m 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 ^- 
 
 1.0 
 
 1.1 
 
 I^|2j8 |2.5 
 
 ^ Ui2 |Z2 
 
 11^ HIU 
 
 11 
 
 1 1.6 
 
 I^olDgFaphic 
 
 Sdeices 
 
 Corparation 
 
 33 WIST f MM STRHT 
 W'XlV&L.H.'i. 145i0 
 
 (:u)«7a-4503 
 
^1 
 
 CIHM/ICMH 
 
 Microfiche 
 
 Series. 
 
 CIHM/ICMH 
 Collection de 
 microfiches. 
 
 Canadian institute for Historical IMicroroproductions / institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 
 
Technical and Bibliographic Notas/Notas tachniquas at bibliographiquaa 
 
 Tha Instituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat 
 original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia 
 copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, 
 which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha 
 raproduction, or which may aignificantly changa 
 tha uauai mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. 
 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 Colourad covara/ 
 Couvartura da coulaur 
 
 I I Covars damagad/ 
 
 Couvartura andommagte 
 
 Covars rastorad and/or laminatad/ 
 Couvartura rastaurte at/ou pallicul6e 
 
 I I Covar titia missing/ 
 
 La titra da couvartura manque 
 
 I I Coloured maps/ 
 
 Cartes gAographiques en couleur 
 
 □ Coloured inic (i.e. other 2han blue or black)/ 
 Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) 
 
 I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ 
 
 Planches et/ou illastrations an couleur 
 
 Bound with other material/ 
 RaiiA avec d'autres documents 
 
 Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion 
 along interior margin/ 
 
 La re liure serrie peut causer de I'ombra ou da la 
 distortion la long de la marge intdrieure 
 
 Blank leaves added during restoration may 
 appear within the text. Whenever possible, these 
 have been omitted from filming/ 
 11 se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouttes 
 lors d'una restauration apparaiasant dans la taxte, 
 mais, lorsque cela itait possible, ces pagaa n'ont 
 pas 6tA fiimtas. 
 
 Additional comments:/ 
 Commentaires suppldmentaires; 
 
 L'institut a microfiimA la mailleur exemplvira 
 qu'il lui a At A possible de so procurer. Les details 
 da cat exemplaira qui sent paut-Atra uniquaa du 
 point da vua bibliographiqua, qui pauvant modifier 
 une image raproduita, ou qui pauvent axigar una 
 modification dans la mAthoda normala de filmage 
 sont indiquAs ci-dessous. 
 
 r~1 Coloured pages/ 
 
 n 
 
 Pages de couleur 
 
 Pages damaged/ 
 Pages endommagAas 
 
 Pages restored and/oi 
 
 Pages restaurAas at/ou pelliculAes 
 
 Pages discoloured, stained or foxei 
 Pages dAcolorAes, tachatAes ou piquAes 
 
 I I Pages damaged/ 
 
 I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ 
 
 r~7] Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ 
 
 □ Pages detached/ 
 Pages dAtachAes 
 
 HShowthrough/ 
 Transparence 
 
 Transparence 
 
 Quality of print varies/ 
 QualitA inAgale de I'lmpression 
 
 Includes supplementary material/ 
 Comprend du material supplAmantaira 
 
 Only edition available/ 
 Seule Edition disponible 
 
 Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata 
 slips, tissues, etc., have been ref limed to 
 ensure the best possible image/ 
 Les pages totalament ou partiallement 
 obscurcies par un fauillet d'arrata, une pelure, 
 etc., ont M filmAes A ncuveau de tapon A 
 obtenir la meilleure image poaaible. 
 
 This item is filmed at tha reduction ratio chackad below/ 
 
 Ce document est f ilmA au taux da reduction indiquA ci-daasous. 
 
 10X 14X 18X 22X 
 
 26X 
 
 30X 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 12X 
 
 1«X 
 
 20X 
 
 24X 
 
 28X 
 
 32X 
 
The copy filmod hara hM b««n raproducod thanks 
 to tha ganaroslty of: 
 
 Library of tha Public 
 Archives of Canada 
 
 L'axamplaira f ilmA fut raproduit grAca k la 
 g4n*roaitA da: 
 
 iM bibiiothAque das Archivas 
 publiquas du Canada 
 
 Tha imagas appearing hara ara tha baat quality 
 poasibia conaidaring tha condition and lagibility 
 of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha 
 filming contract spacificationa. 
 
 Las imagas suivantas ont 4ti raproduitas nvac la 
 plus grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at 
 da la nattat6 da l'axamplaira film*, at an 
 conformity avac las conditions du contrat da 
 filmaga. 
 
 Original copias in printad papar covara ara fllmad 
 beginning with tha front covar and ending on 
 tha last page with a printad or illustrated impres- 
 sion, or the beck cover when eppropriate. All 
 other originel copiea are filmed beginning on the 
 first psge with e printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, and ending on the last page with a printed 
 or illustrated impression. 
 
 The last recorded freme on eech microfiche 
 shell contein the symbol —»-( meaning "CON- 
 TINUED"), or tha symooi Y (meening "END"), 
 whichever .pplies. 
 
 Maps, plates, cherts, etc., mey be filmed at 
 different reduction retios. Those too large to be 
 entirely included in one exposure are filmed 
 beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to 
 right and top to bottom, as many frames as 
 required. The following diegrams illuatrata the 
 method: 
 
 Les exemplaires origineux dont ie couvertur^ en 
 pepier eet imprimte sent filmte en commenpant 
 par la premier plat at ah terminant soit par la 
 darnlAre page qui comporta une empreinte 
 d'impreasion ou d'illustration. soit par la second 
 plat, salon Ie cas. Tous les autres exemplaires 
 origineux sent filmte en commengant par la 
 pramlAre page qui comporta une empreinte 
 d'impreasion ou d'illustration at en terminant par 
 la darniftre page qui comporte une telle 
 empreinte. 
 
 Un dee aymbolas suivants apparaltra sur la 
 darnlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon Ie 
 cas: Ie symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE ". Ie 
 symbole ▼ signifie "FIN ". 
 
 Les csrtes, pisnches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre 
 filmte A das taux da reduction diff Arents. 
 Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour Atre 
 reproduit en un seul clichA, 11 est filmA A partir 
 de i'angle supArieur geuche, de geuche A droite, 
 et de haut en bas, en prenant la nombre 
 d'imeges nAcessaire. Les diagrammas suivants 
 illustrent la mAthoda. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
0" 
 
 I' ttk 
 
 r •■'^ 
 
A V 
 
 ADDRESS TO THE ARMY; 
 
 IN REPLY TO 
 
 I 
 
 STRICTURES, 
 
 BY 
 
 ) 
 
 RODERICK M'KENZIE, 
 
 (lax? lieutenant in the 71ST regiment) 
 
 en 
 
 TARLETON'S HISTORY 
 
 Of 
 
 THE CAMPAIGNS Of I780 AND 1781, 
 
 i^^ H ii^ .H^ — j ■■ m>w " ' 
 
 y 
 
 BY THE HON, GEORGE HANGER., 
 
 IVfajor to the Cavalry pf the Britifh Legion, Commended by 
 Lieut. Col. Tarleton, and Captain in the Heifian Ja^ Corps. 
 
 c » i> I 
 
 .^....i..,.....l ... I .> 
 
 ti ,< 
 
 
 L O N D O N: 
 
 fljt^NTBK ^OR JAMES RIDGWAT, rORKOTRBIT^ *.*V^ 
 |AMBS'S>SQUARI. 
 
 t^' 
 
 ; V 0^-1- 
 
 t ^ t^v^ 
 
. 
 
 31' 
 
 ! -.1 H-\J 
 
 I 
 
 ■/ *? "LT * ■> 
 
 /i. J2. yjL . 
 
 i 
 
 y ;i () T 
 
 r , - /-> 
 
 i- 
 
 ^i^s^^i a;::/. : j ;i.lo £:. 
 
 T./ • 
 
 "^■:.':!«?s='.-iB»; 
 
 
 d l.-hnsfnmO ,'• • ■■.■;€■■ -ad^ "-^ ') ^^i <r •' ' ' 
 
 " .1 "' r ■)■ 
 
 
 .'.■ 0!;: 
 
 ■■,3.1-:.' 
 
\ 4. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 i,^ 
 
 TO THte ARMY, 
 
 ■'\ 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 
 TT is generally underftood, when a 
 dedication is not fatirically pre- 
 fixed to a book, that it has previouf- 
 ly obtained the approbation and pro-^ 
 te£tion of the pcrfon to whom it is 
 dedicated. Our Stridlurift prcfents 
 to the public his profound and ex^ 
 tenfive difquifitions and tad:ical ani-^ 
 madverfionsf, under the patronage of 
 * - a a a very 
 
I ' 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 £ iv ] • 
 
 a very fi)lendid, fenatorial, and mili^ 
 tary character ; and by the aid of 
 Co refpedlable a fanftion, would pj&r* 
 fuade his readers, that he is attack- 
 ing the perfonal veracity, and profef- 
 lional fame, of Lieutenant Colonel 
 Tarleton, under the aufpicies of fo 
 highly diftingui{hed and judicious a 
 patron as Lord Rawdon. — Herein the 
 Strifturift has ftiewn no little fagaci- 
 ty. At fetting out, therefore, I con- 
 fider it as l duty to the public, to 
 cxpofc fo finifter a purpofe. The 
 rank and weight of that nobleman, 
 whofe name is moft judicioufly 
 chofen by the Stidurift, if ufed with 
 authority, would be a juft and fe- 
 cure pafTport to his produdion. if 
 daringly and prefumptuouily ufurp- 
 , td^ will only operate to his difgrace. 
 
 In 
 
 
[ V ] 
 
 I 
 
 In the latter cafe, the infiduous ar-* 
 tifice, inftcad of foftering malevo- 
 lence under the wing of virtue, will 
 efFedually defeat its own intention. 
 It will baffle the views of the dedi- 
 cator ; and far from affording the 
 fandion of Lord Rawdon's name to 
 his work, will detra<Sb from the cre- 
 dit that might be due to hisown^ 
 I will not attempt to pafs any pane^ 
 gyric upon Lord Rawdon ; he is far 
 above my praife ; nor can his fame be 
 affeded by diredt or implied detrac- 
 tion, or by any furreptitious ufc or 
 abufe of his name. I take upon me 
 to charge the Stridurift with this 
 abufe. 
 
 'n It is- not my intent or defirc/ that 
 the world ftiould be informed whe- 
 ther Lord Rawdon does now ap- 
 prove 
 
 r 
 
 
I 
 
 L V' ] 
 
 frovc of the whole of his work, of 
 of any part of it, or of no part of it 5 
 'but whether it was written and 
 publidied under his fandion and au-» 
 fpecies, which I believe I may ven-* 
 ture to deny. 
 
 In effeA, the majority of the world 
 have been induced to believe, that the 
 Stridures were publifhed under the 
 faiidtioA of a character equally dif;^' 
 difiinguifhed in private life, in the 
 fenate^ and in the field. 
 
 To whatever imputation how* 
 ever any part of thefe Strictures may 
 be liable,, it muft at leaft be admit- 
 ted, that they are uniform and con- 
 fident from one end of them to the 
 other. One black and unvaried die, 
 •taints the whole produdion ; one 
 uninterrupted ftrain of rancour ixr 
 
 every 
 
tM 
 
 every page, continually revolt the 
 noble and generous mind. Yet the 
 meaneft perfon in the ftreets may, 
 equal with our Stridurift, be maAer 
 of abufe, although he has no better 
 argument than his iifts to juftify iti 
 The Stri Aiirift too, in fupport of the 
 grofs abufe which he has fubftituted 
 in the place of concluiions from rea<^ 
 fon, fads,* or argument, would, I 
 doubt not, (his abilities failing him^ 
 readily fly to his fword. But let me 
 intreat him to fpare my life ; my 
 language fhall be that of a gentle- 
 man, though my arguments may em-- 
 barafs both him, and the fadion 
 with whom he is united ; though I 
 may be obliged to affert and to 
 prove that his whole produdion is 
 vnfair, Unqandid, and unfupported 
 
> 
 
 ■t, viii J. . 
 
 by military knowledge ; and though 
 ' I may fliew, that while he prcfumes 
 to declare << That Ts^rleton's affcr- 
 '^ tions are abfurdities hitherto i^n* 
 " paralleled," he oppofes nothing 
 to thefe aifurcletieSf but vain at- 
 tempts ^t ridicule, vainer afTertions 
 of his own, and an endlefs ftring of 
 vague if/e dixit' %^ \ 
 
 I do not aim at literary fame, nor 
 have I attempted the language of 
 9, Tarleton, qr the borrowed one of 
 Roderick M*Kenziej my trifling 
 obfervations refult from a real af- 
 fedion for a man with whom I 
 am moft intimately connedtcd, and 
 who, by the author of the Stridures, 
 has been moft grofsly mifreprefente4 
 and afperfed. I am acquainted with 
 his abilities, his honor his, coyrag^, 
 
 and 
 
 
».^ 
 
 ■ft 
 
 ihd h{% real zeal for t!h(( eaufe Ih 
 ^vll^ch his country was ehga^cd. I 
 I^br thie jufticc of this philfc, I ft^ 
 ftt tb your own fcfttcnce^ when ybu 
 ftall have pcruftd tht StH6hire'sj and 
 the knfwcr to them. For the Aj^, 1 
 blalfii the ihdtiHgence wfiith is due t6 
 tht pen of^ a foHlcr } fairly and ho* 
 bcftly, yet warhily, engaged in the 
 ctinft of tHith aiid fticndfliip. 
 ■ 'Though 1 bltifti liot ofteher thaA 
 tty'neighboxirsf, yet I truftitwillbe 
 underftood that 1 fiibttiit thefe Hi- 
 toarki, with all becomiiij^^ Jhodefty^ 
 to ydtr, Gentlemen, to whom I have 
 the honor of addr^'fling myfelf; to i 
 tribunal who have already had op- 
 portunities of judging me; and be- 
 fore now have probably p^iTed de- 
 cifion J to whom I would willingly 
 
 b entruH 
 
i ■:•■ 
 
 1 » 
 
 H ! 
 
