ed to
four thousand five hundred, of whom one-half were regular; and of these,
fifteen hundred were veterans; he was still inferior to his lordship in
numbers, by one-third, and very deficient in cavalry. Cornwallis,
leaving the picturesque hills of Richmond on the 20th of June, 1781,
reached Williamsburg on the twenty-fifth. La Fayette followed, and
passing Richmond arrived at New Kent Court-house on the day after the
British general had left it. La Fayette took up a position on Tyre's
plantation, twenty miles from Williamsburg. Cornwallis having detached
Simcoe to destroy some boats and stores on the Chickahominy, he
performed the service with his accustomed promptness. La Fayette
discovering Simcoe's movement, detached Colonel Butler, of the
Pennsylvania line, in quest of him. Butler's van consisted of the rifle
corps under Majors Call and Willis and the cavalry; the whole
detachment, not exceeding one hundred and twenty effectives, was led by
Major McPherson, of Pennsylvania. Having mounted some infantry behind
the remnant of Armand's dragoons, he overtook Simcoe, on his return,
near Spencer's plantation, about six miles above Williamsburg, at the
forks of the roads leading to that place and to Jamestown. The ground
there, in Simcoe's phrase, was "admirably adapted to the chicanery of
action." The suddenness of McPherson's attack threw the yagers into
confusion, but they were firmly supported by the Queen's Rangers, to
whom the alarm was given by trumpeter Barney, exclaiming: "Draw your
swords, Rangers; the rebels are coming!" Barney himself captured a
French officer. Call and Willis having now joined McPherson, a warm
conflict ensued; and Simcoe found occasion for all his resources. The
advanced party of Butler's corps was repulsed, and fell back in
confusion upon the continentals, and Simcoe, satisfied with this
advantage, retired. Both parties claimed the advantage in this
rencontre, the loss of the British being eleven killed and twenty-six
wounded; that of the Americans was not reported, except that three
officers and twenty-eight privates were made prisoners; the number of
their killed and wounded probably exceeded that of the British.[736:A]
Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe considered this action as "the climax of a
campaign of five years." Major McPherson was unhorsed, but crept into a
swamp, and so escaped. Simcoe, after retreating two miles toward
Williamsburg, met Cornwallis with the advance of his army coming to