Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-27

Mill, about fourteen miles from Cam
den. BY a strange coincidence both
generals began to make preparations
to do the same thing. Gates contem-
plated surprising CORVALLIS. and
Cornwallis contemplated surprising
Gates.
General Sumter who was on the
look out for small parties Of the Brit
ish, learned that a large wagon train
was approaching Camden from Nine
ty-Six. These wagons under a small
escort, were conveying supplies to the
main army. Sumter advised General
Gates Of the fact. Gates detailed one
hundred infantry, a company Of artil-
lery of the Maryland line and three
hundred North Carolina militia to as
sist Sumter In capturing this provision
train. On the fifteenth of August,
Sumter captured a small redoubt In
Fairfield county, and intercepting the
wagon train, secured forty-four wag-
|
plies and several wagons loaded with
sick and worn out soldiers. This was
brilliant affair, but in the end
amounted to nothing, as we will, at
the proper place. see.
At Rugeley's Mill, Gates posted the
Maryland brigades, the Delaware reg
iment, the cannon, the cavalry, the
baggage and the militia on the north
side Of Granny's Quarter creek. Col
onel Armstrong; corps and Colonel
Porterfield's command were posted on
the south side, on the road leading to
Camden.
On the fourteenth, seven hundred
Virginia militia under Gen. Stevens
joined Gates at Rugeley's. On the fif-
teenth CORVALLIS issued orders for
the troops to be ready to march at
la moments warning. In the afternoon
of the same day, Col. Tarleton was
sent out for the purpose Of gaining In
telligence respecting the American
army. About ten miles from Camden.
on the road to Rugeley's Mill, three
American soldiers were captured.
From these Tarleton secured all the
information he desired. From them
he learned that General Gates intend
ed setting out for Camden that night.
Tarleton hastened back to Camden
with his prisoners. CORVALLIS exam
ined them carefully, and was con-
vinced that Gates contemplated max
ing an attack upon him as soon as he
reached his camp. Orders were given
at once for the troops to parade. At
10 o'clock the march to meet Gates
commenced. Major Macarthur, with
small force was left In charge Of
the town. The British army set out
from Camden In the following order.
The first division was commanded by
\ Lieutenant Colonel Webster. His ad-
vance guard was composed OF his
own cavalry and some mounted in
| fantry, supported by four companies
of light infantry and the twenty
third and thirty-third regiments OF
regulars. The centre was command
ed by Lord Rawdon. This force
was composed of Hamilton and
Bryan's corps of loyalists and
some volunteers from Ireland. The
seventy-first regiment formed the re-
serve Each division had four pieces
of artillery and the reserve two. The
army of the British was arranged with
the expectation that at some place on
the march from Camden to Rugeleys
Mill, the American army would be
met.
On the fifteenth, General Gates is
sued an order. that the sick, extra mil
itary stores, the heavy baggage and
such quartermaster stores as were not
Immediately wanted, be sent under a
guard to Waxhaw. This was another
blunder In General Gates. By this
move, in the event a retreat would be
necessary, he had no place to fall back
upon. Had this, however, been the
only blunder, 1t would not have
| amounted to much. The order was
made for the troops TO march precise
| ly at 10 o'clock-the very time that
| the British were to march.
| CORVALLIS must have gained very
correct and accurate account Of Gen.
Gates intentions. Midway between
Camden and Rugeley's Mill, is Saun-
ders creek. On the north side Of this
creek Is a favorable position to engage
In battle. The keen eye Of Tarleton
had not failed to discover this spot.
| Cornwallis was anxious to gain this
place and he succeeded In doing so.
Precisely at 10 o'clock on the even
ing of the fifteenth Of August, 1880,
the American forces commenced their
| march toward Camden in the follow
| ing order: Armand's corps, COM
manded by Col. Armand, formed the
| advance. This was an awful blunder
| in Gen. Gates. Col. Armand was
| Frenchman and most Of his officers
were foreigners and worse than all
the majority Of his men were deser-
ters and by no means to be depended
upon in an emergency. However,
brave, Col. Armand may have been,
he could not In the strict sense of the
word have been called patriotic.
Notwithstanding these facts, Gates
put Armand's corps Of deserters in the
advance. On the right Of Armand's
corps, Col. Porterfield's light infantry
were ordered to march, In Indian file
two hundred yards from the road
Col. Armstrong; light infantry were
to march on the left Of Armands
corps, in the same order as that point
ed out to Col Porterfield. The centre
was composed of the first and second
Maryland brigades, together with the
North Carolina and Virginia divisions
The volunteers formed the rear guard
and the baggage was guarded by the
cavalry. The most profound silence
was to be kept during the march and
any soldier firing a gun was to be put
to death on the spot.
At midnight the British troops
crossed Saunders creek. A few min