 en trull my life, mjr honor, and repu* 
 putation ; confcious, that although 
 there are rancorx^uslindivMuials m all 
 profcfliws^. yet, let me .be.tticfd hy 
 t;he vqictit cf the itmyi ^^^Y'W^ 
 phv^y€9nd^& thrwgh life, Wiub 
 .re(p<pfl: and rconfid^nce I willh^w to 
 tjhe fowrvxind aw^jirwiy. ^p^i^spce^^? . 
 ^. rMaie^dieqt critf ca aqd rtoqpfops 
 detraa^Mr of pij^^ic, an4 pf wrat^t hoj 
 japr> wiH mpft |ikdjr,f t|apk iB^^^^ 
 my produdion^ It will nat requjt|3^ 
 
 tfy, to torture and pervert my tc^e^ 
 
 i4g } Jbu^ fuph ferpei^fhea^edjfaPlk'^ 
 fters, I deibifc,, as muct as I honor 
 and < rcfpj^a you, . fientlenaen^v^;^ 
 whom I appeal. By ycmr jXfifg^^/p^j 
 and yours only, iKali | h« aflfeftcd i 
 judge me as you ^yould-wifli tprjje 
 
 

 •0 
 
 judged. AiiolcfieraddreffeS'you jEA ' 
 defence of all injuied friend ; under 
 ydur banners I ihli'ft,' and: feek for 
 ptotedioni ' Whtrfe l4i^*-^rred^ 
 >witb diafr*iitoiii^;F wffi 
 re«ea.-^^#^l»c^^4itwirjr^^^c^^ I 
 ftrr^ii^er iny lafagiiage aiid iny <yn* 
 tai#.' Aefeije IcDmixltttc^my tlioiights 
 t^tbi^4^{]ii^ Fw^ weHa^aie 1 
 h^ VHd^^Ma^tunc^ of wantiiig 
 
 i£(di(^a^%e« wkfcti I mijght have ob^ 
 «yya' ^cM^ a:^ iaadft libei^ educa- 
 
 £0t3 flkdl ffie# t0 die Strifturiftj 
 when he affo^d^ me occafic^n/ E^ei^y; 
 giii^!»!^&^tod unptg^ reader 
 
 woBld- willitigty overli^dk iHany er-^ 
 fonf and forgive inatcAir^iesi - BtJt 
 
 b 2 one 
 
. 
 
 
 world U too ealigbtened to bftrfft 
 
 HJTTT 
 
 
 ^ta 
 
 the 
 
 
M^&ta^jc ;if iK}t ^ native of N^tti 
 
 H^ mm w^^?^ ^ 
 
 9fsn^«ii^ih it i« aoti for ^s piif* 
 y^iiDpinipi]^ i^ adtcrfe to ^^tf ply,, at» 
 
 ^athrJtiii^: Uioug^s or ^teo^tion. . , 1% 
 i^ ar yi^Iiuaftai?]^ aA df my owii,^ iNriP 
 in^ iii^f^ from frififid^p, feeiiag^ 
 
 Ijiftt in t^ 2^j.r^lr beg leavte; to be 
 pferfaUt^dfto'pary h|im tboibr^^HOpm 
 
 ra^ys .pfofiuiftion, fo^ juftly^ d^^ve j^ 
 994^t t|ie fame tiipe to rejoice with. 
 
 
■■ 
 
 !i 
 
 ii 
 
 tldf on tlic'mbft yf^<i>f//V iraprot^ 
 iM^kid pen has attained in eleganee 
 of language during that very^erf^ 
 pti^d b6t#^n rth'd puHicatidh dt his 
 Stt^Aiir^, and- f hofe etegMiiekgiac 
 fetbfs (yidc eigidc Strifiuresi liW i at 
 P*8^ 135)- he favoured ui with,- in 
 *e newfpapeft, fymc^ fe«^' mdhrtls 
 bicic, iigtied An Officer 6h ttet Ser- 
 i^lce. Had Tarktonrofea* Rapidly 
 in the army,: as this ge^tleiMn^s peh 
 ttas^ imjjroyed during the fhoft p^^ 
 riod of a few months—^^hc ve^y fl^ 
 C2fcmjpi^gn be \*^ould have befe^ ^^^ 
 f^iifmtf. It kiFordit me iii^tef ktft*^ 
 fiire i^^^ben I conlpar^the li^leoftK^ 
 St#ia%(l^^ Hfernil^^ pj^tiftiilft^^lffer 
 tfind^ttef; and kUba with inftDiltb 
 fatisf^faibh on thfe rapid ^ifriprdve- 
 liient the human mind is capable of 
 
 acquiring 
 
 ictki 
 
■>'» 
 
 acquiring from intenfe application 
 an4 ftudy. For though I do not ap« 
 pr<>ve of his Stridures, they being 
 ]unfuppi>rted by argument and a can-* 
 did ftate of fadls ; yet the language 
 if ^o be coinmended. And, fetting 
 afide its merit or demerits, as a mi* 
 litary performance, it muft do iim 
 infinite credit as a liter^try one, with 
 tia^^ par^ of thj;^v.worldlwho beliere 
 himtq be the tfc^/i^r. ' 
 
 ^^jyp^ tip^iiirri^ and 
 
 liixiple language of afoldier^ not at^ 
 
 tejpting tp embellifh my produ&ions 
 wkb flowery fubterfuges, or fopbif^ 
 XtYi whic^ he fo often flies to, in-* 
 ftcad of ftating plain fads, or fup<^ 
 porting his contradidions by argu- 
 ment. 
 
 From 
 
tIrrnM' of thiq ^lA Kterarjr ttbilitieft 
 iti'^^hii coufKtyy my ' ^roduAioil 
 mght have cam^i f»rth in^iiff^ fti6i^ 
 eonlpicuom point of vklv^^ had t 
 imitated the Stria^tiA^ ihi^ likt 
 hUrij borrowed another mai/s- pen/ 
 ^ I have this mbft (kti^fkaioi^ t^^ 
 tttfe for niy fcebiencffs, t^hit Ifhi^rd^ 
 ply is entirely my"own^-*the6orree-^ 
 tion of grofs violaltions e(tpitM atil 
 darings oyttage^^ti the '^dli^anve 
 cafej and the verbj ^xce^iibd ^"^^i^- 
 
 * From delicacy ^d rerpect for the chara^ of Bora 
 Ra^wloip, vrhok name I have unavoidi%>6iBCii fxkAOk 
 mention in^the Introdudlon; I have fiibinilteidlhe^rft.tw? 
 pages t6 the judgment of fome friends whp have ma4t 
 CMfi^raU^ alterations ito that part. *- "* ^ ...'.! 
 
 '^..•- V- • 
 
 ■'"'I 
 
 •1 
 
 ' '^ '■^■QU 
 
 STRICTURES 
 
Ti^"^ 
 
 i 
 
 STRICTURES, &c; 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 7, 
 
 " npHE perufal of the following letters 
 ** will difcover that our author was 
 
 ** deflitute of many qualifications eflential 
 « to his undertaking." 
 
 <* To fupply thefe material defe6ls, he 
 « (Coldiel Tarleton) appears to fubftitute 
 ** a profeflional experience, fo limited, as 
 '* fcarcely to exceed the duration of a but- 
 ** terfly's exiftence." 
 
 « Natural hiftorians relate, that this in-r 
 ** fe6l is, in the firft period of its exiftence, 
 
 9 . *• a 
 

 ( 2 ) 
 
 *' a crawling grub ; in the fecond, a flut- 
 " tering ufelefs fly ; and in the third, it 
 « dies/' 
 
 Both th ^^e paffages are low and vxilgar 
 attempts at wit and fatire ; full of rancour, 
 malevolence, and puerile abufe ; and by every 
 generous foldier will be treated with the 
 contempt they deferve, 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 8. 
 
 ** Earl Corn wallis was at the time Lieu- 
 " tenant Colonel Tarleton publifhed his 
 '• Hiftory, and at prefent. Governor General 
 « in India." 
 
 The fa6l Hands thus: Mr. John Tarle- 
 ton, brother to the Colonel, called on me' 
 fome time previous to Earl Cornwallis's de-^ 
 parture for India, and ihewed me a letter 
 which he had received from Lieutenant^ 
 Colbnel' Tarleton, dr ^d Aix-la-Chapelle ; in 
 which: : he . defired particularly that Earl * 
 - * i Corn- 
 
( o 
 
 Cornwallis might be informed that he had 
 then begun, and intended to publilhi a hil- 
 tory of the campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in 
 the Carohnas and Virginia. Mr. John Tarle- 
 ton requefted of me, as a favour, to wait on 
 Earl Cornwallis, and inform his Lordfliip 
 of the Colonel's refolution. I waited on 
 Lord Lothian, knowing him to be a very 
 intimate friend of the Noble Earl, and com- 
 municated my inftru<Slions to him. Lord. 
 Lothian requefted I would write him a let- 
 ter on that fubjedt ; which requeft I compli- 
 ed with. His Lordlhip retui^hed me the 
 next day an anfwer, informing me that he 
 had fhewed my letter to Lord Cornwallis. 
 The copy of my letter, together with Lord 
 Lothian's written anfwer, I gave to Mr. 
 John Tarleton, who may perhaps have them 
 now in his pofleffion ; but it fuf ely would 
 be of no ufe to publilh them, when I call 
 
 B^ 
 
 on 
 
I 
 
 ( ♦ ) 
 
 on two refpe6table witnefles for the veracity 
 of my aflertions. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 14 AND 15. 
 
 «* The author (Tarleton) reafoning on 
 <* fome fubfequent operations of the Ameri« 
 *< can army, is as unfortunate as in his pre- 
 " ceding remark. He fays, page IS and 14, 
 *' the body of regular troops deflined for this 
 ** fervice, (the fiege of Charleflown) could 
 «* have been more ufefuUy employed in 
 " the field ; where judicious operations, af- 
 «* filled by the refources to be found in the 
 " country, and by the approaching heat 
 " of the feafon, could have prote6led the 
 ** greateft part of the fertile province of 
 <' South Carolina, would have foon over- 
 « balanced the prefent fuperiority of the 
 « Britiih forces, and would have efie6lually 
 « prevented the co-operation of the royal 
 ** navy and army. General Wafhington 
 
 adopted 
 
( * ) 
 
 •* adopted this line of a6lion when he aban- 
 •* doned York Ifland for the Jerfies." 
 
 To prove whether Colonel Tarleton's 
 opinion is an abfurdity hitherto unparalleU 
 ed, as our Stri6lurift exprefles himfelf, page 
 17, it (hall be my endeavour to point out 
 the real fituation in which Carolina moft 
 probably would have found itfelf, provided 
 the 6000 men taken in Charleftown had ef- 
 caped that capture. Sir Henry Clinton 
 well forefaw the advantages that would ac- 
 crue to the General who was to be left 
 with the command in Carolina, from not 
 letting one fmgle man of that numerous 
 garrifon efcape ; for which purpofe, as foon 
 as poflible, before he began any decifivc 
 operations againft the town, he difpatched 
 Earl Cornwallis and Colonel Webfter to 
 inveft it on the other fide of the Cooper 
 River, to prevent the efcape of the garrifon 
 by that quarter, whilft Admiral Arbuthnot 
 
 effedlually 
 
i! 
 
 C e ) 
 
 effectually prevented the fame by water: 
 You, gentlemen, muft recollet^l a confider- 
 able reinforcement being tbrown into the 
 garrifon at Charleflown in floo'f s and I'choo- 
 ners, by the channel of the Cooper River, 
 leading from Monk's-corner, before we had 
 pofiefrion of the navigation of that river, by 
 the exertions of Captain Elphindone, and 
 the unwearied perfeverance of the Britifh 
 failors, who pafled gun-boats over the neck 
 of land which forms the pcninfula. 
 
 I remember well being in company 
 (fliortly after this reinforcement had paf- 
 fed) with Sir Henry Clinton, who remarked 
 on that event, " fo much the better ; the 
 ♦* more are to be captured in the town, the 
 " fewer will be left to difturb the future 
 «* tranquility of the province." 
 
 To difcufs the point in difpute between 
 our Stri^turift and Tarleton, and to place 
 both authors' remarks in a fair and candid 
 
 light. 
 
• ( 7 ) 
 
 light, you mud permit mc, gentlemen, to 
 fuppofe tliefe 6000 men to have efcapcd 
 capture in Charlellown ; let them be fup- 
 pofed to have marched out of the town by 
 the rout of Monk's-corner, before ever we 
 had landed on Charleflown neck ; or to 
 have pafled over the Cooper R:/er before 
 Earl Cornwallis had uiveded it on that 
 fide ; either of thefe routs they might have 
 taken, and have marched until they had 
 placed tliemfelves on the other fide of tlie 
 the Santee River. In the courfe of that 
 march they would have difputed the ground 
 advantageoufly at many places where we 
 mull have pafled ; the fituation of the 
 country would have enabled them to have 
 harafled us at various fwamps and defiles, 
 although it might have been imprudent in 
 them to have attempted a general a<5tion. 
 On the other hand, Sir Henry Clinton, 
 whofe prefence with a confiderable part of 
 
 the 
 

 h. U 
 
 ( 8 ) 
 the force was neceflary at New York, muft 
 have left a greater number of troops behind 
 him with Earl Cornwallis to oppofe thofe 
 690O; the fame number perhaps as were 
 fent in the autum following, under General 
 Leflie. 
 
 We will fuppofe thefe 6000 men in the 
 field, and to retreat as faft as the Brit'Ih 
 advance ; let me afk the Stri6lurift, how far 
 he will have the Britifh advance ? — ^to Cam- 
 den ? — or if he does not think that far 
 enough, one hundred miles further ? Al- 
 though I myfelf muft confels that I would 
 not wifti to fee the noble Earl over the 
 Santee River ; but place him at Camden, or 
 any where elfe the Stri6lurift pleales. Now 
 gentlemen, I entreat your attention : — 
 General Gates, on the !6th of Auguft, at 
 the memorable a6lion of Camden, brought 
 6000 men into the field ; thefe joined to 
 the 6000 captured in Charleftown, would 
 
 have 
 
 t.'.' 
 
 j!.M 
 
 ^ — y_ 
 
( ^ ) 
 
 have made 12,000. You will fay that 1 
 have exaggerated the fotce, as numbers 
 would have been fick and dead of the 
 Charleftown troops ; to which I reply, that 
 as many, or more in proportion, of the ad- 
 ditional reinforcement would in like man- 
 nner have fufFered** 
 
 The Britifh that day Were not 1^00, in- 
 cluding the cavalry. I will now afk an/ 
 of you, gentlemen, oppofed by fuch a nu- 
 merous and powerful body of troops, what 
 could the noblf* r!arl have done poffefled of 
 all his gallantry and good condu6l ? I hope 
 
 I ihall not be deemed too prefumtuous when 
 I fay, he would, upon the approach of fuch 
 
 * This gentleman's own regiment, the 71ft, when they 
 fharcbed to the Cherraw Hills in June, were 700 ftrong, 
 under arms; and they did not bring above 230 men 
 into the field of battle the i6th of Augu(t. The whole 
 army was extremely fickly j but this regiment more fo 
 than any other, owing chiefly to the unhealthy Atuation 
 they were (Utioncd at. 
 
