The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-03-15

the days OF the Revolution were o
no less moment than those of til.
, Jerseys, New York, and Pennsyl
vania. After Gates had allowed
himself to be defeated at Camden,
General Nathaniel Greene was plac
ed in command of the patriot army
in the South. It was in this sec
ton that defeat did as much for the
cause of the colonists as victory
The battle of Kings Mountain,
epoch making as it was, paved the
way for other reverses TO the Brit.
ish arms. One of them, while nom
inally defeat for the Americans,
was the battle of Guilford Court
house, North Carolina, one of the
hardest fought contests of the whole
war.
CORVALLIS was hurrying after
Greene across the State. He cross
ed the Yadkin and strained every
nerve to prevent Greene from cross
ing the Dan. He supposed the
Americans would not be able to
cross at the lower ferries, but would
be obliged to pass the river higher
up, where it could be forded. He
therefore urged his army TO its ut
most exertions to secure these fords
before the arrivals of the Americans.
Perceiving Corvallis error, Colo
mel Ohio IL. Williams retreated to-
wards the upper fords, and so con-
firmed the British commander In his
delusion. Having led the British
sufficiently out of the way, Williams
wheeled about, and by a rapid
march of forty miles in twenty four
hours, down the river, rejoined
Greene, who had moved with all
speed to the lower ferries, where, in
anticipation of his retreat, he had
collected d supply of boats. The
Dan was passed on the 18th of Feb
ruary, and the American army was
safe from its pursuers. An hour or
two later, CORVALLIS, who had dis
covered his mistake, and had march
ed with speed from the upper fords,
appeared on the opposite bank of
the river, only to see his adversary
safely beyond his reach.
The river was too deep to be
forded, and Greene had all the boats
in his possession. CORVALLIS was
deeply mortified at his failure to in
tercept Greene. He bad pursued
him for over 200 miles, and had
made great sacrifices to come up
with him, but the American com
mander had managed to elude him,
and had successfully carried out one
of the most brilliant retreats In his
tory. The Americans regarded
their escape as proridential. Their
way across the Carolinas might be
tracked by the blood from their
feet; and, twice, when the enemy
had come within gunshot of them,
the rising of the waters of the Ca
tawba and Yadkin, which they had
passed in safety, had held back the
British and enabled them to escape
After resting his men for few
DAYS on the banks of the Dan, Corn
wallis fell back to Hillsborouhg.
Having received re-enforcements,
General Greene recrcssed the Dan,
about the last of February, and adj
vanced into the Carolinas, to watch
CORVALLIS and encourage the patri-
OTIS of that region. CORVALLIS, be-
ing short of supplies, moved slow
[ ly southwark. Greene followed
him cautiously, too weak to risk
battle, but ready to take advantage
of the first error on the part of his
adversary. His movements were
conducted with the utmost circum-
spectiop, and in order to guard
against surprise he never remained
in the same place more than one day
and kept secret until the last mo-
ment the places he selected for his
encampments. In the meantime,
he was gradually receiving re-en-
forcements, from Virginia and Ma
ryland, until his army numbered
1000 men.
Feeling himself strong enough to
attack the enemy, Greene left his
baggage at point of safety, and ad-
vanced 10 Guilford Courthouse,
seventeen miles distant, with the in
tention of bringing CORVALLIS to a
decisive engagement. Here he was