nation, induced the foldiers to forbear and rely upon 1780. legal expedients and a good providence for fuccour. The principal means of fubfiftence found on the march were lean cattle accidentally picked up in the woods. Meal and flour were fo very scarce, that the whole army was obliged to make ufe of green corn and peaches, as the beft fubftitutes for bread the country afforded. Dyfentries afflicted the troops in confequence of fuch diet. It was however the leaft of two evils. They had no other relief from famine, which added to the intense heat of the season, and unhealthiness of the climate, threatened deftruction to the army. Starvation became a cant term upon the occafion. Perhaps the burlefque introduced by the ignorance of fome and the policy of others, to fhow a contempt for their fufferings, contributed not a little to the refolute ftoutnefs that now discovered itself.

In the afternoon of the 5th of Auguft, the American general was informed from gen. Cafwell, that he meant to furprise or attack a poft of the enemy, on little Lynch's creek. This made Gates the more anxious for a junction, as he apprehended some injudicious adventure might deprive him of the affiftance which the militia were capable of affording. The next morning intelligence arrived from the fame authority, which increased his anxiety to a painful degree, it was, that the enemy just mentioned, meditated an attack upon the militia in their encampment. Such a fhow of enterprife, and fuch marks of intimidation-fuch a contrariety of intentions and apprehenfions perplexed the commanding officer, anu made the junction still more defirable. Gates therefore gave orders for the troops to clean their arms and to have every thing ready for action; and then proceed

Aug.

5.

1780. ed with his deputy adjutant general and aids to the encampment of the militia, whom he found to be a fine body of men, deficient only in difcipline and military arrangements. Whether Caswell found his vanity gratified in a separate command, or wished to precipitate the army into an action with the enemy, was not difcoverable: the fact is, he postponed a junction until he saw the perplexity and danger in which his ambition or indifcretion had involved the army. When it was too late for measures to be changed, he complied more through neceffity than inclination.

6.

Aug. At Deep-creek the troops received a supply of good beef, and half a pound of Indian corn meal per man. They eat their mefs; drank of the stream contentedly; and the next day with great cheerfulness marched to the Crofs-roads, where they were joined by the militia, and the whole were encamped together. A good underftanding appeared to fubfift among the officers of all ranks, and the common foldiers vied with each other in fupporting their fpirits and defpifing their fatigues, which they appeared to forget. The expectation of this junc tion had induced the commanding officer of the poft on Lynch's creek to retire the day before, under the mask of offenfive operations, which caused the alarm above related.

Being now in a country of Pine-barrens, extensive fand-hills and impenetrable swamps, unable to collect provifions and forage from the lower and more fertile parts of the country, which were covered by the enemy's advanced pofts, the army could not remain more than a day in this fituation, though a large reinforcement of militia from Virginia was expected every hour.

enemy

1780.

Gates therefore preffed forward; and finding the difpofed to dispute his paffage of Lynch's creek, while he kept up an appearance of taking that route, he marched the army by the right toward Clermont (better known by the name of Rugeley's mills) where the enemy had a small garrifon. His intentions being difcovered, both pofts were abandoned with fome precipiI tation on the 11th, the officers fearing either that their 11 march to Camden would be intercepted, or that they Ifhould be attacked on their retreat. Lord Rawdon, who commanded the advanced posts of the British army, affembled all his forces at Camden, and fuffered gen. Gates, without any material interruption, to conI duct his army to Clermont about 13 miles from Camden, where his troops encamped on the 13th. The next 13. day brigadier gen. Stevens arrived with a refpectable reinforcement of 700 Virginia militia. An exprefs also arrived the fame day from col. Sumpter, who reported to Gates, that a number of the South Carolina militia had joined him on the weit fide of the Wateree; and that an escort of clothing, ammunition and other ftores for the garrison at Camden, was on the way from Charlestown, and must pass the Wateree at a ferry about a mile from Camden, under cover of a fmall redoubt occupied by the enemy, on the opposite bank of the river.

A detachment of the Maryland line, confifting of 100 regular infantry and a company of artillery, with two brafs field pieces, and 300 North Carolina militia, were immediately forwarded under the command of lieut. col. Woolford to join col. Sumpter, who had orders to reduce the redoubt and intercept the convoy Gen. Gates was preparing at the fame time to advance

1780. ed with his deputy adjutant general and aids to the en

campment of the militia, whom he found to be a fine 'body of men, deficient only in difcipline and military arrangements. Whether Cafwell found his vanity gratified in a separate command, or wished to precipitate the army into an action with the enemy, was not difcoverable: the fact is, he postponed a junction until he saw the perplexity and danger in which his ambition or indifcretion had involved the army. When it was too late I for measures to be changed, he complied more through neceffity than inclination. Aug. At Deep-creek the troops received a supply of good beef, and half a pound of Indian corn meal per man. They eat their mefs; drank of the stream contentedly; and the next day with great cheerfulness marched to the Crofs-roads, where they were joined by the militia, and the whole were encamped together. A good understanding appeared to fubfift among the officers of all ranks, and the common foldiers vied with each other in fupporting their spirits and defpifing their fatigues, which they appeared to forget. The expectation of this junc tion had induced the commanding officer of the poft on Lynch's creek to retire the day before, under the mask of offensive operations, which caused the alarm above related.

Being now in a country of Pine-barrens, extenfive fand-hills and impenetrable fwamps, unable to collect provifions and forage from the lower and more fertile parts of the country, which were covered by the enemy's advanced pofts, the army could not remain more than a day in this fituation, though a large reinforcement of militia from Virginia was expected every hour.

Gates therefore preffed forward; and finding the enemy 1780. difpofed to difpute his paffage of Lynch's creek, while he kept up an appearance of taking that route, he marched the army by the right toward Clermont (better known by the name of Rugeley's mills) where the enemy had a small garrifon. His intentions being difcovered, both pofts were abandoned with fome precipitation on the 11th, the officers fearing either that their march to Camden would be intercepted, or that they fhould be attacked on their retreat. Lord Rawdon, who commanded the advanced pofts of the British army, affembled all his forces at Camden, and fuffered gen. Gates, without any material interruption, to conduct his army to Clermont about 13 miles from Camden, where his troops encamped on the 13th. The next 13. day brigadier gen. Stevens arrived with a refpectable reinforcement of 700 Virginia militia. An exprefs alfo arrived the fame day from col. Sumpter, who reported to Gates, that a number of the South Carolina militia. had joined him on the weit fide of the Wateree; and that an escort of clothing, ammunition and other ftores for the garrifon at Camden, was on the way from Charlestown, and must pass the Wateree at a ferry about a mile from Camden, under cover of a fmall redoubt occupied by the enemy, on the oppofite bank of the river.

A detachment of the Maryland line, confifting of 100 regular infantry and a company of artillery, with two brafs field pieces, and 300 North Carolina militia, were immediately forwarded under the command of lieut. col. Woolford to join col. Sumpter, who had orders to reduce the redoubt and intercept the convoy. Gen. Gates was preparing at the fame time to advance