 C a formi- 
 
. ( 10 ) 
 
 a formidable force, fall back behind the San- 
 tee ; happy, if in his power, to cover the rich 
 part of that province behind the river : a 
 very arduous and doubtful talk to perform ! 
 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 16. 
 
 •* Of the political propriety of maintain- 
 " ing this poll (Charleftown) the Americans 
 " muft have been more proper judges than 
 " our author." 
 
 Without mixing ideas of political pro- 
 priety with military monoeuvres, the quef-- 
 tion is fimply, whether or not General Lin- 
 coln a6led as an able General, in voluntarily 
 fubmitting himfelf, with 6000 men, to be 
 Jhut up and befieged in Charleftown ; the 
 refult of which, in the end, muft be a capi- 
 tulation ? He gallantly defended the town 
 to the very laft extremity ; but he furely 
 never could imagine that he would be able 
 to prevent our taking it. I myfelf have too 
 
 :- good 
 
 
 
m 
 
 M 
 
 '^ 
 
 
 ( 11 ) -; " 
 
 good an opinion of General Lincoln, as an 
 officer, to imagine that he would have thus 
 committed himfelf, unlefs he had been oblig- 
 ed, by inftruftions from the Congrefs, or the 
 ftate of Carolina, to defend the town. 
 
 " It cannot by any means be admitted, 
 •* that fix thoufand American troops, indif- 
 ** ferently difciplined, fliould, in any fitua- 
 ** tion, be able to countera6l the meafures 
 " of aBritifli force confiding often thoufand \ 
 « and to aflert that a few regiments, the 
 « weak ftate of which is acknowledged by 
 « himfelf (Tarleton), would have a6lually 
 « prevented the co-operation of the royal 
 « army and navy, is an abfurdity hitherto 
 ** unparalleled." 
 
 I muft here, gentlemen, beg leave to draw 
 your attention to three points in the above 
 remarks : — " a Briti/b force confifting of ten 
 «* thoufand'* In thefe words the Stri(5lurift 
 implies, th^ Sir Henry Clinton, whofe pre- 
 
 C 3 fence 
 
I 
 
 ( 12 ) 
 
 fence with a part of the forces was abfohitely 
 neceflary at New York, would have remain- 
 ed in Carolina, or have gone back alone, leav- 
 ing behind him, to a fingle man, the whole 
 army he brought with him :~an abfurd and 
 impoflible fuppofition. In the preceding line 
 he allows, " the Americans to be fix thou/and 
 ** Jirong :— in the lines immediately follow- 
 ing, he fays, tliey were only " a few regi^ 
 *' merits in a very weak ffate ;" and he clofes 
 this curious remark by faying, that Tarletoa 
 has been guilty of an abfurdity hitherto 
 unparalleled ! Roderick, I recommend thee 
 firft to caft out the beam out of thine own 
 eye, before thou attempt to take the mote 
 out of thy brother's ! 
 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 18, LINE 2 TO 15, 
 
 ^* The place (Fort Wafhington) was fum- 
 * ?aonfed in vain, and then attacked by Ge- 
 ♦* neral Knyphaufen, Earl Percy, General 
 v / ** Mathews, 
 
 
( 13 1 
 
 « Mathews, and Colonel Sterling, at the 
 «« head of four feparate divifions of the Bri- 
 « tifh army. The aflailants had near four 
 " hundred men killed ar'' wounded ; and 
 " the fortrefs was not reduced until Earl 
 " Percy carried one of the out-works, by 
 " aflault; Colonel Sterling another; and 
 « until Knyphaufen, having advanced clofe 
 " to the parapet, was prep^ed to enter 
 <* fword in hand." 
 
 Gur Stri6lurift has here made a difplay 
 of the names of Knyphaufen, Percy, Ma- 
 thews, Sterling, none of whom want his 
 praife or comments. All he here reports is 
 true ; but though honourable and great in 
 the a6lors concerned, what has it to do 
 with his reply to Colonel Tarleton ? His 
 only bufmefs was to confute the words of 
 Tarleton, as quoted in his Stri6tures, page 
 7 ;^'* General Waihington adopted this line 
 
 ''of 
 
/ 
 
 ( 14 ) 
 
 " of aStion^ when he abandoned New York 
 " ifland for the Jerfeys." 
 
 Tarleton firft maintains, that the troops 
 taken in Charleftown would have been more 
 advantageoufly employed in the field ; and 
 then cites, by way of example and prece- 
 dent, the conduct of General Wafhington, 
 when he previoufly quitted New York 
 ifland for the Jerfeys, a meafure which con- 
 tributed fo much to his credit, and to our 
 difadvantage, by preparing the way for the 
 aflfeirs of Trentown and Princetown. On 
 this comparitive cenfure, our Stridlurifl is 
 contented with boldly afTerting, that Gene« 
 ral Wafliington did not quit New York 
 ifland for the Jerfeys from motives of policy, 
 but of necefTity ;-^and affertipn is his only 
 proof. He flates indeed the fituation in 
 which General Wafhington left fort Wafh- 
 ington, and the attack of that fortrefs ; and 
 then, without advancing an argument to 
 - favour 
 
( lO 
 
 favour his contradi6lions of Tarleton, lie 
 haftily concludes by faying, that when thefe 
 circumftafices are confidered, it will appear 
 that General Wafhington did not abandon 
 New York Ifland for the Jerfeys, from mo- 
 tives of policy, but from neceflity. 
 
 With refpedl to Tarleton's fpecific cen- 
 fures of the condu6l qf the American Ge- 
 neral, at Charleftown, our Stridlurift thinks 
 himfelf as much at liberty to aflert, ** that 
 <* Tarleton's aflertions are abfurdities hither- 
 " to unparalleled." With this flalhing decla- 
 ration he feems perfedlly fatisfied himfelf ; 
 jmd he has the modefly to expedl that his 
 reader will be equally fatisfied with the fol- 
 lowing concluding, and moft ingenious fen- 
 tence:— • 
 
 « 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 17. 
 
 " Whatever the faults of the American 
 '* General might have been, it is obvious, 
 
 « that 
 
 1 •; 
 
i 
 
 ( 18 ) 
 
 *' that his army, by quitting the only gar- 
 " rifon, and principal port (Charleftown) 
 •* in the province, and by retiring into the 
 '* interior country, could not have retarded 
 " the above-mentioned co-operation : fuch 
 " a meafure, inftead of dividing, would have 
 «« enabled the Britiih to concentrate their 
 « force/* 
 
 I have already attempted, gentlemen, to 
 lay before you fome defcription of Carolina, 
 and in what fituation that province would 
 have found itfelf, fuppofing the 6000 men 
 under General Lincoln not to have been 
 captured ; but this is a topic which oirf 
 Stridlurift chufes to pafs over with con- 
 tempt. 
 
 He contents himfelf with aflerting, that 
 the whole Britiih force, both navy and army, 
 would have been cojKentrated by the move- 
 
 meht 
 
( n ) 
 
 ment of General Lincoln's force into the 
 country. 
 
 How fuch a concentration could have 
 taken place upon the fuppofition that the 
 6000 Americans had quitted Charleftown, 
 unlefs the Admiral had wheeled his (hips up 
 the country, on dry land, I muft leave to the 
 concentrated ingenuity of Roderick M*Ken- 
 zie, and Do6lor Brown, to determine. 
 
 I return, for a moment, to the compara- 
 tive confideration of the oppofite meafures 
 adopted by Wafhington and Lincoln. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 18. 
 
 " When thefe circumftances are confider- 
 «* ed, it will appear, that General Walh- 
 « ington did not abandon New York Ifland 
 ** for the Jerfeys, from motives of policy, 
 ** as this author aflerts, but of neceffity." 
 
 It is well known, that General Wafhing- 
 ton was not driven from New York Ifland 
 
II 
 
 ( »» ) 
 
 by force, but that he voluntarily quitted it 
 before Sir William Howe landed : the door 
 was open to him to efcape ; fo it was to 
 General Lincoln ; for the latter had full 
 time to quit the town ; but he adopted the 
 contrary fyftem, and, in confequence, was 
 taken. The fame fate would have befallen 
 General Walhington, had he remained 
 twenty-four hours longer in his pofition 
 near the fortrefs bearing his name. Sir 
 William Howe would have landed behind 
 him on the Continent, Few of his army could 
 have efcaped over the North River for the 
 want of boats, and our (hipping having in 
 part poffeflion of that river.. By thus judi- 
 cioufly moving from New York Ifland, he 
 protected the fertile country of the Jerfeys, 
 Pennfylvania, and the city of Philadelphia, 
 which otherwife muft immediately have 
 fallen into our hands, General Lincoln, by 
 fuflfering himfelf, with an army confiding of 
 
 
 6000 
 
( «9 ) 
 
 6000 men, to be befieged and taken in 
 Charleftown, facriiiced the rich province ot 
 South Carolina to our will and jurifdidlion. 
 In a word, our Strifturift condemns 
 Tarleton for maintaining, that General 
 Wafhington adopted this line of condu6t 
 when he quitted New York Ifland for the 
 Jerfeys ; arraigns his judgment, and contra- 
 di6ls him flatly; but at the fame time 
 never attempts to confute his arguments ; 
 but fubflitutes in lieu of folid reafoning, a 
 defcription of the attack of the fort, with a 
 pompous difplay of cannon, magazines, and 
 ftorming fword in hand ! You, gentlemen, 
 to whom I addrefs myfelf, I hope will not 
 think me too prefumptuous, when you have 
 coniidered the (ituation both of General 
 Wafhington, and General Lincoln, if I take 
 iipon me to fay, that I do not believe Ge- 
 neral Lincoln to have been mafler of his own 
 motions : for Lincoln, as well as Wafhing- 
 
 D 2 ton, 
 
 \ 
 
 ■\'k 
 
(•20 ) 
 
 ton, could certainly have moved where he 
 pleafed, and ought to have ufed his forces 
 to difbefs, harafs, and entangle the Englifli 
 in the interior of the province. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 18. 
 
 ** When falfe inferences, like thefe, fup- 
 ported by erroneous illudrations, appear 
 in the front of a performance, we liften 
 with caution to the fequd ; which in- 
 deed is the more neceflary when it is con-' 
 fidered that official dijpatcbes, and private 
 letters, are adduced as vouchers, though 
 thefe were written under imprelTions 
 from erroneous reports, founded on mif- 
 reprefentations by our author himfelf, 
 whole garrifons have fired vollies, bells 
 have rang, and boniires have been /aifed 
 to commemorate advantages which never 
 exifted." 
 
 Whatever commanding General you here 
 mean to allude to, I return you his fmcere 
 
 thanks 
 
( «» ) 
 
 I 
 
 thanks for your opinion on his condu6l, and 
 report of adlions under his aufpices. There 
 are but two you can polTibly here allude to: 
 —Sir Henry Clinton, and Earl Cornwallis : 
 they both have reported Colonel Tarleton, 
 and his a6lions, in the mod brilliant terms ; 
 recommending him for his gallant exertions, 
 in a mod particular manner, to the notice 
 of Government, and protection of his king ; 
 they, certainly, Sir, have to thank you for 
 the pains you have taken to make the vrorld 
 believe that the fubje6l of their official let- 
 ters have been mere matter of moonfhine, 
 ideal engagements, like rallies in the air ; 
 fimply, and only, the fi6lion of a few mo- 
 ments of invention, and calculated only to 
 deceive their king and country. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 21 AND 9.2, 
 
 « The Corfican Chief, Paoli, devifed an 
 •* excellent method of promoting bravery 
 
 " among 
 
fm 
 
 
 ( 62 ) 
 
 " among his coitnti'ymen : hd wrote a cir- 
 " cular letter to the priefts of every parifti 
 " in the ifland, defiring a lift to be made 
 " of all thofe who had fallen in battle. No 
 " inftitution was better contrived ; it might 
 " be adopted by every nation, as it would 
 ** give double courage to foldiers, who would 
 " have their fame preferved, and, at the 
 " fame time, bear to their relatives the va- 
 « luable legacy of a claim to the kindnefs 
 « of the ftate. In addition to this firft 
 ** principle, it certainly affords a melancholy 
 « fatisfa6lion to find in the page of hiftoiy, 
 " that juilice is done to the memory of the 
 « dead ; it mingles fympathy with the 
 " fears of the widow and orphan," &c. 
 &c. &c. • 
 
 " Liberal minds only are influenced by 
 " thefe exalted maxims ; but let us confider 
 " the light in which they have been vie ^ v- 
 -.•- ,;----. --■.^'•- " ed 
 
 , r 
 
 s 
 
( 23 ) >^ 
 
 " edby the journal id of the Southern Ame- 
 « rican campaigns." 
 
 Had you given this hint to Tarleton, 
 previous to his pubhcation, to obhge you, 
 I dare fay he would have fent to all the 
 parifhes both in England and Ireland, but 
 moft particularly to the parifh priefts of 
 Scotland, for an accurate lift of thofe of 
 their countrymen who fell 2nd bled in the 
 fouthern provinces of America : and as we 
 might moft afliiredly rely on a moft faithful 
 account from that clergy, then Ihould we 
 have feen the name of Roderick M^'Ken- 
 zie come forward with gigantic honour, and 
 his fears would increafe the JympatJjy which 
 mingles with the tears of the widaiv and the 
 erpban. 
 
 This pr''6lice, which you have recomended 
 to Tarleton, though extremely praife-wor- 
 thy, you yourfelf have not adopted ; fmce 
 it is pretty w^U known that you have chofen 
 
 ..4,:. WiC-<.(-'-vy^., ■ ^ .■;! ,, --.^5,, ,■■ 
 ■ ♦ . - . - ■■»■ * ■* 
 
■r 
 
 
 ( 24 ) 
 
 • 
 
 to call in medical*, inftead of ecclefiaflical 
 
 afliftance. Every generous foldier laments 
 
 the lofs of blood that flowed from Roderick's 
 
 wound ; and, lamentable indeed would it 
 
 have been, if that wound had bled afrefh 
 
 as often as you have recited the incident in 
 your Stridlures. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 23. 
 
