Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-12

II
eight, led by General Huger. The re-
manning six hundred and thirty regu'
lars were Williams Maryland brigade
to which was attached one company
from Delaware and eighty-two infantry
belonging to Lees legion. There were
two thousand, seven hundred and fifty
three militia-one thousand and sixty
North Carolinians and one thousand si1
hundred and ninety-three Virginians
The cavalry consisted Of two hundred
and one. Eighty-slx commanded by
Colonel Washington; seventy-five by
Lieut.. Col. Lee and forty by the Mar.
quis Of Bretagne.
The exact number Of men In the
army of CORVALLIS that we are aware
of, is no where stated. 1t was In al
probability, not less than two thou
sand nor more than two thousand five
hundred. So far as simple numbers are
concerned, the army Of Greene was
fully twice as large as that Of Corn
wallis; but the latter had the decided
advantage In that nearly or quite al
his men were tried regulars led by ex-
perienced officers. Nearly every man
In the British army was soldier by
profession. He had been trained to
arms. Less than two thousand OF
Greene's forces were regulars; and even
these were not regulars in the same
sense that the soldiers in the army OF
CORVALLIS were regulars. More than
one half of Greene's army was nothing
but undrilled militia. No small amount
Of them had fed to Greene's army for
protection. They were brave men and
as true patriots as ever lived, but II
was utterly impossible that they could
be good soldiers.
To make a good soldier, more Is nec-
essary than either physical or moral
courage. The first impulse Of the new
recruits. on going into battle, is to run,
He may be conscious that the cause
for which he is fighting is just and
right, but the clash of the first onset
is too much for his nerves. To stand
firm and repell an advancing foe is a
sore test for him who knows nothing
OF battle but what he has learned
from others. To advance upon an enc
my is not so severe test. In this case
his own onward motion has the ap-
pearance Of defeating the foe, and he
continues to advance without having
his nerves shocked.
Cornwallis knew the character OF
Greene's troops. He knew that only
few of them were regulars that could
be relied upon in the moment Of ex-
treme danger. Anxious as he was to
meet Greene, that he might dispel the
gloom which hung over the cause OF
the British government in the south,
he never would have ventured nearer
Guilford court house than Bells MILL
had all Greene's forces been regulars
Taking all things into consideration
the forces of Cornwallis, although only
one half in number were equal in a
pitched battle to those of Greene.
On the night Of the fourteenth, the
two armies lay encamped within eight
miles Of each other. Both generals
were preparing for battle. The most
sublime spectacle which mortal eyes
can behold in this world is a contest
between two armies led by brave and
experienced officers. High physical
and moral courage, in conjunction with
long course Of training and much ex-
perience, together with a sense OF res
possibility, may enable individuals to
behold such a scene with composure
but not with Indifference. There are
some things which we never can gaze
upon in the character Of idle specta-
tors. The empty traveller may laugh
in the face of a highway robber, but
he is forced to be solemn when ne
sees the mighty oak shattered into
thousand pieces by lightning.
Guilford court house Is situated
about five miles northeast Of the towr
of Greensboro, the capital Of Guilfore
county. The village in which the
court house was situated, was ortgi-
nally called Martinsburg, in honor OF
Alexander Martin. Both Martinsbure
and the old court house have crumbleo
into ruin. 1t was situated on the
State road leading from Salisbury K
Virginia, Salisbury being at that time
the most important town in the west
em portion of North Carolina. The
battle-ground was on a slope, near one
half mile In length and inclining south
ward In the direction of New Garder
meeting house, where 1t was known
the British were. The slope termi.
mated in a small valley through which
flowed a small stream that empties In
to the Haw. On the west side OF the
road and between the stream in the
valley and the top Of the hill was
large field. On the east side of the
road there were two small fields, with
wood two hundred yards wide be-
tween them.
On the fourteenth, Lieutenant Colo
mel Lee came into General Greene:
camp at Guilford court house. He wa!
Immediately sent to take a post within
three or four miles Of New Garder
meeting house, with instructions II
watch the movements Of the enemy
Lee sent Lieutenant Heard, with de-
tachment Of cavalry still nearer TIT
British camp instructing him to repor
every occurrence promptly. About
o'clock in the morning Heard sent
dispatch to Lee stating that a large
body of the enemy's horse was ad
vancing in the direction Of New Gar
den. Lee at once forwarded this In
telligence to General Greene. Lee in
structed Heard to proceed with a few
men toward the flank Of the advancing
cavalry, that he might be able to learl
whether the main body Of the British
was advancing or not. Communication
between Lee and Heard was kept vi
at intervals of every half hour. Afte
series of efforts Heard reported tina
on account Of the extent of the enc
my's patrols, he was unable to gail
the flank of the cavalry. but he wa
pfident from the rumbling Of wheel
which he heard that the whole arm,
Of CORVALLIS was In motion. Lee or
dered his men to arms and at the sam
lt.ootad than, 20 ont fhair hraQl U