402 A M E 
Henry Clinton, that fome cofifiderable advantage might be 
derived to tire royal caufe. The long continuance of the 
<var, and the difficulties under which the congrefs labour¬ 
ed, had prevented their troops from being properly Rip- 
plied with neceffaries and conveniences. In confequence 
of this, on January the iff, the American troops that were 
hutted at Morris-town, and who formed what was called 
lie Pam[jlvania line, turned out, being in number about 
1300, and declared, that they would ferve no longer, un- 
lefs their grievances were redrefled, as they had not re¬ 
ceived their pay, or been furniiTred with the neceflary 
clothing or provifi'ons. It is fa-id. that they were fomewhat 
infhim'ed with liquor, in confequence- of rum having been 
difffihuted to them more liberally than ufual, New-year’s 
Day being confidered as a kind of feftival. A riot enfued, 
in which an officer was killed, and four wounded; five or 
fix of the infurgents -were-alfo- woundqd. They then col¬ 
lected the artillery, (tores,. provifions, and waggons, and 
marched out of the camp. They patted by the quarters 
ot general WaVne, who Cent a mellhge to them, requefting 
them to defift, or the confeq-vtences would prove fatal. 
They refuted-, and proceeded on their march till the even¬ 
ing, when they took poll on an advantageous piece of 
ground, and elected- officers from among thcmfelves. On 
the fecorid', they marched to Middlebrook, and on the 
third to Prince-town, where they fixed their quarters. On 
that day a flag of truce was lent to them from the officers 
of the American camp, with a- meflaggi defil ing to know 
what were their intentions. Some of them anlvvered, that 
they had already ferved longer than the time for which 
they were 1 eh!-i (led, and would ferve no longer; and others, 
that they would not return, unlefs their grievances were 
redrefled. But at the fame time they repeatedly, and in 
the firongefi? terms, denied being influenced by the leaf! 
difafteftion to the American caufe, or having any inten¬ 
tions of deferting to the enemy. 
Intelligence of this tranfa-ftion was Toon conveyed to 
New York. A large body of Britifh troops were imme¬ 
diately ordered to-hold themfelves in readinefs to move on 
the (fiorteft notice, it being hoped, that the American re- 
volte-rs might be induced to join tiie royal army. Mef- 
fengers were alfo font to them from general Clinton, ac- 
cti.iTiring'them that they fliould diredlly be taken under the 
proteirfidn of the Britilh government; that they (hould 
have a free pardon for all former offences.; and that the 
ray due to them from the congrefs fhould be faithfully 
paid them, without any expectation of military fervice, 
Unlefsut (Would be voluntary, upon condition of their lay¬ 
ing down their arms and returning to their allegiance. It 
Was alfo recommended- to them to move beyond the South 
River ; and- they were allured, that a body of Britilh 
troops (hould be ready to protedl them whenever they de¬ 
filed it. Thefe propofitions were rejected with difdain ; 
and they even delivered up two of Sir Henry Clinton’s 
mdli-ngers to the congrefs. Jofeph Reed, Efq. prefident 
of the ftate of Pennfylvania, afterwards repaired to them 
at Prince-town, and an accommodation took place: fuch 
■of them as had ferved out their full term were permitted 
to return-to their homes, and others again joined the Ame¬ 
rican army, upon receiving fatisfifttory affurances that 
their grievances (hould be- redrefled'. 
Earl Cornwallis now made vigorous preparations-to pe¬ 
netrate into North Carolina. On the nth of January his 
lordlhip’s army was in motion; but was fomewhat delayed 
by an attempt made by the Americans, under general Mor¬ 
gan, to make themfelves matters of the valuable diftriCl 
of Ninety-fix. To prevent this, lord Cornwallis detached 
lieutenant-coionel Tarleton, with 300 cavalry, 300 light 
infantry, the 7 th regiment, the fir A battalion of the 7,1ft 
regiment, and two 3-pounders, to oppofe the progrefs of 
Morgan, not doubting but that he would be able to per¬ 
form this fervice effectually. The Britifh troops came up 
with the Americans on the 17th of January. They were 
drawn up in an open wood, and, having been lately joined 
by iome militia, were more numerous than the Britifh.;. 
