Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-03-01

0
,77.
imposing sight, when contrasted with the tat.
tered uniforms of the American officers and
the dirty and ragged garments of the Ameri-
can soldiers.
Having determined to hazard battle,
Cornwallis made the following disposition Of
his forces Major General Leslie, with Fra
ser's Highland regiment (the 71st) and the
Hessian regiment, under Colonel Bose, was
ordered to file to the right and advanceagainst
the American left. Colonel Webster, with
the twenty.tbird and thirty.third regiments,
was instructed to file to the left and advance
against the American right Lieutenant.
Colonel Norton, with the first battalion Of
guards, was ordered to support General Les.
lie; and General O'Hsra, with the second
battalion of guards and grenadiers, was direct
ed to support Colonel Webster. The royal
artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Mel cod,
and supported by the light infantry Of the
guards and Yagers, was Ordered to advance
directly up the road. Tarleton was ordered
to keep his cavalry in reserve, with instruc-
tion to act as circumstances might indicate.
the time that the British were fir.
ing, and until the 6rst division had reached
the edge of the slope on which the American
forces were drawn up in battle array, Cap
tain Singleton kept up 3 brisk cannonade.
In about half an hour, the British began to
advance for battle Singleton, according to
instructions, retired to the rear near the Court
House, where the other two pieces Of artillery
were placed. Having crossed the stream and
approached within few hundred yards of
the field, the British began to deploy, Leslie
filing to the right and Webster to the left.
The left flank of Leslie and the right flank Of
Webster rested on the road. CORVALLIS had
but one line. This being formed, the COM
mand was given to advance. ,a.. Il
The left wing of Leslie and the right wing
of Webster, had to cross an open field to meet
the first line of the Americans. The men
commanded by both Leslie and Webster, we're
experienced soldiers. Without wave, the
line moved forward, the supports in regular
order taking their proper places. e
The North Carolina militia commenced
firing at random, when the British were one
hundred and fifty yards distant. At this dis
tance, no injury was inflicted upon the enemy.
As they approached nearer, many of the
Highlanders, who were in the British van,
were moved down by Campbells men. Still,
as if nothing was transpiring, Leslie and
Webster, and the men in their commands,
continued to advance without, firing gun.
When the British came within about sixty
yards of the first American line, they threw
in fire which did no damage. No one was
killed, and not single man wounded. So
soon as the British delivered their fire, they
rushed forward with shout, and to the utter
dismay of every one, the North Carolina mi
litia threw down their guns, stripped them.
selves of their knapsacks and canteens,. and
ran through the woods in every direction.
Their commanders, Butler and Eaton, Lieu
tenant Colonel Lee, Colonel William r. Da-
vie--at that time commissary general-and.
multitude of other officers Of every grade,
endeavored to stop the fugitives, but in vain.
So great were their fears and so ungoverna-
BILE was the panic, that they would have died
rather than gone back to meet the enemy.
The cowardly flight of the first line Of the
Americans, before the battle had begun, threw
everything into confusion and Disconnected
all the plans of General Greene and his Off.
GERS. Lees legion and Colonel Campbell's
"back mountain men," were left to sustain
the whole weight of General Leslie's com.
mand. They were in danger Of either being
cut off or utterly demolished. 10y.
As an indication of what might have been
the results, had the North Carolinians stood
their ground and fought bravely, it,may be
mentioned that Leslie was forced to order
into line the support under LieutenantC Colo.
mel Norton, before Lee and Campbell could
be dislodged. In fact, so soon as the British
came within range of the rifles of CampbelPs
men, these hardy sons of the mountains
pouredi in auch constant and 'effectual fire,
that it was thought, at one time, the British
right would not be able to reach the first line
of the Americans. Is
The British left, under Webster, pressed
forward and attacked the Virginians under
Lawson. These stood their ground manfnlly.
Lee and Campbell, set upon by the whole of
Leslie's division, was forced to give way or be
slaughtered to man. The base fight of the
North Carolinians left the way open for the
advance of the royal artillery. On the fight
of the first line Of the Americans, q gap was
formed between Leslie and Webster. This
was soon closed by General OHara fling to
the right and resting his right. wing upon
General Leslie's left.
The whole British force, except the caval-
ry, with determined courage and splendid
discipline, now attacked the Virginians un-
der Lawson and Stevens. The most of the
men under Stevens were Scotch-Irish, from
Rockbridge and Augusta counties, Virginia.
One company was principally members of the
congregation of the Rev. James Waddell, the
blind preacher, whose melting elequenee is 50
graphically and tenderly described by Writ
in bis British Spy.
To prevent any one in his brigade from
leaving, Stevens had, before the battle COM
menced, placed forty riAe-men, twenty PAGES
in the rear, with strict orders to shoot any one
of the brigade who should dare to leave his
post. These brave Virginians, to their last
ing credit, stood like we'll tried veterans, al
though pressed by the whole British force.
Colonels Washington and Lee kept the TANKS
secure. The contest was hard and the result
doubtful. Balls were flying thick as hail,
and men on both sides were falling thick and
fast as leaves from forest tree in an autumn
morning after biting frost.
Colonel Washington, in order to succor the
hard pressed Lawson, sent Colonel Lynch to