REVOLT IN THE ARMY.

415

The hardships of the troops, during the winter of 1780-'81, were equally formidable with those of the former year; and the integrity of the army was again compromised by several instances of revolt. On the night of January 1, thirteen hundred of the Pennsylvania line stationed at Morristown seized their arms and marched towards Philadelphia, to demand redress from Congress. In attempting to quell this movement, one officer was killed and several wounded. General Wayne rode among them with a pistol in each hand; but he was told that if he fired he would be "a dead man." Electing temporary officers, they marched to Princeton in good order, with their arms and six field-pieces. Here they were met by a deputation from Congress, who finally effected a compromise. Hearing of the defection, Clinton had hurried over emissaries to induce them to join the British these were seized, delivered to General Wayne, and subsequently executed. A similar revolt by a part of the Jersey line was suppressed by the prompt execution of a few of the ringleaders.

As these revolts served to disclose to the nation the suffering condition of her soldiers, the amount of three months' pay was raised by subscription and forwarded to them. This sum was joyfully received as an evidence of the share they still had in the sympathies and affections of their countrymen.

HE campaign of 1781 was one of the most active of the Revolutionary war, and decided the contest in favour of the Americans. Although commencing with little prospect of such success, yet by a series of unforeseen events, it enabled the American commander to capture a large army, led by an able general, and so to weaken

the forces of the enemy as to render all their subsequent efforts entirely nugatory.

Immediately after the battle of Camden, Gates had appointed Morgan to the command of the light troops in the South. Greene retained him in this command, increasing his numbers to three hundred infantry under Colonel Howard, one hundred and seventy-five Virginia riflemen, and seventy of Colonel Washington's light dragoons. With this force Morgan posted himself west of the Wateree. At the same time Marion was watching the Tories, near Charleston, Georgetown, and other posts. On the 27th of December, 1780, Morgan detached Colonel Washington with his dragoons and about two hundred militia to the neighbourhood of Ninety-Six, where, surprising a body of Tories, he killed one hundred and fifty of their number, and captured forty, with a large number of horses. Soon after Morgan was joined by two hundred and sixty militia, under Colonel Pickens and Major McDowell.

Immediately after having been joined by General Leslie, Lord. Cornwallis determined to drive Morgan from his post on the Wateree, and dispirit the inhabitants who were rising to join him. Tarleton was selected for this service, having nearly eleven hundred efficient royal troops and two field-pieces. After a rapid pursuit, during part of which Morgan retreated before him, the British officer came up

with the Americans stationed in battle array at the Cowpens, about three miles from the division line between North and South Carolina. The militia were in front, and so arranged that if forced to retire, they could re-form in rear of Colonel Washington's mounted men, and charge their pursuers with the bayonet. A little before daybreak of January 17, Tarleton appeared in sight, and without affording his exhausted troops time to rest, ordered the attack. They rushed on with loud shouts, pouring in a heavy fire of musketry. The militia fell back; the British pursued on to the second line, which also fell back. But at this critical moment, Colonel Howard, observing the enemy's confusion, charged their whole column with his regulars. Nearly at the same moment Colonel Pickens succeeded in rallying the militia, with whom he warmly seconded Howard's movement. Simultaneously with these operations, Washington dashed among them with his cavalry. The whole command of the enemy were utterly routed; on being promised quarter by Colonel Howard, several hundred threw down their arms without offering resistance. A detachment left to guard the baggage was the only part of the infantry that escaped. Washington pursued Tarleton twenty miles, and was once so near that he gave him a slight wound in the hand.

MORGAN'S RETREAT.

419 The British lost ten commissioned officers and one hundred privates killed; twenty-nine officers and two hundred privates wounded, and five hundred prisoners. The Americans had twelve men killed, and sixty wounded. Upwards of eight hundred stand of arms, one hundred dragoon horses, thirty-five baggage wagons, and two standards, were among the trophies of victory. The Cowpens was to Cornwallis what Bennington was to Burgoyne.

The news of this event astounded Cornwallis; but with that energetic promptitude for which he was so remarkable, he resolved to pursue Morgan so rapidly as to prevent his contemplated junction with Greene; and thus attacking him with a vastly superior force, while encumbered with his prisoners, he hoped to cut him off completely, and neutralize the evil consequences of Tarleton's defeat. Destroying nearly all his baggage, and retaining only a sufficient number of wagons to carry his wounded, he set out [January 19, 1781] on his famous pursuit. But his vigilant antagonist, after sending the prisoners to Charlotteville, hurried on to the Catawba, which he succeeded in crossing [January 28] two hours before Cornwallis reached the opposite side. A heavy rain succeeded, which so swelled the waters of the river, that the British troops were detained two days, during which the prisoners had been advanced so far as to be out of reach. Morgan called out the neighbouring militia, and prepared to defend the passage of the river; but on the 31st, General Greene suddenly appeared in camp, having ridden one hundred and fifty miles to join Morgan, and hasten the detachment to Hick's Creek, where he had left the main army under General Williams. After an ineffectual attempt to resist the passage of the river, Greene marched toward the Yadkin, pursued so closely by Cornwallis, that the rear of one army was sometimes in sight of the other's van. The American general, however, succeeded in crossing safely, and joined the main army at Guilford Court-House, while another sudden rise of water prevented Cornwallis from following. But, instead of giving up the pursuit, he determined to keep in the upper country, intercept the retreat of the Americans over the Dan river into Virginia, and thus force them to a battle under great disadvantages. Greene's policy was to get into Virginia. In order to accomplish this, by checking Cornwallis, he sent seven hundred of his best troops, under Colonel Williams, who so harassed the pursuers as to compel them to march as compactly as possible during the whole route. On one occasion, Lieutenant-Colonel Lee made a furious charge upon their