 ** Defcribing the attack of the legion- 
 ** infantry, when they miftook the corps 
 •* under the command of Major Fergufon 
 ** for enemies, page 7 and 8, he (Tai^leton) 
 •* entirely negledts to mention the wounds 
 ** which that a6live ofKcer received." 
 
 Here, fir, if you could not ftop your ran- 
 corous cenfure on Tarleton, decency ought 
 to have forbidden your reviving this unlucky 
 event : the whole army felt on every occa- 
 fion for the gallant Fergufon. This affair 
 
 Brown, M. D. 
 
 was 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 was mofl: truly fliocking and melancholy.— 
 The lefs faid on this fubje6l is bed. — It was 
 a night attack upon an enemy's camp by 
 the two above-mentioned corps :— the ene- 
 my evacuated the poft on hearing of the 
 approach of the Britilh. Fergufon arriving 
 firft, took pofleffibn ; and was miflaken by 
 the legion -infantry for the enemy ; fome 
 blood was fpilt on both fides, and Fergufon 
 had very near loft a life, equally valuable to 
 the whole army, and to his friends. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 24. 
 
 " All adlion which a detachment from 
 *" the garrifon of Ninety-fix, liad with an 
 »' American corps, upon the 19th of Auguft 
 "'■■ 1 780, would certainly have excited the 
 « attention of a corre6l hiftorian," 
 
 Relative to this action on the Ennorvee 
 River, I have no remark to make. The 
 commanding officer (Colonel Innes) if in 
 
 *• • 
 
 £ 
 
 his 
 
( 26 ) 
 
 his prefent retired lituation your Stri6lures 
 can be fuppofed to fiall in his way, will have 
 lefs reafon to be pleafed with them, than to 
 be offended with Colonel Tarleton for the 
 pmiiTion with which you reproach him, fmc(? 
 you have not attributed to that officer his 
 real v^its. 
 
 ; ^i^\ 
 
 4< 
 
 tc 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 26. 
 
 ** In our author's defcription of the a6tiol'^ 
 ^' at Hanging Rock, the partiality which hp 
 ** entertains for his own corps, is evident : 
 " the gallantry of officers, and of a detach- 
 ment with which he was not immediately 
 connected, is configned to oblivion. This 
 f aflertion is juftified by his filence on the 
 ♦* lofs of Lieut. Browne, of the North Caroli- 
 ** nians, who fell in a defperate charge, which 
 *< the crifis of the a6lion rendered inevitable. 
 f Befides him, not lefs than feventy men of 
 ff the fame regiment were killed and wound" 
 
( 37 ) 
 
 ** ed, of which however no mention is itiadei 
 ^* as it would appear a participation of the 
 ♦• credit afcribed to the legion." 
 
 Here, fir, you attack Colonel Tarletoil 
 with more than your ufual inveteracy. I 
 hope I (h&il be able to prove to thofe gen- 
 tlemen to whom I addrefs myfelf, that your 
 affertions are founded On no other princi- 
 ple, but a determined refolution to follow 
 him through his hiftory with malevolence 
 and ill-applied fatire, equally deftitute of 
 candour, argument, and military knowledge. 
 Tarleton, in this inftarlce, certainly has not 
 given to his dwn corps the degree of praife 
 which they deferved. I will not be fo ar- 
 rogant as to give my own ipfe dixit on the 
 merits of this moft Angularly gallant a6lion \ 
 but I will lay the minute particulars of that 
 affeir before the officers to whom 1 addrefs 
 myfelf, who, from their vicinity to the field 
 
 E2 of 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 of a6lioH, cannot be ignorant of the truth of 
 what I fhall ftate. 
 
 Colonel Bryant's militia were attacked by 
 General Sumpter, were beat, and driven out 
 of the field — the North Carolinians fuffered 
 nearly the fame fate. The lofs the Prince 
 of Wales's regiment fuftained was heavy ; 
 that corps, both officers and men, were nearly 
 deftroyed*. The Britifh legion were then 
 attacked by the whole American force, 
 
 * The Prince of Wales's * ^eriran regiment conHfted of 
 about eighty or ninety m i. Every private, except eigh- 
 teen or twenty, and every officer, were killed or wounded* 
 The caufeof this heavy lofs was owing to their mi'bking 
 the enemy for our royal militia, (they being both dref- 
 fed exa^ly alike), until they approached within forty 
 yards, and threw in a deftrudlive fire. 
 
 Not one word has the StricE^urift faid on this fubje^l ; 
 he has not even informed us, in his defcription of the 
 action, that the Prince of Wales's regiment was in the 
 field, although two>thirds of the private men were either 
 killed or wounded, and every officer. But this correCl 
 Stridlurift often times condemns Colonel Tarleton for 
 omitting the wounds of zfingU officer. 
 
 • , , Captain 
 
 ' » 
 
 :> , ■;■.' 
 
; I 
 I 1 
 
 ( 29 ) 
 
 Captain M*Cullock, before the attack be- 
 came general, was mortally wounded : the 
 command of the legion devolved on Captain 
 Rouflelet. He charged the enemy ; repulfed, 
 and drove th^m. This officer, poflefling 
 happily not only valour, but alfo good con- 
 duct, joined with it, inftead of permitting 
 bis vi6lorious troops in a broken and irre- 
 gular manner to purfue the enemy, (which 
 in cafes I could mention ^ has proved fatal, where 
 Britifh valour, intoxicated with a momentary 
 fuccefs, has loft fight of difclpline, regularity \ 
 and order ; which negledl of regularity may 
 in future wars, if not corre6led, be more 
 fever ely felt*) halted, convinced of the ad- 
 vantage 
 
 ♦ My friend. Lieutenant Colonel Dundas, at the at- 
 tack on James River, by the Marquis La Fayette, 
 proved the good efFefts of a contrary conduft. After re- 
 pulfing the firft line of the enemy, inftead of permitting 
 his men, elated with the mere appearance of vi6lory, to 
 jpurfue (a la debandade) the flying foe, this able officer 
 ordered his men to halt, formed them in regular order. 
 
 (\; 
 
 1 '.;, 
 
 , 1 
 
 I . ..■-/: 1 
 
 i < 
 
I 
 
 ( 30 ) 
 
 /^ntage 6f the ground he had been afldtlied 
 upon, he marched back and took pofleiriort 
 of it again. Sumpter renewed the attack ; 
 he was again and again beat off, chargedi 
 and purfued, but with regularity. Thefe opera^ 
 tions of a gallant few, gave time for a few of 
 the fcattered troops to rally and join the 
 legion, while the approach of the detach- 
 ment under Captains M*Donald and Stew- 
 art, &c. &c. as related by Colonel Tarletori, 
 obliged General Sumpter to quit the field, 
 and defift from any further attack on that 
 poft. 
 
 Here again, fir, as in many other parts 
 of your work, you make ufe of particular 
 words and expreflions to fet yourfelf off in 
 a literary point of view. I do not mean to 
 
 and then moved on in a colle^ed body. He was prefently 
 oppofed by a frefti body of Continentals in referve, whoni 
 he repulfed, becaufe he was ready to receive them ; and! 
 he gained all the advantages which were the natural con« 
 fequences of his judicious conduct. 
 
 enter 
 
•"•I '" 
 
 ( 31 ) 
 
 enter into a conteft about exprejfwns, where 
 they are not erroneous, and calculated to 
 miflead in point of fa6t ; ftill lefs do I wifli 
 to depreciate the gallantry of Lieutenant 
 Browne. But furely, fir, the crifis of this 
 affair, as far as I am capable of underftand- 
 ing that medical term, exifted in the exer- 
 tions of the Brlti/h legion, and no where elfe, 
 < But to place what I have faid beyond the 
 Teach of doubt, Lord Rawdon judged the 
 conduct of the Britifh legion, on that occa- 
 fion, to be fo highly meritorious, that his 
 Lordfliip a6lually propofed to make an ap* 
 plication to Earl Cornwallis, for fome badge 
 of honour to be granted to that corps, for 
 their gallj^nt coi^du<5l on that day, 
 
 ill 
 
 I 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 27, 
 
 " From too great attention to his own 
 Jf exploits, Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton 
 <* pays not that decent regard to thofe gf 
 
 " others. 
 
 III 
 
( S2 ) 
 
 ** Others, which hiftorical truth indefpenfa- 
 " bly requires. He has not recorded the 
 ** fall of feveral officers at the fiege of Au- 
 •* gufta ; and the whole of thofe who dif- 
 ** played fuch diftinguilhed bravery in the 
 ** defence of Ninety-fix, are, without excep- 
 *' tion, pafled over in filence. Of the for- 
 " mer of thefe fieges, he appears to know 
 ** little indeed; and of the latter, though 
 ** one of the moft brilliant affairs which oc- 
 " curred during the war, he feems to the 
 " full as ignorant as he poflihly may be of 
 " thofe of Candia oi Rhodes/' 
 
 At the time of the fieges of Augufla and 
 Ninety-fix, Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton was 
 fome hundred miles diftant from them ; of 
 courfe it was not in his power to give an 
 authentic account, from his own knowledge, 
 of thofe operations, which, however con- 
 fpicuous for their gallantry and exertions, 
 were performed at fo great a diftance fi'om 
 
 hiw. 
 
( S3 ) 
 
 him, and were icondudled under the imme- 
 diate infpe6lion of Lord Rawdon. Lieute- 
 nant Colonel Tarleton was in Germany 
 when he wrote his hiftory, and had there 
 no conne6lions that could have given him 
 the minute particulars of either of thofe 
 tranfadlions. The gallant defence of Au- 
 gufta and, of Ninety -fix are well known to 
 the world, and have been publicly defcribed 
 with juftice, but not with more praife than 
 they truly deferve. But as our Stridlurifl 
 does not profefs to fend forth his book as a 
 hiftory, it feems full as abfurd in him to 
 to introduce the fiege >i Ninety-fix, in Stric- 
 tures on Tarleton, as it would be in me to 
 add to my remarks, a detail of the fiege 
 of Gibraltar, which I hope had its merits 
 alfo. 
 
 In like manner, the condudl of Lieutenant 
 Colonel Devaux had undifputed merit in 
 the capture of the ifland of New Provi- 
 
 . F dence; 
 
w'^^^^'^mj^ 
 
 * > 
 
 '•'I 
 
 ( »* ) 
 
 dence ; biit that tranfa6lion is as extraneous 
 to your confutation and attack on Tarleton, 
 and his hiftory, as a narrative of Captain 
 Cook's adventures at Otaheite or Kamf- 
 chatfka, would be to my defence of my 
 friena. 
 
 The event of Candia and of Rhodes, are, 
 I am perfuaded, better known to Tarleton 
 than to the Stri<5lurift, or myfclf. 
 
 The Stri6hirift indeed, however conver- 
 fant in ancient or modern hiftory, might 
 perhaps, do better to confine himfelf to tl 
 battles of Culloden and Prefton Pans. 
 
 I 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 27 AND 28* 
 
 In page 505, he (Tarleton) aflerts, " two 
 " officers, with forty dragoons, and their 
 " horfes, were all taken without a blow ; 
 <* but the fa6l is, that Lieutenant Suther- 
 " land, of the South Carolina dragoons, one 
 " of the officers thus cenfured, being on a 
 
 " foraging 
 
mm 
 
 US 
 
 if 
 
 3n, 
 
 it 
 
 ain 
 
 it 
 
 mf- 
 
 u 
 
 my 
 
 it 
 
 
 tt 
 
 are, 
 
 tt 
 
 eton 
 
 tt 
 
 
 tt 
 
 iver- 1 
 
 tt 
 
 ight 1 
 
 tt 
 
 >tl 1 
 
 tt 
 
 
 tt 
 
 
 (t 
 
 
 tt 
 
 ' two I 
 
 tt 
 
 their I 
 
 tt 
 
 )low; I 
 
 <* 
 
 ther- 1 
 
 tt 
 
 $,one 1 
 
 tt 
 
 Ion a 1 
 
 (( 
 
 lag'i^g 1 
 
 
 ( 35 ) • 
 
 foraging party, fell in with a confiderable 
 corps of the enemy's cavalry, and defended 
 himfelf, when attacked, with a degree of 
 valour bordering on excefs. He was fo 
 defperately wounded in this rencounter, 
 that the infantry, who had now advanced 
 to his fupport, left him on the field for 
 dead. This gentleman, however, ftill lives, 
 though his recovery is held by the me- 
 dical faculty, as an event next to a pro- 
 digy. So far was he from not exchanging 
 blows with the fuperior force by which 
 he was attacked, that a confiderable 
 portion of his IkuU was proved to have 
 been cut out with a fabre, the lanifefi: 
 proof of which is difplayed by the per- 
 ception of the movements of the brain 
 upon an application of the hand : he is 
 now in Nova Scotia, and our author proba- 
 bly conceived that he might hazard fuch 
 a r^fle($lion upon his condudl, as he has 
 
 F 2 <* madq 
 
 I* • 
 
».. ,>.:»^w»» mim-nmi^- A* -* " ^ 
 
 t;ill 
 
 
 i 
 
 " made upon that of other abfeiit ofEcers, 
 « without rifque of contradicHon." '' 
 
 Lieutenant Sutherland's gallant refifl- 
 ance is certainly highly to be commended : 
 but neither does his perfonal bravery, or 
 your account of his fufferings, confute Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel 1 arleton's ftatements : you 
 contradi6l Tarleton, but you advance no- 
 thing in fupport of that contradi6lion ; but 
 Ifjfliead of hiftory or argument, you (liock 
 us with a long indelicate chirurgical account 
 of the motion of that officer's brain, to be 
 perceived, as you afiiire us, by an applica- 
 tion of the hand. That officer is truly to be 
 pitied ; yet what have his fufferings to do 
 in fupport of your argument againft Tarle- 
 ton ? This paffage may be ;ery interefting 
 to the gentV^men of the faculty, and a cer^ 
 ta'n Do^or might turn it to account in an 
 anatomical lebUire ; but fuch pi^lures can- 
 not edify military men ; nor will they be 
 
 led 
 
■pnB 
 
 { 37 ) 
 
 led afide from the points in view, by the niirr 
 merous dehifions with which you attempt 
 to di{lra6l them throughout your whole 
 Strictures. Ad. rem, Stri6turift ; you fViall 
 not fly off from the point, and attempt vo 
 bewilder our judgnent, nor break the thread 
 of the fribjedl in difcufhon, by foreign fub- 
 terfuges, Leonidas, Ganganelli, Thermopy- 
 lae, Candia, Rhodes, Mary Queen of Scots, 
 Corfica, Paoli, and Parifh Priells, inftead of 
 real fubftance, truth, and argument. Ad, 
 rem, ad. rem, Roderick ! ^ .,^j,,:v . . 
 
