Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-02-01

at this time engaged in playing, was that OF
the Cowpens Having imbibed the spirit OF
their native land, they so marshalled their
forces that the white grains Of corn chased
the red. Then the little fellows, with joyful
shouts, would scream at the top Of their
voices: 'Tarleton runs-hurrah for Wash.
ington! I" Tarleton, who wss 90 unfortunate
as to be present, bore this innocent, but cut
ting, language, for time, with becoming dig.
nifty. It is the truth, however, that hurts.
The rash Englishman, no longer able to bear
the insult, turned to Coruwallis and said, "Do
you see those cursed little rebelsT
CORVALLIS ordered General O. 'Hars to take
his guards, the regiment Of Bose, and the
cavalry, and pursue hastily after Morgan.
He had been informed by his scouts that Nor
gan had not yet crossed the Yadkin. The
night was dark, the roads bad and it was rain.
ing. The result was that O'Hara did not
reach the Trading ford until midnight, and
when he did arrive, he found that Morgan's
men, except small detachment left to guard
the wagons Of the citizens who were following
the army, were all over the river and the fats
all on the east bank.
The American army moved on with all
possiblespeed toward Guilford Court House.
On the seventh Of February, the whole Amer.
ican army, including Lees cavalry, arrived
at the point which had been designated for q
junction. On the next day, the united forces
were mustered and found to be two thousand
and two hundred. OF these, FIVE hundred
were militia, and two hundred and seventy
we're cavalry. ALI we're in. sad condition.
Morgan's men had been moving constantly
since the battle Of the 'Cowpens. They, to
avoid CORVALLIS, had marched one hundred
and fifty miles over bad roads, crossed BY swol-
len streams, in twenty days.. The forces un-
der Huger had marched about one hundred
miles. The distance traversed gives us no
proper idea Of the labor these men encounter
ed. It was in the dead Of winter. The army
wagons and army teams we're wretched IN the
last degree. The men were all nearly naked;
there were but few blankets in either Morgan's
or Huger's corps, and no small number Of the
men we're absolutely barefooted. The Won-
der is that these hungry and naked and bare
footed soldiers did not sink beneath the tolls
of the march and breathe out their lives BY
the way. The trials and difficulties Of the
American soldiers, while in winter quarters
atValley Forge, are constantly mentioned as
an example of patriotic endurance. dcareene's
army was in far worse condition, and, yet
the men we're forced to march night and day.
The road over which they passed was covered
with bloodFhich ran from their bsre.fset.
Ba@ed again BY an interposition Of Divine
Providence, CORVALLIS called O'Hara from
Trading ford to Salisbury. From documents
found in possession Of some Of the militia
who had fallen into his hands or been killed
since crossing the Catawbs, CORVALLIS had
learned, with very great accuracy, the plans
of General Greene. But for the rains which
made the Yadkin impossible, all Greenes
plans would have been blasted. ]. Unable to
cross the Yadkin at Trading ford, and unwil.
ling to remain inactive and let Greene escape
quietly beyond his grasp, CORVALLIS com.
menced bis march on the west side Of therive
determined to continueit until he would reach
q point whore the river could be forded. Even
in this direction, the way was not entirely
open, The militia Of the country had rallied
and destroyed the bridge over Grants creek.
This amounted to only temporary delay;
for the bridge was soon repaired and the mill
tia dispersed. The British army, without
meeting with any other important opposition,
moved forward and crossed the Yadkin at the
Shallow fords, and passed into the Moravian
settlement on the very day that the American
forces reached Guilford Court House..
The two armies were now within twenty-five
miles of each other. In respect to numbers,
the British was about three hundred the larg-
er, and in every particular, except cavalry
horses, better provided for. CORVALLIS was
on Greene's left, and equally as near the Shall
low fords of the DAN. Having failed to pre-
vent the junction Of Greene's detachments,
Cornwallis now determined on forcing the
American General to fight. This he knew
must be done before Greene crossed the. Dan.
Greene, on the other hand, determined, in
view of the circumstances by which he was
surrounded, to make desperate effort tokeep,
for the present, out of the reach Of CORVALLIS.
Never, during the whole war, had the af-
fairs of the South been in q more critical con-
dition. In fact, the result Of the war was
placed in critical condition. IfGfsene was
only across the Dan, he would be safe; but
how was this to be accomplishedf All the
streams we're swollen and CORVALLIS was
nearer than Greene to points where it was
barely possible to ford the Dan. CORVALLIS
was as we'll prepared to pursue as Greene was
to retreat Under the circumstances, Greene
dared not risk an engagement. CORVALLIS
knew this, and hence having failed in all his
previous plans he determined to bring on q
general fight before Greene could reach the
river and cross over into Virginia.
The country was filled with distress. Eve
ry one that could leave home, connected
themselves with Greene's army. All the able
bodied men and boys among the Wings en-
tered the army as militia soldiers. The old
men and old women and little children only
were left at home. This was the case only
where the pecuniary circumstances Of the
family would not allow them to do otherwise.
The country was left to the mercy Of the to-
ries and British. These, in small squads,
secured the country, devouring and destroy.
;no avarv thing within their reach. To avoid