is flattering moment, the veteran regiment
of Gunby, the 1st Maryland, fired contrary to orders; while Capt.
Armstrong, with two sections, was moving ahead upon the enemy. Gunby,
being anxious to lead his regiment into battle thoroughly compacted,
ordered Armstrong back, instead of making him the point of view in
forming. Retrograde being the consequence of this order, the British
shouted and pressed forward, and the regiment of Gunby, considered the
bulwark of the army, never recovered from its panic. Williams, Gunby,
and Howard, all strove in vain to bring it to order. The Virginia
brigade and second Maryland regiment maintained the contest bravely; but
the 2d Maryland, feeling the effect of the retreat of the 1st, became
somewhat deranged, and its commander, Lieut. Col. Ford, being wounded
in repressing it, this corps also fell back. Rawdon's right having now
gained the summit, and flanking Hawes, Gen. Greene ordered a retreat,
which was covered by Hawes. Col. Washington having gained his point of
attack, and taken two hundred prisoners, was confident of victory;
but seeing the retreat, he paroled the officers on the field, and
relinquished all the prisoners but fifty. These he brought off, and made
good his retreat, with the loss of only three men. Greene's field pieces
were now likely to fall into the hands of the enemy, and seeing Capt.
John Smith,** with his company of picked light infantry, marching off
the field in good order, he rode up and called to him, "Smith, my brave
fellow, save the field pieces." He immediately fell in the rear, and
executed his orders, with the loss of his whole company. All were killed
but one man and Smith, and they were made prisoners. Gen. Greene rallied
his army at the pass of Sanders' creek, six miles from Camden, and soon
after occupied the position Gates had intended to take, at Gum swamp.
The British lost between sixty and seventy, and Greene two hundred men.
This affair shows upon how small an incident the fate of war generally
depends.

* This is partly extracted from Lee's Memoirs.

** Capt. Smith, afterwards well known in this state as Col.
John Smith, of Darlington, surrendered himself prisoner to a
lieutenant of the British; and after he had delivered his
sword, was struck by the lieutenant with the broad side of
it. At the battle of Guilford, Smith had killed Col.
Stewart, of the British guards, in a single rencounter; and
hi