the Americans, remembering Tarleton's cruelty at Buford's defeat, could be restrained from slaughter, even after quarter was asked. In addition to the loss of men on the part of the enemy, mentioned in the report, the Americans took from them 1,500 stand of arms. The loss of the Americans in killed, was only 20, but they had a great number wounded. Among the killed were Col. Williams and Maj. Chronicle. Col. Hambrite was wounded. Maj. Chronicle and Maj. Ferguson were buried in a ravine at the northern extremity of the battle hill, where the friends of the former erected a plain monument, a few years ago, with inscriptions upon both sides. The monument is a thick slab of hard slate, about three feet high, rough hewn, except where the inscriptions are. The following is a copy of the inscriptions:

North side.-Sacred to the memory of Maj. WILLIAM CHRONICLE, Capt. JOHN MATOCKS, WILLIAM ROBB, and JOHN BOYD, who were killed here fighting in defense of America, on the seventh of Oct. 1780. South side.-Col. FERGUSON, an officer belonging to his Britannic majesty, was here defeated and killed.

On the morning after the battle, a court-martial was held, and several of the tory prisoners were found guilty of murder and other high crimes, and hanged. Col. Cleveland had previously declared that if certain persons, who were the chief marauders, and who had forfeited their lives, should fall into his hands, he would hang them; 10 of these men were suspended upon a tulip-tree, which is yet standing-a venerable giant of the forest. This was the closing scene of MONUMENT ON KING'S MOUNTAIN. the battle on King's Mountain, an event which completely crushed the spirits of the loyalists, and weakened, beyond recovery, the royal power in the Carolinas. Intelligence of the defeat of Ferguson destroyed all Cornwallis' hopes of tory aid."

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BATTLE OF EUTAW SPRINGS.

The celebrated Eutaw Springs, memorable as being the scene of a bloody conflict in the revolution, are in Charleston District, near the Orangeburg line, about 60 miles north west from Charleston, and present a curious spectacle. The spring rises through a small opening in the cam, only a few

Maj. Patrick Ferguson was a Scotchman, a son of the eminent jurist, James Ferguson, and nephew of Patrick Murray (Lord Elibank). He entered the army in Flanders, at the age of 18 years. He came to America in the spring of 1777, and was active in the battle on the Brandywine, in September of that year. He was active on the Hudson in 1779, and accompanied Sir Henry Clinton to South Carolina. He so distinguished himself at the siege of Charleston in 1780, that he was particularly mentioned by the comman. der-in-chief. He was on the high road to military fame, when he was slain on King's Mountain. He was a major in the British army, and lieutenant-colonel of the tory militia.

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