obably March the 1st), who informs me,
that, on the night of the 24th, Colonel M'Call surprised a subaltern's
guard at Hart's Mill, killed eight, and wounded and took nine prisoners,
and that on the 25th, General Pickens and Lieutenant Colonel Lee routed
a body of near three hundred tories, on the Haw river, who were in arms
to join the British army, killed upwards of one hundred, and wounded
most of the rest; which had a very happy effect on the disaffected in
that country.

By a letter from Major Magill, an officer of this State, whom I had sent
to General Greene's head-quarters, for the purpose of giving us regular
intelligence, dated Guilford County, March 2nd, I am informed that
Lord Cornwallis, on his retreat, erected the British standard at
Hillsborough; that numbers of disaffected, under the command of Colonel
Piles, were resorting to it, when they were intercepted by General
Pickens and Lieutenant Colonel Lee, as mentioned by General Greene; and
that their commanding officer was among the slain: that Lord Cornwallis,
after destroying every thing he could, moved down the Haw river from
Hillsborough: that General Greene was within six miles of him: that our
superiority in the goodness, though not in the number of our cavalry,
prevented the enemy from moving with rapidity, or foraging. Having been
particular in desiring Major Magill to inform me what corps of militia,
from this State, joined General Greene, he accordingly mentioned, that
seven hundred under General Stevens, and four hundred from Botetourt,
had actually joined him; that Colonel Campbell was to join, him that
day with six hundred, and that Colonel Lynch, with three hundred from
Bedford, was shortly expected: the last three numbers being riflemen.
Besides these mentioned by Major Magill, General Lawson must, before
this, have crossed Roanoke with a body of militia, the number of which
has not been stated to me. Report makes them a thousand, but I suppose
the number to be exaggerated. Four hundred of our new levies left
Chesterfield Court House on the 25th of February, and probably would
cross the Roanoke about the 1st or 2nd of March.

I was honored with your Excellency's letter of February the 21st, within
seven days after its date. We have, accordingly, been making every
preparation on our part, which we are able to make. The militia proposed
to co-operate, will be upwards of four thousand from this State, and
one thousand or twelve hundred from C