RICA, 
but the latter were fo much better difciplined, that they 
had the utmoft confidence of obtaining a fpeedy victory. 
The attack was begun by the firft line of infantry, confut¬ 
ing of the 7th regiment and a corps of light infantry, witlr 
a troop of cavalry placed an each flank. The firft batta¬ 
lion ot tire 71ft and tire remainder of the cavalry formed 
the referve. T he American line foon gave way, and their 
militia quitted- the field; upon which the royal troops, 
fuppofing the victory already gained, engaged with ardour 
in-the purfuit, and were thereby thrown into fome difor- 
der. General Morgan’s corps, who were fuppofed to have 
been routed,, immediately faced about,, and began a heavy 
fire upon the king’s troops,, which occafioned the utmoft 
confufion amongft them; and they were at length totally 
defeated by the Americans. Four hundred of the. Britifh 
infantry were either killed, wounded, or taken prifoners: 
the lofs of the cavalry was muchjefs considerable; but the 
t-wo 3-pounders fell into the hands of the Americans, to¬ 
gether with the colours of the 7th regiment. Lieutenant- 
colonel Tarleton gallantly made another effort; having 
a-flembled about fifty of his-cavalry, with which lie char¬ 
ged and repulfed colonel Waflrington’s horfe, retook his 
baggage, and killed tire Americans who were appointed, 
to guard it. He then retreated to Hamiltoni's Ford, near 
the mouth of Bullock’s Creek, carrying with him part oF 
baggage, and deftroying tire remainder. 
'I Iris defeat was a fevere ftroke to lord Cornwallis, as tire- 
lofs of his light infantry was a great di(advantage to him. 
Tlie day after that event, ire employed in.collecting tire 
remains of Tarleton’s corps, and in endeavouring to form 
a junction with general Leflie, who had been ordered to- 
march towards him with fome Britifh. troops from Wynnef- 
borough. Confiderable exertions were then made by part 
of the army,, without baggage, to retake the prifoners in, 
the hands of tire Americans, and to intercept general 
Morgan’s corps on its retreat to the Catawba. But that 
officer had made forced marches up the country, and crof- 
fed the Catawba the evening before a great rain, which, 
(welled the river to Rich a degree, as to prevent the royal 
army from.eroding for fevcral days; by which time the 
Britifh prifoners were got quite out of reach-. 
On the firft of February, the king’s troops eroded the 
Catabaw at M‘Cowan’s Ford, where general Davidfon* 
with a party of the American militia, was ordered to op¬ 
pofe their paflage ; bu^ that officer being killed by the firft 
difeharge, the royal troops made good their landing, and 
the militia retreated. When lord Cornwallis arrived at 
Hillfborough, he erefted the king’s ftandard, and invited, 
by proclamation, all loyal fubjeCts to repair to it, and to 
ftand forth and take an active part in attilting his lordfhip 
to reftore order and government. He had been taught to 
believe that the king’s friends were numerous in that part 
of the country: but the event did not confirm the truth 
of the reprefentations that had been made. The royalifts 
were but few in number, and fome of them too timid to- 
join the king’s ftandard. There were, indeed, about 200 
who were proceeding to Hillfborough, under colonel Pyle, 
in. order to avow their attachment to the royal caufe; but 
they were met accidentally, and furrounded, by a detach¬ 
ment from-the American army, by whom a number of 
them are faid to have been killed when they were begging 
for quarter, without making the leaft refinance. Mean¬ 
while general Greene was marching with great expedition, 
to form a junction with another corps of American troops, 
in order to put a flop to the progrefs of lord Cornwallis. 
In other places confiderable advantages were obtained 
by the royal arms. On the 4th of January, fome (hips of 
war with a number of tranfports, on-board which was a 
large body of troops under the command of general Ar¬ 
nold, arrived at Weftover, about 1.40 miles from the Capes- 
of Virginia, where the troops immediately landed and 
marched to Richmond; which they reached without op- 
pofition, the provincials having retreated on their approach. 
Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe marched from hence with a de¬ 
tachment of the Britilh troops to Weftham,. where he de- 
