1806.J 
The Britifh commander, flattered by 
this new fuccefs, now determined to act 
Carolina militia, and the expeéted reinforces 
ments from Virginia, faid to confift of a Vir~ 
ginia ftate regiment, a corps of Virginia 
eighteen-months men, 3000 Virginian mili- 
litia and recruits from the Maryland line, had 
joined General Greene, and that the whole 
army, which was reported to amount to nine 
or ten thoufand men, was marching to attack 
the Britith troops. 
<¢ During that afternoon intelligence was 
brought, which was confirmed in the night, 
that he had advanced that day to Guilford, 
about twelve miles from our camp. 
‘¢ Being new perfuaded that he had refolved 
to hazard an engagement, after detaching 
Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton with our wag- 
gons and baggage, efcorted by his own regi- 
ment, adetachment of one hundred Infantry, 
and twenty cavalry, towards Bell’s Mill, on 
Deep river, 1 marched with thereft of the 
corps, at day-break on the morning of the 
15th, to meet the enemy or attack them in 
their encampment. 
‘* About four miles from Guilford, our ad- 
vanced guard, commanded by Lieutenant-Co- 
lonel Tarleton, fell in with a corps of the 
enemy, confifting of Lee’s legion, which he 
attacked with his ufual good condut and fuc- 
cefs, &c. 
«¢ Ail the infantry being now in line, Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Tarleton had dire&tions to 
keep his cavalry compact, and not to charge 
without pofitive orders, except to protect any 
of the corps from the moft evident danger of 
being defeated. The exceffive thicknefs of 
the woods rendered our bayonets of ‘little ufe, 
and enabied the broken enemy to make ire- 
quent ftands, with an irregular fire, which 
occafioned fome lofs to feveral of the corps, 
particularly on our right, where the firft bat- 
talion of the Guards and regiment of Bofe 
were warmly engaged in front, flank and rear, 
with fome of the enemy that had been routed 
en the firft attack, and with part of the ex- 
tremity of their left wing, which by the clofe- 
nefs of the woods had been pafled un- 
broken, é&c. 
** The enemy’s cavalry was foon repulfed by 
a well-direfted fire from two three-pounders, 
juft brought up by Lieutenant Macleod, and 
by the appearance of the grenadiers of the 
Guards, and of the 71ft regiment, which 
having been impeded by fome deep ravines, 
was now coming out of the wood at the right 
oi the Guards, oppofite to the Court Houfe. 
The militia foon after difperfed in the woods, 
and the Continentals retreated by the Reedy 
Fork. 
** From our obfervation, and the beft ac- 
counts we could procure, we did not doubt but 
the ftrength oi the enemy exceeded 7000 
men: their militia compofedtheir line, with 
Parties advanced to the rails of the field in 
the front; the Continentals were pofted ob- 
liquely in the reax of theirright wing. Their 
Memoirs of the late Marquis Cornwallis. 
233 
on the offenfive. He accordingly took 
the neceffary meafures on purpofe to form 
a junétion with Arnold, who, having de- 
clared fer the Englith, had becomeone of 
the moft formidable partifans.with whom 
America had nowtocontend. This hav- 
cannon fired on us whilft we were forming 
from the centre of the line of militia, but 
were withdrawn to the Continentals before the 
attack. 
‘¢T have the honour to inclofe to your 
Lordfhip the lift of our killed and wounded. 
I cannot afcertain the Tofs of the enemy, but 
it muft have deen confiderable ; between two 
and three hundred dead were left on the field 5 
many of their wounded, who were able to 
move, whilft we were employed in the care 
of our own, efcaped and followed the routed . 
enemy 5 and our cattle-drivers and forage par- 
ties have reported tome, that the houfes ina 
circle of fix or eight miles round us are fuil 
of others. Thofe that have remained we 
have taken the beft care of in our power. We 
‘took few priloners, owing to the exceffive 
thicknefs of the wood facilitating their efcape, | 
and every man of our army being repeatedly 
wanted for ation. 
“¢ The condu& and aétions of the officers 
and foldiers that compofe this little army will 
do more juftice to their merit than I can by 
words. Their perfevering intrepidity in ac- 
tion, their invincible patience in the hard- 
fhips and fatigues of a march of above fix 
hundred miles, in which they have forded fe- 
veral large rivers, and numberlefs creeks, ma-= 
ny of which would be reckoned large rivers in 
any other country in the world, without tente 
‘or covering againft the climate, and often 
without provifions, will fuffiiciently manifeft 
their ardent zeal for the honour and -interelts 
of their fovereign, and their country. 
<¢ This part of the country is fo totally 
deftitute of fubfiftence, that forage is not 
nearer than nine miles, and thefoldiers have 
been two days without bread. I fhall there- 
fore leave about feventy of the worft of the 
wounded cafes at the New-garden Quaker 
Meeting-houfe, with proper affiftance, and 
move the remainder with the army to-morrow 
morning to Bell’s Mill. 
<¢ T hope our friends will heartily take an 
a€tive part with us, to which I {hall continue 
to encourage them ; {till approaching our thip~ 
ping by eafy marches, that we may procure 
the neceffary fupplies for farther operations, 
and lodge our fick and wounded where (proper 
attention can be paid to them. 
_ & This -difpatch will be delivered to your 
Lordfhip by my Aide-de-Camp, Captain Bro- 
drick, who is a very promfin officer, and 
whom I beg leave to recommend to your Lord- 
fhip’s countenance and favour, 
«¢ T have the honour tobe, my Lord, 
*¢ Your Lordihip’s moft obedient, 
**©-And humble fervant, . 
‘6 CoRNWALLIS."® 
ing 