 , In your Stricblures, page SI, you requeft 
 the friend to whom you addrefs your letter, 
 (who, by the bye, I believe an ideal one, or 
 in the moon), as a grand leading rule to 
 'judge cf Tarleton's hiftory, to keep con- 
 tinually in view his eftimation of one of his 
 dragoon horfes in preference tc the life of 
 an officer ; — this is certainly giving your 
 fj^iend a very fenfible and weighty advice ! 
 
 but 
 
 ;! ■■■■ 
 
w 
 
 [* i 
 
 (■ ss ) 
 
 t .* 
 
 but I hope, fir, without much prefumption, 
 to point out to the gentlemen to whom I 
 addrefs myfelf, a more ftriking and leading 
 feature throughout your produ61ion ; name- 
 ly, a virulence and rancour, pointed againft 
 that officer perfonally, and more pointed 
 againft him than againft his hiftory ; con- 
 tinually contradi6ling, and vainly attempt- 
 ing to turn him into ridicule, out without 
 afligning an argument, or good military 
 fuggeftion in confutation of him. 
 
 You feem to think that your own male- 
 volence, ipfe dixit, may fupply all reafoning 
 on the ftibjedl, ^^ 
 
 !|. 
 
 ■ li' 
 
 's ! 
 
 . STRICTURES, PAGE SO, > } 
 
 " From fuch anxiety in our author, not 
 " to omit the fmalleft lofs fuftained by his 
 " own corps, this reflediion naturally oc-. 
 " curs,t^ t the fall ojhorfes, in adlions where 
 *< he was concerned, is ii;ititled tp a prefera-- 
 >r ■ ^ <* ble 
 
 I i:; ! 
 
 f/ 
 
•* ble attention in his work, to officers of 
 *' equal, perhaps fuperior, merit to himfelf, 
 " who fufFered upon other occafions/' 
 
 This pahry fneer is too idle, too infig- 
 nificant to merit refutation; and muft be 
 pafled over with that contempt which mofl: 
 juftly belongs to weak fcurrility. ,^ ..^ 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 33. 
 
 ** Even Lord Rawdon efcapes not the 
 *' acrimony of his pen," &c. &c. 
 
 Permit me to afllire you, fir, that no per- 
 fon can have a greater refpedt for Lord 
 Rawdon, both as an officer or a private 
 gentleman, than Colonel Tarietou ; nor is 
 there any one more ready to renuer that 
 tribute of praife to his Lordfhip, which his 
 good condu6l always intitles him to. But 
 the bed of men. and the beft of officers^ 
 have found themfelves in a perilous fituation, 
 without any mifcondu6l to be laid to their 
 
 charge. 
 
 .-■i 
 
[I 
 
 I 
 
 ( 40 ) 
 
 cliarge. Such was the fituatidn of Lord 
 Rawdon in the in (lance alhided to, and he 
 extricated himfelf hke an able officer. 
 
 The approach of the American army, in 
 force, from Quaker Meeting*, where they 
 lay under the command of General Du 
 Culb, from whom, at the above place, Ge- 
 neral Gates took the command, was fo fud- 
 den and unexpecled, that it was not known 
 on the other fide the Santee River, until 
 Gates was a6tuaily encamped before 
 Lynchers Creek. I hope, gentlemen, I ihall 
 not be deemed too prcfumtuous when I fub-- 
 mit the following obfervations to your fu- 
 perior judgment : — - 
 
 Had Gates, when he took tlie command 
 at Quaker Meeting, inftantly marched to-' 
 wards Camden, without hefitation, delay, or 
 halting any longer than to refredi his troops. 
 
 • 140 miles from Lynche's Creek. 
 
 >-' 
 
 he 
 
• C *i ) ■ 
 
 he then would have had the choice of three 
 decifive objedls ; namely, to cut off the de- 
 tachments at Hanging Rock and Rocky 
 Mount— to prevent the two battalions of the 
 71ft regiment, who were ftationed at the 
 Charraw-hills, on the Pedee River, from 
 joining the royal army — or, to attack Lord 
 Rawdon before thefe detachments had joined 
 him. I leave it to your judgment, gentle- 
 men to decide upon the event of the mea- 
 fures I have fuggefted. 
 
 
 !\ < 
 
 *)|. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 36 AND 37. 
 
 " Our author, in arraigning the penetra- 
 " tion of General Gates, is rather unfortu- 
 « nate ; his animadverfions,'' &c. &c. &c. 
 
 " From his (General Gates's) known cha* 
 " ra6ler, there is not left a fhadow of doubt, 
 " that if the meafures fuggefted by the au- 
 ** thor had been the moft proper, they 
 ** would not have been negle6led/' > 
 
 G I have 
 
r 
 
 itf 
 
 liil:! 
 
 
 ( 42 ) ' . 
 
 I have already ftated the different plans 
 of operation of which General Gates cer- 
 tainly had his choice; and which, by at- 
 tacking us in detail, might have been fatal 
 to our army. Inftead of adopting this mode 
 of attack, he lay for feveral days before 
 Lync'iie's Creek, permitted all our detach- 
 ments to join the army, and gave time for 
 Earl Cornwallis alfo to join it ; to effe6l which 
 his Lordfliip was forced to travel night and 
 day, and he arrived in camp but one day 
 before the a6lion of Camden. Earl Corn- 
 wallis, after muftering every foldier able to 
 bear arms, did not bring 1500 men into 
 the field^that memorable day ; Lord Rawdon 
 had not two-thirds that number at Lynchers 
 Creek, before the detachments sbove-men- 
 tioned joined him, and not above 40 caval- 
 ry, the fuperiority of which, on the 16th of 
 Auguft, rendered that day complete, by the 
 purfuit of the enemy two and twenty miles 
 
 ^ from 
 
 
 x> 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 from the field of battle ; and by a total def- 
 trudlion of their baggage, replete with an 
 immenfe quantity of arms and ammunitiQn for 
 the fupply of the zvbole province of Carolina, 
 who vfere then ripe for a revolt from the Bri- 
 tifli Government. I have attempted both 
 honourably and candidly to point out the 
 fituation of his Majefty's troops at that time 
 in the vicinity of Camden ; and I leave it, 
 gentlemen, to your fuperior judgment to 
 determine upon the merits of Gates's con- 
 du<5l, and Tarleton's remarks upon it, whe- 
 ther it would have been more prudent in 
 General Gates to have attacked our army in 
 detail, which I hope I have proved he was 
 able to do, or to adl as he did. j^i i 
 
 I have neither blindly fupported Tarle- 
 ton, nor rancoroufly cenfured Roderick 
 M*Kenzie ; I have affigned my reafons for 
 both ; could we fay the fame of our Stric* 
 turift, he would appear not only in a more 
 < , - - G ? amiable 
 
 .)| 
 
 •' ■ i; 
 
 m 
 
r ! ! 
 
 
 ( 4* ) 
 
 amiable point of view, but every generous, 
 liberal, and candid reader would liften to 
 him with more attention, and give greater, 
 credit to his Strictures. 
 
 /Cf' 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 38^ 
 
 " And he (Tarleton) has left us to lament, , 
 " with Ganganelli, that there are fome 
 " authors who, in their attempts to rife 
 <* into the uncommon, have fallen iqto the 
 « abfurd," : ip 
 
 Y,ou have reafon to lament, for had you ' 
 (previaufly to the publication of your Stric- 
 tures) per uffed the works of that Amiable 
 Pope, they might; have profited not a little. 
 
 The mention youimake of the celebrate^ 
 Gangandli, has led7in« to. perufe^^a worH that 
 has afforded me much iimufement, : r 
 ' I hope, fir, I may, withouti Q®;n<?e, be 
 permittfid to paraphrafe, with very little 
 alteration, his twenty-ninth letter from 
 
 '5^^ 
 
 wi.*X£i*.AA^ 
 
 Ui 
 
 Rome, 
 
 -f'VW 
 
 u 
 
I M 
 
 ( 45 ) 
 
 Rome, of the 2d of March, 1750, to the ' 
 Abbe Laini, periodical wniter, at Florence, 
 and in rny onvn perfont addrefs it to you. 
 
 '^Ati «Ti;/.JP, 
 
 ■f 
 
 f>, < 
 
 T ALWxWS read your Stri6lures with 
 "*■ pleafure, my dear Roderick, but I wifl> 
 you would always give the reafons of your 
 StriBures, inftead of laying, for example, 
 that Tarleton's alTertions are abfurditiea 
 hitherto unparalleled ; that the ilyle of fuch 
 a work is incorre6l ; that there are trifles 
 which disfigure the beauty of the book— you 
 (hould plainly prove the charge. Rules have 
 always need of examples. There is hardly 
 any book of which it may not be faid that it 
 contains fopie carelefs or affe6ted expreflions, 
 When you fpeak in general, it gives room 
 to believe that you have only glanced your 
 eye over the work which you are giving an 
 
 account, 
 
 11^ 
 
 ® 
 
If; 
 
 ( 46 ) 
 
 account, and that you are in hafte to get 
 rid of the trouble. 
 
 Another omifllon is, your not (hewing the 
 hejl part of the work*. The good tafte of 
 the Stri6lurift requires that he fhould bd. 
 attentive to this .—if a work is not worth 
 the trouble of reading, it is better not to 
 announce it at all than to rail at the writer. 
 It is illiberal to abufe a work, merely to 
 make the public merry at the enpence of 
 the author. 
 
 Were your Stridlures Jevere without 
 fatire-^exadt without trifling^uft and impar-* 
 tiali they would difcharge their duty to the 
 fatisfa(5tion of the public :—-mine is com^ 
 
 P--. 
 
 f The reader will pleafe to obferve, that our Stric-> 
 turift has moft carefully omitted touching on many fignal 
 a£lions gained by Tarleton, which has done him much 
 credit } viz. Beauford's defeat — the defeat of the Ame- 
 rican cavalry at Lenoo's Ferry — Sumpter's defeat near 
 Camden — the affair of Monk's-corner— aud tbf affjiir 
 ef Tffrrent's-hoiife, in North Carolina. 
 
 plet^ 
 
 If: 
 
( 47 ) 
 
 plete every time that I can renew to you 
 the lentiments of efteem and affc6lion with 
 
 which 
 
 ■ * 
 I am, &c. 
 
 GEO. HANGER. 
 
 ,, -:-u::'l'-r ':r-T^.^: * 
 
 * ' 
 
 t ' ' 
 
 'u 
 
 
 <•'■'/. 
 
 v 
 
 • fK/l V** J L T""-* 
 
 -f.V. ,*" 
 
 I': I 
 
 STRICTURES, 
 
( ♦« ) 
 
 ■ 
 
 II 
 
 tt 
 u 
 «< 
 
 u 
 tl 
 u 
 u 
 (t 
 u 
 « 
 « 
 (( 
 tc 
 ft 
 « 
 « 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 39 AND 40. 
 
 " It is well known that the public fcrvice 
 required Earl Cornwallis to mount dra- 
 goons, by the expedient juft mentioned ; 
 and that the Britifli Government is too 
 juft to deprive its fubjedls of private pro- 
 perty, withor.t an equivalent, I readily 
 admit ; but that the proprietors have re- 
 ceived payment for thefe horfes, is deni- 
 ed. A number of officers, now in this 
 kingdom, are in pofTeflion of receipts paf- 
 fed on this occafion by Lieutenant Colo- 
 nel Tarleton, which remain to this hour 
 undifcharged. Many of thefe gentlemen 
 are reduced to the fcanty pittance of half 
 pay, and it would afford them much fatif- 
 fa6lion to know through what channel 
 they are to make application for pay- 
 ment." 
 
 I affiure 
 
( 49 ) 
 
 I aflure you, fir, on this fiibje^l my in- 
 dignation will hardly permit me to keep 
 y.'ithin the bounds of decency ; as any 
 deviation from that line, tending to fcurrility 
 or abufe, ever difgraces both the officer and 
 the gentleman, and mud inevitably recoil on 
 the perfon it proceeds from. I fhall mod 
 carefully curb my pen ; though I cannot 
 help exprefling my fentiments and opinion, 
 and declare, if I had my will, I would order 
 this paragraph to be torn from the whole 
 produ6lion, and burnt at the head of the 
 pritifh army. Permit me, fir, to inform you, 
 although it may not perhaps be abfolute- 
 ly adfionable, yet it h^ 2iJlror\g tendency to 
 
 a liheU 
 
 ^ The exigencies pf the times required of 
 
 Earl Cornwallis to give out an order, that 
 all performs having horfes fit for the cavalry 
 fervice, fhould deliver them at Col. Tarle-» 
 ton's camp, where receipts would be given 
 for them, , ,, . ,.r , . 
 y« H I my* 
 
 ) I 
 
 '! 
 
I 
 
 i 
 
 if 
 
 :! !■ 
 
 ( ^0 ) 
 
 I myfelf, in the abfenee of Lieutenant 
 Golond Tarleton, figned feveral receipts for 
 horfes delivered at our camp God ; knows 
 there may be fome now extant with my 
 fignature ; if there are, let them be produc- 
 ed ; I am ready to prefent them to Govern-- 
 ment, Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton will 
 do the fame : but it is mod audacious of 
 you to attempt to make the world believe 
 that he has unjuftly deprived officers of 
 their property, « . - s^ t- ^ : - 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGB S9. 
 
 ** Such efhifions of vanity as thefe have 
 « a very diigufV'ng efle^. To other officersn 
 ** from a General of fuch high birth, and 
 ** length of fervice, it was fufficient to he 
 ** commanded ; but this gentleman muft be 
 **^ defired and requejled to do what wa« 
 *' merely his duty," &c, 
 
 With refpecl to the vords, defired and 
 requejled, which Tarleton often makes ufe 
 
 
 
( 51 ) 
 
 of when he treats of different fervices on 
 which he was employed, and which you 
 are pleafed to point out as eflfixfions of va- 
 nity ,^-if you will refer to difpatches and 
 letters, in various fituationr; of the war, you 
 will find the fame language held by many 
 officers. But in this particular part of your 
 Stridlures, ^mding yourfelf without even 
 a (hadow for a charge, or caufe for cenfure, 
 you find yourfelf obliged to maintain your 
 confiftencies by flicking to afperfions, by* 
 an unufual exertion of that rancourous fd- 
 verity with which you follow Tarletoft 
 through your whole Stri6lures. 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 42, 43, 44. 
 
