ounted on the captured horses and guarded by dragoons under Captain
William Polk, at dark commenced their retreat. On Beaver Creek, about
midnight, they were attacked by the enemy in ambuscade, concealed
under the fence in a field of standing corn. The rear guard had
entered the lane when Captain Petit, the officer in advance, hailed
the British in their place of concealment. A second challenge was
answered by a volley of musketry from the enemy, which commenced on
the right, and passed by a running fire to the rear of the detachment.
Major Davie rode rapidly forward and ordered the men to push through
the lane; but, under surprise, his troops turned back, and upon the
loaded arms of the enemy. He was thus compelled to repass the
ambuscade under a heavy fire, and overtook his men retreating by the
same road they had advanced. The detachment was finally rallied and
halted upon a hill, but so discomfited at this unexpected attack that
no effort could induce them to charge upon the enemy.

A judicious retreat was the only course left to avoid a similar
disaster, which was effected; and Major Davie, having passed the
enemy's patrols, regained his camp early on the next day without
further accident. In this attack, the fire of the enemy fell chiefly
upon those in the lane, who were prisoners (confined two on a horse
with the guard). These were nearly all killed, or severely wounded. Of
the Whigs, Lieutenant Elliott was killed, and Captain Petit, who had
been sent in advance by Major Davie to examine the lane, the ford of
the creek and the houses, and failing to do so, as carefully as was
proper, paid the penalty of neglect of duty by being wounded with two
of his men. Major Davie, who was noted for his vigilance, anticipated
some attempt by the British and Tories to recover the prisoners, and
had taken, as he believed, all necessary precautions to prevent a
surprise or ambuscade.

Major Davie, in a manuscript account of this affair, now on file in
the archives of the Historical Society at Chapel Hill, leaves this
judicious advice:

"It furnishes a lesson to officers of partisan corps, that
every officer of a detachment may, at some time, have its
safety and reputation committed to him, and that the
slightest neglect of duty is generally severely punished by
an enemy."

Rocky Mount is on the west bank of the Wateree River (as the Catawba
is called after its junction with Wateree Creek), thirty mi