Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-05-18
North Carolina Vindioatea

4 Correspondent of the Murfreesborouch
Citizen, writing from Chapel Hill over the
signature of f" Candjd,f +" brings to light some
facts, which very successfully and autbori-
tatively yindicate the conduct of the North
Carolina troops at the battle of Guiiford g.
H., in our revolutionary struggle. against tho
charge Of cowardice so often alleged against
them. The writer so effectualIy rebukes bv
his authorities of indubitable character. the
taunts Of those who have sneered at North
Carolina prowess on that memorable and i'm
portant occasion, that we quote from his ar
ticle as follows:
President Swain is now in possession of
some papers which were printed bv an old
Englishman, and came to the United States
for the first time only twenty DAYS since
The important manuscripts were lately found
by the aged editor among the papers Of Lord
CORVALLIS. Among other things was found
{ in his own han writing, the following Ian.
guage, and which was an acknowIdGemert
made by the great Briton upon the dav when
he surrendered his sword to Washington at
Yorktown: "Of all the colonies with which
2 | have had to contend, that of North Carolina
= has been by far the most difficult to conquer.
owing to the situation of the COLONY and.
more than all, to the extremely rebellious
: spirit of the people. 1t was utterly limos
e sible to saeds,e them, or dissuade them from
: their fixed determination and it is that prov
ince that has crippled me in the South and
finally caused my defeat in the subsection of
these colonies" For saws my lord 81
! date my defeat from the battle Of Guilford
it was there that | got my death blow. And
my retreat through North Carolina into Viz
+ ginia will show how | was pressed ; for Greene
os and his brave companions ruined me that dav.
ce 1t was generally supposed that the Americans
were badly foiled, and that what fighting was
done, was by the Virginia forces such was
a great mistake. True it is, a few farmers
who had but the day previous come from
their fields, did retreat to their homes. But
he the majority of the North Carolina miiti.
acquitted themselves remarkably well. as wa,
lo Their custoR. 1t was a draw fight. and. Will
Sc, the exception of a few who loved home hef
-he ter than battle, every man acted well his par
:, and did his duty. For | never saw suel
p fighting since God made me" This latte
sentence Lord CORVALLIS uttered also in III
eel house OF a woman near Guilford. the dav a
acb ter the battle, when he kept leaving II
Northern door open for the March wind
% come IN. The occupant reprimanded bin
lSh anu NlSIOu 10 KNOW what ms motive was II
oily continually looking up the road. All Ma
am" said he, q know not but that vor
brave countryman, Greene, may IL now
10 pursuit of me-" 81 thought" said the
per- male whig, "you told me that YOU had col
tive pletely annihilated Greene" Indeed, ia
am" he remarked, +" if Greene had had a f
more men, he would have annihilated me.
the never saw such fighting since God M
with me-" Such are the words and acknowled
lnny ments, both oral and written, of the abb
uo commander sent by the British Ministry
conquer America, and the aged editor Of tn
MS late publications compliments him as be
i'd by both the ablest and best man among all
new British officers. Yet he confessed, mourn
He ", he was not the man that the Amer
hero was, either in mental calibre or mt
ipPy' power. Let all who are disposed to So
He the least d~isparagingly Of the Old North S
total in the period that tried mems souls, o
- question the bravery Of her sons at the
i"o tie Of Guilford, recall to mir.f the declara
spec Of LQ Mlv G4foFHRgN qtqHtK hi lbs 4 asg ai # 9 56@ It.
Apply. and, years after, in England. For. Y
" and looked at impartially, I think it will occl
all that f" the battle Of Guilford was" as
toa CORVALLIS said; "the breaking nm Of
tells war" Mr.. Benton has truly said, in
hat if Thirty Years Tielr, in his eulogv on
tboso Macon, the battle of Guilford was the (
-, ing point of the war, and the philosopl
james history will show it."