 « Ear! Gornwallis, with the principal 
 
 '* column of the army, &c. &c. and Hamil- 
 
 " tone's corps, marched by Hanging Rock. 
 
 " He (Colonel Hamilton) was left with his 
 
 - H2' regiment 
 
 
 ;i iiill 
 
It' \ 
 
 ! 
 
 i :i 
 
 t 
 
 ( *2 ') 
 
 * regiment to garrifon that poft (Camden) ; 
 " nor did a fmgle foldier belonging to it 
 " appear in his Lordfhip's camp from Sep* 
 " tember to November. Thus an increafe 
 '* of more than five hundred regulars, is 
 <* made to be his Lordfhip's force." ?' 
 
 This is certainly an inaccuracy in Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel Tarleton ; but as Hamilton's 
 corps was ever before this time a part of 
 Earl Cornwallis's army, a generous and 
 candid obferver would forgive this fmall 
 error ; but Roderick M*Kenzie never lets 
 pafs an opportunity of cenfuring Lieutenant 
 Colonel Tarleton. ' ''/ 
 
 Inftead of dwelling with fo much fatisfac- 
 tion upon the minuteft error in his hiftory, 
 it would be a more liberal employment to 
 bring forward the particulars. The various 
 inftances of diftinguifhed fervices performed 
 by Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton, Roderick 
 M'Kenzie is careful never to touch upon, 
 
 becaufe 
 
 i>'\> 
 
( 53 ) 
 
 becaufe they bid defiance even to his ve- 
 nom and malevolence. * ' * "^ ' "'" " ^ '^•' 
 
 IS 
 
 'I 
 
 16 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 45. 
 
 .'" r . . ,» ' ■'"- 
 
 ■^ " The aflertion therefore, that he (Lieut, 
 " Colonel Tarleton) moved up the eafl: fide 
 ** of the river, is a miftatement of the fadt, 
 ** and calculated to produce conclufions re- 
 ** mote from the truth." ^ f ' ' ^ ; 
 * Here, fir, you charge Lieutenant Colonel 
 Tarleton with an error relative to the move 
 of his own corps. Every liberal reader muft 
 obferve that this is an error of the printer ; 
 all books are liable to fuch inaccuracies ; and 
 Tarleton, I dare fay, will allow you all the 
 triumph you can derive from an error in 
 the prels. 
 
 But I intreat you, gentlemen of the army, 
 
 to read the whole of this paflage in Tarle- 
 
 ton's book, and infpedl his march as traced 
 
 out in the map, and your liberality will in- 
 
 ■■■-"■--■' :. flantly 
 
\ , 
 
 il I 
 
 t'l 
 
 f( ^4 ) 
 fUintly point cut to you that the error li«s 
 
 in the pi efs only. 
 
 -V- ■->:.*.' 
 
 1.;, "' 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 47. 
 
 «* That a chaige was ordered, is rea- 
 ** dily admitted; that the Major was 
 «* wounded in attempting to lead the dra- 
 " goons to this charge, is well known ; but 
 " no intreaties of his, no exertions of their 
 '« officers, could, upon this oceafion, induce 
 ** the legion cavalry to approach the Ame- 
 ** rican militia ;— they retreated without 
 « fulfilling the intention of the General. He 
 " therefore, much diflatisfied, ordered the 
 •• light and legion infantry to diflodge the 
 « enemy, which they immediately effe<5led/' 
 
 I am extremely averfe to treat on this 
 afiair at all, being myfelf the principal per- 
 fpn concerned ; but our Stri6lurift's malevo- 
 lent afperfions force me not to pafe this over 
 inrlilence. o..;>-:;:'-^-.;.- ^^- '{- ■ ,-■^;^v•^-•^^v.,■ :■:■., 
 ..*: •> i acknow- 
 
( 5^ ) 
 
 I acknowledge that I was guilty of an 
 
 error in judgment, in entering the town at 
 
 all with the cavalry, before I had previ- 
 
 oufly fearched it well with infantry, after 
 
 the precaution Earl Cornwallis had given 
 
 me*. ' ' . .;/ 
 
 But when I rifked fo few lives in drawing 
 the fire from the enemy, I truft that, in 
 
 fome meafure, palliated the fault. None 
 
 \)Ut the advanced guard were with me till 
 
 moft of the enemy had given their fire. 
 
 , A part of the cavalry in referve, whether 
 
 from perceiving the enemy planted behind 
 
 the houfes, and imagining they were im-* 
 
 pervious to my view, (which they were, 
 
 until I was confiderably advanced into the 
 
 town), or for other reafons beft known to 
 
 themfelves, at this advantageous inftant of 
 
 * Earl Cornwallis ordered me to be very cautious 
 how I advanced, as he expedled a very large body of 
 militia to be either in the oeighbourhood, or town of 
 Charlotte. 
 
 li 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 h 
 
 time. 
 

 i 
 
 if 
 
 
 III: ' 
 
 I"' ' ;,* 
 
 ■ i 
 
 ( -ze : ) 
 
 time, did not advance. My intent of charge, 
 ing through the town, after having drawn 
 the enemy's fire, now ')ecame too late and 
 too dangerous ; and I was happy to draw 
 the cavalry off as quick as I could, and 
 with fo trifling a lofs. *; , 
 
 i ';'• • '<ki' ■■■\ \i 
 
 STJUCTUHES, PAGE 48. 
 
 .A^JI. 
 
 i'f 
 
 ^^* The StriauriH: fays, « Lord Cornwallis 
 
 ^ being diflatisfied, ordered the light in- 
 
 « fantry to diflodge the enemy .'^ > ;^"^ * 
 
 This I pofitively deny — the tnith ftands 
 
 thus : 
 
 • <■ » ■*- '■ 
 
 7v-v--JU'V":- 
 
 "•j*^ 
 
 We had a part of the legion infantry 
 mounted on inferior horles, to enable them 
 to march with the cavalry, ready to dif- 
 mount and fupport the dragoons. Thefe 
 infantry, of their own accord, very properly 
 had difmounted, and formed before the 
 cavalry were near out of the town. I order-t 
 ed them to take pofleflTipn of the houfes to 
 
 Ir 
 
t*.,>f 
 
 ( :^ ) 
 
 tlie tight, which was executed before the 
 light infantry, and the remainder of the 
 legion infantry, came up, who were left be- 
 hind v/ith Earl Cornwallis to march at the 
 head of his column^ ^;.^ . v - x. : >» 
 I appeal for the truth of this affertion to 
 Ca:ptaih Campbell, who, as their fenior 
 Captain, commanded them, came running 
 up to me> when our difmounted infantry had 
 advanced, and in a moil friendly manner 
 intreated me not to impute any blame to 
 him, for not rimning up with the remain- 
 der of the light and legion infantry inllant- 
 ly dh the firft hewing of the firing ; for 
 Earl Cornwallis had ordered him to keep 
 them with his Lordfhip. At this mo- 
 ment Earl Cornwallis appeared in fight, 
 having been but a very Ihort diftance be- 
 hind with the army, and ordered the whole 
 to halt. The enemy had by this time all 
 quitted the town for the woods and fwamps 
 
 I 
 
 clofe 
 
 I'M 
 
 ; ■ .1! 
 
'it 
 
 tl*MW^ 
 
 h '' 
 
 " i 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 If I 
 
 '!;i 
 
 W'fK i ■ 
 
 i SB ) 
 
 clofe behind it. The whole light troops 
 now advanced. You will pleafe to recol- 
 \e6\, Captain Campbell, whofe name I have 
 juft mentioned, was not wounded in the 
 town, but above half an hour afterwards, 
 and full one mile further on. 
 
 It was a trifling infiignificant Ikirmiflii 
 which no perfon but the malevolent Stric- 
 turift (happy at all tihies to detra6l from 
 public or private honour) wotdd have at- 
 tempted to have made of fuch m^nitude^ 
 or even have ever mentioned. . 
 
 It would have been but liberal and juft in 
 you to have relate the conduct of thfe 
 cavalry that whole ddy ; in the afternoon, as 
 well as the morning. Thefe troops, whom 
 you fay, neither my intreaties, nor the ex- 
 ertions of their officers, could induce tofacfe 
 the American militia, were left unfupport- 
 ed in the evening, under my command, by 
 'Earl Cornw^is's exprefs orders, when he 
 ^^ - ' took 
 
( S9 ) 
 
 took poft at Charlotte Town, and left: me 
 to engage a corps of ftate horfe and mount- 
 ed crackers that had been very troublefome 
 the whole day, perpetually ikirmifhing 
 and harrailing the front of our line 
 of march. This fervice they performed 
 with fpirit, alacrity, and fuccefs. We had 
 not moved on above one nule in fearch 
 of the foe, when we fell in with them, at- 
 tacked them inftantly whilft they were at-^ 
 tempting to form, difperfed them with 
 fome lofs, and drove them for fix miles, 
 forcing them even through the very pickets 
 of a numerous corps of militia, commanded 
 )by General Sumner ; who, fuppofing a large 
 part of the army to be near at hand, broke 
 up his camp, and marched that evening 
 fixteen miles. Lord Rawdon is well ac-^ 
 quainted with the truth of my Jl^tement of 
 this afl^ir. Let the whole army judge, 
 whether it was liberal, honourable, or jull, 
 
 H thus 
 
 1 i 
 
 J 
 
^^ 
 
 ' ]! 
 
 ,• H 
 
 m 
 
 i:, 
 
 '•:'' * 
 
 t 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 : fl 
 
 ( 60 ) 
 
 thus to fupprefs one part of the conduA of 
 the cavalry on that day, which certainly 
 gained them fome credit ; and whether it 
 does no': manifeft the extreme of rancour 
 and malice, thus to dwell upon, and give 
 an air of confiderable confequence to a 
 trifling fkirmifh in the morning, not worthy 
 to be mentioned, or even thought of after 
 it was over, by an officer acquainted with 
 a6live fervice. t; ,, i 
 
 -V 
 
 ... -l 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 48 AND 49. 
 
 . ' - , . . . . , . . - ,. :■;.:•.. 
 
 " The king's troops left Charlotte Town 
 '* the evening of the 1 4th, to march to the 
 «* Catawba Ford. Owing to the badnels of 
 ** the road, the ignorance of the guides, 
 " the darknefs of the night, or fome other 
 " unknown caufe, the Britifh rear guard 
 <* deftroyed, or left behind, near twenty 
 '" waggons." . r. 
 
 
 ■n/- A 'm. This, 
 
 
 
• ( «1 ) 
 
 This, gentlemen, is Lieutenant Colonel 
 Tarleton's account ; ■■ — -now for Roderick 
 M*Kenzie's: ' 
 
 " After fuch a progrefs of fix hours, the 
 '«* General grew impatient ; the alarmed 
 ** guide eluded the vigilance of the dra- 
 ** goons, and efcaped unobferved. Left in 
 •♦ fuch a fituation, an army, where not one 
 " of the individuals wliich compofed it knew 
 ** where they were, might be well contented 
 V to come off with a lofs fp trifling as that 
 *f of a few waggons/* • 
 
 I rauft confds, I cannot myfelf find out the 
 great difference between Tarleton's account, 
 and that of our Stri<Slurift : but Tarleton 
 mud be condemned. Let me intreat you, 
 fir, to perufe Tarleton's account, and your 
 own, with Gool deliberation, if you can 
 bring your mind to a ftate of ferenity for a 
 few moments ; and then let me afk you, 
 whether, in condemning Tarleton, you do 
 
 ; I 
 
 not 
 
I'l I 
 
 
 \' \ 
 
 not reflc6l on yourfelf. In my own hum- 
 ble opinion, gentlemen, had Tarkton fiib-t 
 {lituted, inftead of the ignorance of the 
 guides, the treachery of the guide, who was 
 a prelbyterian, and a great fcoundrcl, his 
 account would have been moft perfe6l. 
 The fa6l is thus : — the army was that night 
 loft in the woods, through the villainy of 
 the guide, who defignedly led them out of 
 the road, and then made his efcape. Every 
 officer prefent muft know this to be the 
 real truth ; neverthelefs our Stri6lurift ac- 
 cufes Tarleton with real or pretended igno* 
 
 < • .y,,;,>!^, 
 
 •*ry 
 
 ranee in this affair. 
 
 , .STRICTURES, PAGE 51. , . 
 
 There are certain topics, gentlemen, dif-^ 
 cufifed by the Stri6lurift, in which I fhall 
 decline following him fo minutely as I have 
 hitherto done. We are now advanced in 
 thcfc hiflcarical Strictures, to the period 
 
 when 
 
 u 
 
 . !: 
 
( «3 3 
 
 'when the name of Earl Cornwallis is con- 
 tinually introduced :— facred fhall that nam« 
 be held by my pen. I dire6l myfelf to 
 Roderick M*Kenzie, and to him alone. My 
 produdlion proceeds from a heart overflow- 
 ing with friendfliip ; and indignant when 
 it finds the charadler of an honourable and 
 gallant officer cruelly attacked, and wan- 
 tonly afperfed ; and I am happy, gentlemen, 
 in addrefling my fentiments to thofe whofe 
 liberality, candour, and honour I have often 
 experienced, in the courfe of a fix years' 
 fervice in America, and who will not wiih 
 me to enter into invidious fubje^ts. ^ • ^^ 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 53. 
 
 « His rout (Earl Cornwallis) thither, 
 « through the Waxhaws, was judicioufly 
 ** chofen. That powerful and inveterate fet- 
 *♦ tlement yfaafoon crufbed!' ., . •• - 
 
 • r I will 
 
m 
 
 'ft 
 
 
 li 
 
 ill. 
 
 ::: 
 
 i**ii 
 
 ( 6* ) 
 
 t Will not prefumc to comment on any 
 of the noble Earl's operations ; but out 
 Stri(5liirift's remarks upon them have notthfe 
 fame title to my refpe^t. In expofing them, 
 I fhall not be thought to deviate from the 
 fentiments which I profefs for the noble 
 Earl, and for his conduct. ' 
 
 If, on the approach of the Britifh army to 
 Waxhaws, a total defertion of that fettle* 
 ment by the efHcicnt inhabitants, who join-^ 
 ed the American army, leaving behind theia 
 only the aged and the women and children, 
 eould be conftrued as a proof of the crufhing 
 of that populous diftri6l, I lliould agree in 
 opinion with the Stri6turi(l: ; but the flate- 
 ment he has given of the cafe being equally 
 repugnant to common fenfe, military ideas, 
 and matter of fa6t, I truft, gentlemen, 1 
 fhall have your fan6lion for differing ?is 
 widely from him on this ocoaOon, as on 
 moft other accafions. 
 
