soldiers and his prisoners, the captured artillery, muskets, and ammunition. Proceeding by easy marches of ten miles a day, on the twenty-third he crossed the Catawba at Sherrald's ford. Taking for his troops a week's rest in his camp north of the river, he sent forward his prisoners to Salisbury, under the guard of Virginia militia whose time of service had just expired. They were soon beyond the Yadkin on their way to Virginia.

The fame of the great victory at the Cowpens spread in every direction. Greene announced it in general orders, and his army saluted the victors as "the finest fellows on earth, more worthy than ever of love." Rutledge of South Carolina repeated their praises, and rewarded Pickens with a commission as brigadier. Davidson of North Carolina wrote that the victory "gladdened every countenance, and paved the way for the salvation of the country." The state of Virginia voted to Morgan a horse and a sword in testimony of "the highest esteem of his country for his military character and abilities so gloriously displayed." The United States in congress placed among their records "the most lively sense of approbation of the conduct of Morgan and the men and officers under his command." To him they voted a gold medal, to Howard and William Washington medals of silver, and swords to Pickens and Triplet.

Cornwallis had entreated Tarleton to make haste and attack the light troops of Morgan, but had neglected measures to support him. In the condition of affairs he had no good part to take but to remain in South Carolina and recover the mastery there if he could; but all his proud hopes rested on a successful campaign in Virginia. The day after the battle he wrote to Sir Henry Clinton: "Nothing but the most absolute necessity shall induce me to give up the important object of the winter's campaign. Defensive measures would be certain ruin to the affairs of Britain in the southern colonies." On his own responsibility and against the opinion of his superior officer, he persisted in his plan of striking at the heart of North Carolina, establishing there a royal government, and pressing forward to a junction with the British troops on the Chesapeake.

Leaving Lord Rawdon with a considerable body of troops to defend South Carolina, Cornwallis, with the reinforcement which Leslie had brought him, began his long march, which he meant should have been a hot pursuit of Morgan, by avoiding the lower roads, there being so few fords in the great rivers below their forks. On the twenty-fifth he collected his army at Ramsower's mill, on the south fork of the Catawba. Impatient of being encumbered and delayed there, he resolved to give up his communications with South Carolina and to turn his army into light troops. The measure, if not in every respect absurd, was adopted too late. Two days he devoted to destroying baggage and all wagons except those laden with hospital stores, salt, and ammunition, and four reserved for the sick and wounded, thus depriving his soldiers even of a regular supply of provisions. Then, by forced marches through floods of rain, he approached the river, which, having risen too high to be forded, stopped his march till its waters should subside.

Morgan from the first had divined the policy of Cornwallis, and, on the twenty-fifth of January, had written to Greene advising a junction of their forces. On the morning of the thirtieth of January, Greene arrived at Morgan's encampment, attended only by a few dragoons. He readily adopted his advice, and on that very day gave orders to the army on the Pedee to prepare to form a junction at Guilford court-house with those under Morgan, with whom he remained.

On the first day of February, Cornwallis, with a part of his army, passed the Catawba at Macgowan's ford. The dark stream was near five hundred yards wide, with a rocky bottom and a strong current, and was perseveringly disputed by General Davidson of North Carolina with three hundred militia, till in resisting the landing a volley of musketry was aimed at him with deadly effect. In him fell one of the bravest and best of those who gave their lives for the independence of their country. Forty of the British light infantry and grenadiers were killed or wounded; the horse which Cornwallis rode was struck while in the stream, but reached the shore before falling. The other division passed the Catawba at Beattie's ford, and the united army encamped about five miles from the river on the road to Salisbury.

On the second and third of February the American light infantry, continuing their march, with the British at their heels, crossed the Yadkin at the Trading ford, partly on flats, during the latter part of the time in a heavy rain. The river, after the Americans were safe beyond it and Morgan had secured all water craft on its south side, rose too high to be forded. The Americans looked upon Providence as their ally.

Cornwallis was forced to lose two days in ascending the Yadkin to the so-called Shallow ford, where he crossed on the seventh, and on the night of the ninth encamped near the Moravian settlement of Salem. There, near the edge of the wilderness, in a genial clime and on a bountiful soil, hospitable emigrants, bound by their faith never to take up arms, had chosen their abodes; and for their sole defence had raised the symbol of the triumphant Lamb. Among them equality, reigned. No one, then or thereafter, was held in bondage. There were no poor, and none marked from others by their apparel or their dwellings. Everywhere appeared simplicity and neatness. The elders watched over the members of the congregation, and incurable wrong-doers were punished by expulsion. After their hours of toil came the hour for prayer, exhortations, and the singing of psalms and hymns. Under their well-directed labor the wilderness blossomed like the

rose.

On the same day, at the distance of five-and-twenty miles from Cornwallis, the two divisions of the American army effected their junction at Guilford court-house. Then General Morgan, emaciated and crippled by combined attacks of fever and rheumatism, took a leave of absence. Never again during the war was he able to resume a command. Wherever he appeared he had heralded the way to daring action, and almost always to success. In 1774, when he was at the mouth of the river Hockhocking on the return from a victorious Indian campaign, he and other triumphant Virginians, hearing that New England was preparing to resist in arms encroachments on their liberty, pledged their support to the people of Boston. In the early summer of 1775 he raised a company of ninety-six riflemen, and in twenty-one days, without the loss of one of them, marched them from West Virginia

to Boston. He commanded the van in the struggle through the wilderness to Canada. Thrice he led a forlorn hope before Quebec. To him belongs the chief glory of the first great engagement with Burgoyne's army, and he shared in all that followed till the surrender; and now he had won at the Cowpens the most astonishing victory of the war. He took with him into retirement the praises of all the army and of the chief civil representatives of the country.

CHAPTER III.

THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN OF GREENE.

FEBRUARY-SEPTEMBER 1781.

MORGAN'S success lighted the fire of emulation in the breast of Greene, and he was "loth it should stand alone." To one of his subordinate officers on the Pedee he wrote: "Here is a fine field and great glory ahead." On the day of his meeting Morgan he wrote to "the famous Colonel William Campbell" to "bring without loss of time a thousand good volunteers from over the mountains." A like letter was addressed to Shelby, though without effect. To the officers commanding in the counties of Wilkes and Surry, Greene said: "If you repair to arms, Lord Cornwallis must be inevitably ruined." He called upon Sumter, as soon as his recovery should permit, to take the field at the head of the South Carolina militia; he gave orders to General Pickens to raise troops in the district of Augusta and Ninety-Six, and hang on the rear of the enemy; and he sought out powerful horses and skilful riders to strengthen the cavalry of William Washington.

The two divisions of the American army, after effecting their junction at Guilford court-house, were still too weak to offer battle. Edward Carrington of Virginia, the wise selection of Greene for his quartermaster, advised to cross the Dan at the ferries of Irwin and Boyd, which were seventy miles distant from Guilford court-house and twenty miles below Dix's ferry, and where he knew that boats could be collected. The advice was adopted. Greene placed under Otho Williams the flower of his troops as a light corps, which on the morning of the tenth sallied forth to watch Cornwallis, to pre