The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-04-11
BUFORD'S DEFEAT BY
COLONEL TARLETON.
CONTINUED from page 2.)

rected with the Seventeenth dragons
and part of the legion, to charge the
centre of the Americans while Lieut..
Colonel Tarleton, with thirty chosen
horse and some infantry, assaulted
their right flank and reserves Such
was the order of the battle observed
by two of the commanders as stated
by Colonel Tarleton.
The British commander had rush
ed his detachment forward with great
rapidity, having marched los miles
IN 54 hours. Many OF the horses had
broken down or become so tired that
their progress was slow. These with
| the three-pounder which was still be-
| hind when the plan of battle was ar
ranged, were ordered to take position
when they arrived, on small emf
nence which commands the road. This
was designed as a rallying point in
case of repulse, which Tarleton seems
! to nave apprenenQeQ.
| These two forces were within 800
yards of each other. when the ar
rangement of battle was made by the
British, yet the Americans did not
| fire a gun. AS soon as the British
commander got his forces put in po-
sition he, moved forward to the
attack. When at the distance of so
yards from the American front, the
Continental troops prepared to fire,
but were commanded by their officers
to reserve their fire until the British
were within ten PAGES. When this
distance was reached, the Americans
fired, but with scarcely any effect.
The British closed in on the command
of Buford and in few moments the
affair ended.
The Americans had more men than
the British, and they were we'll pro-
vided with arms and ammunition, but
they failed to use them to any ad-
vantage. The whole British loss in
the battle was five killed and fourteen
wound. The loss of the Americans
was terribly great. The killed were
the wounded and unable to be
moved, $50; and the prisoners, SO. In
all BIG. Tarleton captured three
stands of colors, two brass six-pound-
ers, two royals, two wagons with am
munition, one artillery forge cart, 55
barrels of powder, 26 wagons
loaded with new clothing, arms, mus
ket cartridges, new cartridge boxes,
fints and camp equipage.
The reader is, no doubt, ready to
say this was strange battle, and so
it was Colonel Buford seems to have
made many egregious blunders. If he
had opened his artillery on Tarleton
when he was forming his men for ac-
ton, the result would have been far
different. Many of those in the COM
mand of Colonel Buford were citizens
of the counties of York, Chester and
Lancaster, who had gone down to as
sist in the defense of Charleston. For
safety, they joined the command Of
Buford, and while returning home
many were cut to pieces.
We are a loss to know which to
censure most, Colonel Buford for his
mismanagement, or Colonel Tarleton
for his cruelty. 1t is admitted by the
Americans that some of them laid
down their arms, while others kept
up an Intellectual fire. 1t was declar-
ed, while the slaughter was going on,
that Tarleton was killed. This in
censed the British, and they hewed
the Americans to pieces without
mercy.
On the morning of the 30th, those
of the Americans who were so badly
wounded that they ''were not able to
travel, were," Colonel Tarleton says,
"paroled and placed at the neighbor-
ing plantations, and in meeting
house not far distant from the battle
field" The wounded from Chester
county were in few days removed
to their homes. On the way home,
however, a number of the wounded
became so weak that they were de-
posted in Waxhaw Presbyterian
church and here some died and were
buried in the graveyard.
The meeting house not far distant
from the battlefield, in which Colonel
Tarleton placed some of the wound
ed, was an Associate church within,
perhaps, 400 yards of the battlefield.
The probability is that the spring
used until lately by Mr.. S. E. Usher,
was the meeting house spring. This
meeting house was also called Wax
haw, and so was the whole country
from a short distance north of Cam
don The meeting house not far dis