 STRIC- 
 
 m 
 
 l'n\ 
 
( 65 ) 
 
 *ss^ * . 
 
 (( 
 
 « 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 53 AND 54. 
 
 " The author is condefeuding enough to 
 •* admit, that Charlotte Town affords fome 
 " conveniences, blended with great difad- 
 " vantages. The mills in the neighbour- 
 hood were fuppofed of fufficient confe- 
 quence to render it, for the prefent, an 
 " eligible polition ; and, in future, a ne- 
 *• ceifary poll when the army advanced.— 
 " But he (Tarleton) further fays, the apt- 
 " nefs of its Immediate fituation, between 
 " Camden and Salifbury, and the quantity 
 ** of its mills, did not counterbalance its 
 <'" defe6ls. The town and environs abound- 
 « ed with inveterate enemies ; the planta- 
 •' tions in the neighbourhood were fmall 
 " and uncultivated ; the roads narrow and 
 " confined in every dire6lion ; and the 
 ** whole face of the country covered with 
 " clofe and thick woods/' 
 
 K If 
 
{ ««■ ) 
 
 f 
 
 J' 
 
 If 
 
 i 
 
 km 
 
 V' 
 
 :|; 
 
 I •■'■',( 
 
 I J 
 
 If I attempted to decide upon the pro- 
 priety or impropriety of occupying Char- 
 lotte Town, it would befitting injudgirtent 
 upon the condudl of Earl Cornwallis, whofe 
 name (hall never be mentioned by me but 
 with all the reverence and refpei^l that is 
 due to fo diUinguilhed a foldier. 
 
 Honour and ^^truth, however, call aloud 
 upon me to lay before you the local cir- 
 cumftances of that place, its rdbures, the 
 temper of the inhabitants, its advantages 
 and difadvantages. 
 
 Our Stri6lurift aflerts, " that the roads 
 " leading from Charlotte Town to Saliibury, 
 •* to Camden, and to Try on County, are 
 " perfe6lly good." — Thus far I admit. All 
 the mam roads, leading to populous dif- 
 tri6ls, large towns, or fettlements, even in 
 the moll intricate pCvits of America, are 
 rpacious, and, in general, extremely good. 
 But you, gentlemen, know full well, that 
 
 forage 
 
( 6T ) 
 
 forage and provifions are not to be found 
 folely and only on the edge of th^ great 
 public roads leading through any country. 
 The mod difficult fituatioas muft be ex- 
 plored in every diftri6l, to maintain and 
 fupport an army, which remains for a length 
 «jf time at any given place. Therefore, I 
 truft, you will allow, that the whole feature 
 pf the country muft be confideied, and not 
 only thofe particular parts that are the mod 
 cleared, which, of courfe, lay neareft the 
 great main roads. I will be fo bold as to 
 aflert, that l^ieutenant Colon^sl Tarletpn's 
 words are fki6lly true ; founded in a real 
 knowledge, and juft view of the country : 
 " the; roads narrow and crojfed in every direc* 
 " tion, and the zvhole face efthe country covered 
 ** tvith clofe and thick woods,. No difaflrous 
 ** event, inferior to that which befel Fer- 
 ^ gufon, could poflibly have given effe6i; to 
 *.* the exertions of the inhabitants, inimical 
 
 K 2 « ta 
 
 •'!■ 
 
( «5 ) 
 
 I. 
 
 
 il 
 
 I 
 
 .f 
 
 ^;!. 
 
 " to the Britifh governiTient, around Char- 
 "" iotte Town : their whole force, though 
 " dire6led againfl: a detachment confifting 
 ** of thirty men, under the command of 
 " Lieutenant Guyon, of the 23d regiment, 
 " was repulfed with difgrace." 
 
 Though Lieutenant Guyon, of the ^3d 
 regiment, much to his credit, repulfed a very 
 fuperior force, wi^h only thirty men, this 
 was a particular inflance ; for, in fact, the fo- 
 raging parties were attacked by the enemy 
 fb frequently, that it became neceflary never 
 to fend a fmall detachment on that fervice. 
 Colonel Tarleton, juft then recovered from 
 jl violent attack of the yellow fever, judged 
 it neceflary to go in perfon, and with his 
 whole corps, or above two-thirds, when he 
 had not detachments from the reft of the 
 army. I will aver, that when colle6ting 
 forage, I myfelf have feen fituations near 
 that town, where the woods were fo intri- 
 
 cate. 
 
 i v* ; 
 
1 ^r 
 
 
 , ( 69 ) 
 
 cate, and fo thick with underwood, (which 
 is not common in the fouthern parts of 
 America) that it was totally impoffible to 
 fee our videtts, or our Gentries from the 
 main body. In one inftance particularly, 
 where Lieutenant Oldfield, of the Quarter- 
 mafter General's department, was wound- 
 ed ; the enemy, under cover of impervious 
 thickets, impenetrable to any troops except 
 thofe well acquainted with the private 
 paths, approached fo near to the whole line 
 of the Britifli infantry, as to give them their 
 fire before ever they were perceived. Char- 
 lotte Town itfelf, on one f :' oft particu- 
 larly, where the light and > i;ion infantry 
 camp lay, was enveloped with woods. Earl 
 Cornwallis himfelf, vifiting the pickets of 
 thefe corps (which from Tarleton's ficknefs 
 I had the honour of commanding at that 
 time) ordered me to advance them con- 
 fiderably further than ufually is the cuftom, 
 ' and 
 
 i 
 
 % \. 
 
.» 
 
 
 f 
 
 il 
 
 m 
 
 m 
 
 i t 
 
 ( 70 ) 
 
 and conne6l them more clofely one with 
 the other. I am not fo daring as Roderick 
 M*Kenzie, to give my own ipfe dixit for my 
 aflertions ; but I appeal to my friend Lieu- 
 tenant Harrington M*Kenzie, who muftre- 
 colle61: attending the noble Earl, with me, 
 on this bufmefs, and hearing him deliver to 
 me his commands, I dare not fay requefls. 
 
 That in Polk's mill a very large quantity 
 of flower was found, is admitted, and that 
 from other mills in the neighbourhood there 
 was more colle6led ; but it was not all the 
 produce of the country dire6lly near Char- 
 lotte Town, but brought thither to be 
 ground from various and dillant parts. I will 
 declare alfo, that the plantations were not 
 any thing like fo large or well cultivated as 
 lower down in South Carolina. xA.s to the 
 dirj[X>tition of the inhabitants, they totally 
 deferted the town on our .ipproach ; not 
 above three or ^uiir men remained in the 
 whole town. I beg kave to decline any 
 
 difcufllon 
 
 M^iiK 
 
( 71 ) 
 
 difcuflion of the fuppofed move of Earl 
 CornWallis, either through Tryon county, 
 or to Crofs Creek, for the reafons which I 
 have repeatedly ftated, and by which I fhall 
 continue to be governed in all queftions 
 affedting Earl Cornwallis. . '• 
 
 - '. ■■ ■ . , • , \ 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGi2 J7, 
 
 " Several very extraordinary circumllan- 
 ** ces, and fuch as no human forefight could 
 " guard againft, contributed to Fergufon's 
 ** melancholy cataflrophe."' 
 
 Whether Fergufon exceeded, or only 
 obeyed the orders of his General, it is not 
 my bufinefs to determine ; or whether his 
 unbounded zeal for his coimtry's caufe ever 
 left him diflatisfic d when he barely perform- 
 ed his duty, without giving hib General un- 
 expedled proofs of an enterprizing fpirit, 
 and exhibiting extraordinary powers, cer- 
 tain it is that he was defeated, for this plain 
 reafon^^he was beyond ibe reach of fupport-r^ 
 ' he 
 
 > t 
 
Pi 
 
 H 
 I 
 
 tfi 
 
 Pill 
 
 It fj " 
 
 W 
 
 
 Vi. 
 
 ( 72 3 
 
 he was too far advanced on the left of the 
 
 Britifh army to retire on the approach of a 
 
 very fuperior force. Detachments have been 
 
 5the ruin both oi modem* and ancient armies, 
 
 .and will be again : they muft fometimes be 
 
 riflced, but they are ever attended with 
 
 danger. Every detachment employed at 
 
 fuch a diftance that it cannot fall back fafely 
 
 on the main army, or be fupported firom it, 
 
 muft ever be looked upon as in the air. 
 
 King's Mountain, where Fergufon halted 
 
 and fought, was fifty miles in a direct line 
 
 from Charlotte Town. 
 
 Our#Stri6lurift, however, determined to 
 abufe Tarleton in the teeth of faiSls, fays^ 
 ** circumftances, fuch as no human fore- 
 -** fight could guard againft, contributed to 
 u Fergufon's cataftrophe." 
 
 * Every officer, converfant in the American war, by 
 -tracing the progrefs of our armies from Canada to the 
 mojl fouthem parts of the United States, wiH find various 
 inflanccs of the fatal efFeds of detachments, and their 
 ruinous confequenccs. 
 
 STRIC- 
 
( 73 ) 
 
 r, :■ 
 
 xt 
 «c 
 (( 
 
 u 
 i( 
 t* 
 <( 
 u 
 <( 
 t< 
 «c 
 {( 
 (« 
 « 
 
 (( 
 
 I . STRICTURES, PAGE 70 AND 71. 
 
 <« With all due refpe6l for the chara6ler of 
 Earl Cornwallis, as being much above any 
 fufpicion of wilful intention to miflead, I 
 muft:, however, take the liberty to fay, that 
 his Lordfhip's teftimony , in the prefent cafe, 
 is entirely out of the quellion. The Ge- 
 neral detaches Lieutenant Colonel Tarle- 
 ton on an expedition a confiderable dif- 
 tance from the army, and receives a re- 
 port from him of a vi6tory. Upon this 
 report he founds his official difpatches ; 
 and our author is for fomc time hailed as 
 vi(5lor from Wynnefborough to Camden, 
 from Camden to Charleftown, from 
 Charleftown to Nev^ York, and from 
 thence to London ; at Liverpool bonfires 
 are lighted up in honour of their fa- 
 vourite hero. After feveral years have 
 elapfed, he ftill prefents the world with 
 
 L " his 
 

 r 
 
 
 1;: 
 
 { 74 ) ;^ 
 
 '• his claim to vi6lory. He goes further, 
 " and witli a truly curious addrefs, holds 
 ** forth tlie difpatches of Earl Cornwallis, 
 " though entirely founded on his own rc- 
 " ports, as vouchers for the veracity of his 
 " aflertions/' ' ' . , 
 
 This fpecious, but infiduous aflertion, 
 might lead aftray fuch pcrufers of the 
 Stri6lures as made no part of Earl Corn- 
 wallis's army. It relates to a matter of in- 
 finite delicacy to the feelings of an officer, 
 and is craftily made the ground work of 
 the moft odious ccnfure on Tarleton's hif- 
 tory. I will however take upon me to 
 contradi6l the aflertion ; but not (like the 
 Stri6lures) witliout confuting what I con- 
 tradi(5l ; not without the fupport and de- 
 m" iftration of time, place, and circum- 
 llances. To you, gentlemen of the army, 
 I fubmit the accuracy of the fa6ls I fhall 
 
 ftate, 
 
 i 
 
 m-^ 
 
 J' 
 
 I'!. 
 
( 70 
 
 flate, and the integrity and validity of my 
 proofs. 
 
 Roderick M*Kenzie, or myfelf, on the 
 following points, miift (land convi6led of 
 the mod glaring unpardonable mifrepre- 
 fentation. He pretends that all the credit 
 Tarleton has gained, was founded on his 
 own ftatement of his own actions ; on his 
 owi. official letters to Sir Henry Clinton 
 and Earl Cornwallis, which furnifhed the 
 materials of the reports of thofe Generals 
 to Government. I am now, gentlemen, 
 going to deraonftrate, that this indelicate 
 imputation has no foundation whatever, 
 but in the bold afVertion of the Stri6lurift. 
 I (hail maintain tli. well earned reputation 
 of my friend, by a detail ^i adtions, diflances, 
 and fituations, and prove to you plainly, 
 that both thofe Generals had it in their 
 power to inform themfeh es of the mofl mi* 
 flute particulars of the tranfadlions they 
 
 L 2 applauded. 
 
 v\ 
 

 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 1.0 
 
 1.1 
 
 ■50 ^^^ RMH 
 
 ^ Kii 122 
 
 w Ij^ mm 
 
 U 
 
 
 1 
 
 1.25 |U 
 
 lllll^^ 
 
 
 < 
 
 6" — 
 
 
 ► 
 
 '>r. 
 
 ^ >m 
 
 
 
 '>' 
 
 Fhotograito 
 
 Sciences 
 
 CorpOTation 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 33 WBT M. JN STRHT 
 
 MS^ir«S.N.Y. 14SM 
 (7l«)S7a-4503 
 
^^4^ 
 
 
 ^ 
 
( 76 ) 
 
 applauded, by other evidence thanTarle-. 
 ton's letters. I appeal to you, as to gen- 
 tlemen awake to every profeffional feeling. 
 I make no apology for dwelling upon 
 this topic. It is the grand foundation on 
 which our Stri6lurift builds his fatire ; his 
 farcafms, and inve6lives againft Tarleton, I 
 have no argument to encounter. But even 
 his^^^r^, on an occafion fo interefting not 
 only to Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton, but 
 to Sir Henry Clinton and Earl Cornwallis, 
 whofe chara6lers are equally attacked, 
 fhould undergo a mod accurate and wi/- 
 nute invefligation^ I fhall, therefore, re- 
 capitulate a few of the adlions in which 
 Tarleton either commanded, or was prinr. 
 cipally concerned. ' . r?^<n - ,j 
 
 , The affair of Monk's Corner, where my 
 gallant, moft intimate, and much lamented 
 friends. Lieutenant Colonel Fergufon, and 
 Major Cocheran, were jointly concerned 
 .; '.. ;. , with 
 
( 77 ) 
 
 with Tarleton, was carried on under the 
 command of Colonel Wehller. That of-^ 
 iicer's report to the head quarters was 
 formed upon his own immediate infpe6lion; 
 and the engagement happened fo near to 
 our army, that both Generals Sir Henry 
 Clinton and Earl Cbrnwallis muft have 
 been minutely acquainted with its juft 
 merits. '^ly'l ' :..,:^ ,- ^/v ,: .•:■,;,.-, . 
 
