al officers and men, escaped by swimming the river,
but many perished in the like attempt.* Thus the American corps of
cavalry and infantry, in the open field, was completely annihilated, and
from the Saltketcher to the Santee, a distance of one hundred and twenty
miles, either terror or a general depression of spirits, had spread
through the country. What served to increase this, was the cannonade
at the town. This was a novel thing in South Carolina, and along water
courses, it was heard more than one hundred miles. In that distance,
there were but few families, who had not a husband, father, brother or
son in the garrison; and these listened to the sound, with the deepest
anxiety, and, as was natural, with no little despondency.

* Two boys, Francis G. Deliesseline and Samuel Dupre, had
the boldness to undertake, and did recover fourteen of
White's cavalry horses from the British, and delivered them
to Major Jamieson in Georgetown, refusing a reward he
offered.

As soon as the town had surrendered, Lord Cornwallis, with 2500 men, and
five field pieces, marched from St. Thomas' to Nelson's ferry. Thence
he detached Tarleton, with 700 infantry and cavalry, in quest of Gen.
Caswell and Col. Buford, who had been approaching to the relief of
Charleston, with about 700 militia, and between 3 and 400 continentals.
At Camden, Caswell, with the militia, quitted Buford, who then commanded
the continentals, and retreated by the way of Pedee. Buford's regiment
was soon after placed under the command of Gen. Huger, as an escort to
Gov. Rutledge, then at Camden; and was detained, with a fatal security,
by the general, for two days in that place. And so much off their guard,
were our rulers themselves, that Gov. Rutledge, and his council, were
soon after hospitably entertained, at Clermont, by Col. Rugely, an
Englishman, professedly opposed to the American cause. At midnight,
he woke them up, advised them of Tarleton's approach, and with some
difficulty, persuaded them to escape; at daylight, Tarleton arrived at
Clermont. That morning, Huger gave up the command again to Buford,
and took the Charlotte road, with the governor and his two remaining
council, Daniel Huger and John L. Gervais. Buford proceeded on rapidly,
upon the Salisbury road, and from circumstances, his baggage waggons
must have been sent on before he took the command again, that morning;
otherwise, in making the very quick march he did,