 The Icene of a6lion, where Tarleton de- 
 feated the American cavalry under Colonels 
 L<ee, Wafliington, and White, at Lenoos 
 IFerry, was fo contiguous to Earl Coi*n- 
 wallis's can.p, that Tarleton moved from 
 camp on the morning of the adtion. A 
 party of our light infantry had been taken 
 by the enemy ; Tarleton flew to their re-^ 
 lief, refcued them, deftroyed totally the 
 American cavalry, and returned the fame 
 pight to Earl Cornwallis. x 4. ; j , 
 ,1,.^ r . Tarleton's 
 
 ii 
 
 Ui 
 
 m: 
 
lii* 
 
 I 
 
 '' I 
 I- 
 
 . 'i. 
 
 m 1 
 
 W'rX^ 
 
 i 
 
 igii 
 
 ( 7« ) 
 
 Tarleton's written report of the adion, 
 in which he fo completely defeated General 
 Sumpter, near Camden, was not drawn up 
 until he had rejoined the army with his 
 whole corps ; Earl Cornwallis, therefore, 
 could not be in want of other, and what the 
 Stri6lurift would infmuate to be better, 
 authority than Tarleton's report of himfelf, 
 to juflify the praifes which his Lordfliip be- 
 llowed upon Tarleton on that occafion, in 
 the prefence, and with the concurrence ot 
 the whole army. ' -. ' ;r < ''f » . 
 
 In like manner, though the bufinefs of 
 Blackftocks happened at fome diftance from 
 the Camp, yet Earl Cornwallis had the 
 means of obtaining whatever information 
 he might judge neceflary from the wounded 
 officers, and from thofe who efcorted them to 
 his camp, and cannot be fufpe6led of having 
 formed his official difpatches on the influence 
 t'. aW- - , folely 
 
( 7£> ) 
 
 folely of Tarletoij's own report of the 
 
 a6lion. ,v 1-^^ ■■.' -.'ri. .,-.:' ^^ ''ii y i 
 
 And even after the unfortunate affair of 
 the Cow Pens, many officers who efcaped 
 capture, arrived that fame day at Earl 
 Cornwallis's camp, and were interrogated by 
 the noble Earl on the fubjedt of the defeat, 
 before ever Tarleton had made his appearance^ 
 or had even written to Earl Cornwallis.— 
 Tarleton did not arrive till the next day. 
 
 This enumeration of fadls, gientlemen of 
 the army, cannot be contradicted. I have 
 Ihewn you, that Earl Cornwallis had it in 
 his power to invelligate, and did, in fadl, 
 invelligate the material points, as it was 
 his duty to do, all aifedting the real and 
 intrinfic merits of Tarleton s condudl in 
 thefe gallant a6lions. I truft you will con-» 
 cur ^yith me in the fentiments I have ex- 
 prefled, concerning this indelicate, but vain 
 attack upon Tarleton s fame, by attempting 
 
 * I 
 
 
 rV- ' ;■; -_ 
 
■^ 
 
 
 II 
 
 
 ( 80 ) . 
 
 to trace ks exiftence to his vanity, in* 
 {lead of his military merits and atchieve- 
 irtents. Finally, gentlemen of the army, I 
 leave it to your knowledge of the honour 
 and integrity of the noble Earl, and to 
 your own candour, feeling, and judgment, 
 to decide whether that noble General was a 
 likely man to hold out to the admiration of 
 the world, and to recommend to the pro* 
 tedllon of his king and country, any officer 
 who ^vas not entitled by his fervices to fo 
 honourable a diftindtici. ' ^ ^ ^i^^*^ - 
 
 As to Tarleton's falling back, or fhifting 
 his ground, after the a<5tion ot Blackftock's 
 Hill, I appeal to you, gentlemen, whether, 
 in the prefent indanee, it would not have 
 been both unmilitary and dangerous, to 
 have encamped all niglit on a fpot of ground 
 fo well known to the enemy. — An enter- 
 prising officer might have ruined Tarleton 
 ^ a night attack. The material eircum- 
 < . ^ ftancG 
 
 r ;t I 
 
 i 
 
( 81 ) 
 
 ftance is not contefted, Sumpter moved off 
 that very niglit over the Tyger River, in 
 order to avoid Tarleton's attack on the next 
 day. Here, gentlemen, I beg leave to fub- 
 mit one decifive queftion to your fuperior 
 judgment :— Had Sumpter obtained any 
 advantage, as Roderick M*Kenzie wilhes 
 the world to believe, would he not have 
 purfued Tarleton, at leaft, till he had driven 
 him back on the remainder of his corps 
 that were coming up with the cannon ? The 
 truth is, that one fingle hour more of day- 
 light would have ruined Sumpter. The 
 lofs Tarleton fuftained certainly was heavy, 
 but it proceeded from his not being in 
 force. Perhaps it would have been more 
 prudent had Tarleton, in the paft inftance, 
 fallen back on his referve, without rifking an 
 a6lk)n with part of his force. 
 
 His zeal for the caufe in which he 
 was engaged, the confidence he repofed in 
 his few gallant foldiers, and his 43wn ardent 
 
 defire 
 
 ; 
 
 ;t 
 
 > ti 
 
( 82 ) 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 IP:'- 
 
 '■(■> 
 
 defire \o meet the ciiemy, would, 1 doubt 
 not, in your opinion, gentlemen, more 
 than e^cufe an occalional indifcretion. But 
 let it \x^ reniciiibered, that Tarleton's con- 
 du6l, in the prefent occurrence, was jaftified 
 by reafons of expediency : tlie only poflibl© 
 meiins b}/ which Tarleton could bring 
 Suinptev to a6\ion was, by giving him this 
 advantage. In any other circumftance, . 
 Sumpter wouldi noit have rifked an engage-. 
 ment: Tarleton, in that cafe, mufl have 
 continued, the purfuit, aad might never 
 ha,ve coijie up witli him*, or might have 
 
 ♦t The crackers and militia in thofe parts of America 
 are all mounted on horfc-bpck,, which renders it to-. 
 tally impofllble to force them to an engagement with 
 infantry only. When they chufe to fight, they dif- ' 
 mpurit, and fa^en their horfes to the fences and rails j 
 but if not very confident in the fuperiority of theii; 
 numbers, they remain on horfe-back, give their fire, 
 and retreat, which renders it u/elefs to attack them vyith-. 
 put cavalry: for though you repulfe them, and drive 
 them from the field, you never can improve the ad-^ 
 vantage, or do them any material detriment. . ' 
 
 .. „j ,,, • . . ■' , -•.^ been 
 
, ( 83 ) 
 
 been forced to engage him on worfe 
 
 terms. 
 
 ■ , Let me now fubmit the whole of this 
 
 affair, briefly, faitlifully, and refpeci fully, 
 
 gentlemen of the army, to your deliberate 
 
 and candid judgment. 
 
 Sumpter feeing Tarleton not in force, 
 began the attack ; was repulfed ; imme- 
 diately the 63d gallantly advanced ; but 
 being oppofed by a great fuperiority of 
 numbers, their fituation was found dan- 
 gerous. To extricate them, Tarleton or- 
 dered a part of his cavalry to charge ; this 
 point was accompliflied, but at fo late an 
 hour of the day, that the charge was per- 
 formed, when all but dark. Night imme- 
 diately feparated the contending parties. 
 Thus, gentlemen, in honour do I believe, 
 that in five lines I h^ve given the true, 
 (^andid, and liberal account of the a6lion at 
 Pl^cHftocks, upon which Mr. M*Kenzie 
 ;- - M ^ has 
 
 ii>i 
 
 i!:! 
 
 ■5' 
 
 
1^ '. 
 
 
 1i-; 
 
 •■< t . 
 
 ■:' ni. 
 
 
 
 *! I !•• 
 
 iH 
 
 ■ ( 84 ) 
 
 lias written fome pages. The 63d did not 
 confifl of above feventy or eighty men ; 
 thefe few, with about 160 of our cavalry, 
 were oppofed to General Sumpter's xvbole 
 force. Sumpter moved off — Tarleton took 
 a frefh pofition that night, contiguous to 
 the field of battle ; in my humble opinion, 
 judicioufly, (for reafons I have already 
 given,) and was joined by the remainder of 
 his corps. Let us confider this in a gene- 
 ral military point of view: I have ever 
 underflood, from the bell military writers, 
 that the advantageous confequences which 
 may/o//ow an undecided a6lion, may entitle 
 it to greater praife than might be due 
 even to a momentary vi6lory. It muft be 
 allowed that, by this a6lion with Sumpter, 
 Tarleton cleared that country of a nume- 
 rous and lawlefs banditti, (for they can 
 bear no other name,) by forcing Sumpter 
 to retreat over the Tyger River ; which is 
 
 a fa6L 
 
 Hi 
 
 if 
 
 
( 85 ) 
 
 a fa6l. It mud therefore be allowed furely, 
 that the obje6l which Tarleton wifhed to 
 attain, was acquired. Upon the whole, 
 gentlemen, I prefiime to hope, that I have 
 confuted the infinuations of the Stri6luri{l, 
 without placing the laurels on the head of 
 Tarleton that ought to adorn the brow of 
 Sumpter. With refpe6l to the men in 
 buckram, Tarleton was forced to take his 
 account from the people of the country. 
 Sumpter was badly wounded; Colonel 
 Thomas was killed in the lirfl attack, his 
 body left on our ground, and the arms 
 taken from it, are now in London. " •• 
 The Stri6turift informs us, that Ramfay, 
 in his hiftory of the American war, does not 
 mention the lofs of the American Colonels 
 at Blackftocks. Any author who can daring- 
 ly aflert fo bafe a falfehood, as that only 
 twelve Americans fell in the a6lion of the 
 Cow Pens, has totally forfeited all claim 
 
 I ! 
 
 hft:^ 
 
 U 
 
 •••(■ 
 

 III 
 r 
 
 » 
 
 f 
 
 
 Hi' 
 
 ■ c'l ; 
 
 { S6 ) 
 
 to belief in his report of that, or any other 
 a6lions, 
 
 Tarleton, after ftating that Sumpter per- 
 ceiving him not to be in force, began the 
 attack, proceeds with his account in the 
 following words :— • 
 
 " The ardour of tlie 63d carried them 
 ** too far, and expofed them to a con- 
 « fiderable fire from the buildings and the 
 *' mountain. Though the undertaking ap^ 
 " peared hazardous, Lieutenant Colonel 
 " Tarleton determined to charge the ene-. 
 " my's center with a column of dragoons, 
 " in order to cover the 63d, whofe fituation 
 " was now become dangerous. The attack; 
 " was condu6led with great celerity, ancj 
 " was attended with immediate fuccefs.— * 
 " The cavalry foon reached the houfes, 
 ** and broke the Americans, who, from 
 •* that inllant, began to difperfe : the 63d 
 ** immediately rallied, and darknefs put an 
 
 ** end 
 
u 
 (( 
 tt 
 « 
 u 
 tt 
 tt 
 
 ( 87 ) 
 
 end to the engagement. A purfuit acrofs 
 a river, with a few troops of cavalry, and 
 a fmall body of infantry, was not advifa- 
 ble in the niglit ; a pofition was therefore 
 taken adjoining to the field of battle, to 
 wait the arrival of the light and legion 
 infantry/' 
 > I, • .' ■ 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 80; 
 
 " Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton landed in 
 " America in the year 1777, with the rank 
 " of Cornet of Dragoons ; and in the begin- 
 " ning of January, 1781, we find him the 
 " pritnum mobile, the mailer fpring which 
 " puts the whole machinery of the army 
 « in motion/' . - -• ■* j. 
 
 Here, fir, you have deprived Lieutenant 
 Cplo;iel Tarleton of a confiderable fhare of 
 merit, which he acquired in a mcft a6live 
 campaign in the Jerfies and Pennfylvania ; 
 for Colonel Tarleton came to America in 
 / :- . the 
 
 
( 88 ) 
 
 t&e year 1776. That diftinguifhed officer, 
 Sir William Erfkine, quickly perceived the 
 abilities * and gallantry of this young officer, 
 and appointed him his Major of Brigade, 
 and to the whole cavalry. 
 
 rrJ^Af: 
 
 ^^.t-T^ 
 
 STRICTURES PAGE 105. 
 
 cc 
 
 Leaving then to the judgment of others, 
 ** the propriety of producing a confidential 
 '« letter, written by his Lordlhip in the 
 ** goodnefs of his heart, evidently with a 
 " defign to confole our author under a 
 ** fevere misfortune, and never meant for 
 •* publication. I only contend, that this 
 
 * Tarleton diftinguiflied himfelf on many fervices 
 in the Jerdes and Pennfylvania ; particularly in the at- 
 tack on i. ftone houfe, commanded by Colonel Lee, 
 and miraculoufly efcaped with his life, having his horfe 
 wounded in three places, his helmet (hotofF his head, 
 and (hot through his light dragoon jacket. He alfo was 
 at the taking of General Lee ; commanded Lieutenant 
 Colonel Harcourt's advanced guard, and contributed 
 not % little tu the taking of that ofHcer. 
 
 ..,..- « letter 
 
™' 
 
 ^a» 
 
 (( 
 
 t( 
 
 ( 89 ) 
 
 ** letter • is altogether inadequate to the 
 pur pofe to which this Journalift has con- 
 verted it, — that of transferring the blame 
 "from himfelf to the troops." , fU fA^'rJ 
 I have not the audacity, gentlemen, to 
 tread in the fteps of the Striilurift, to 
 fubftitute affertion for argument, and to 
 contradi6l him, as he does Tarleton, with- 
 out producing the Ihadow of a reafori,' or 
 manifefling any attention to fadls. ' 
 
 Look only at the date of Earl Corn- 
 wallis's letter to Tarleton ; — between the 
 date of that letter from the noble Earl, 
 and his unfortunate a6lion, you will find 
 an intermediate fpace of thirteen days. In 
 that interval, the noble Earl had fufficient 
 time to confer with as many officers as he 
 pleafed, and to attain as much information 
 as was neceflary to form his judgment unon 
 the fubje6l ; and that he had time for en- 
 quiry, is not more evident, than it i? noto- 
 
 'v3i^:r)eo<5r5;' 
 
 N 
 
 nous 
 
 '1 
 
 '■• IJS 
 
' »■ 
 
 
 ( 90 ) 
 
 riQUi, that he did in fa^ enquire before he 
 approv^. But, in honeft truth, is it likely 
 Ihfttf witliout the moft minute enquiries 
 into the particulars of that a^ion, the 
 npWe Earl fhould refufe to grant Lieutenant 
 Colonel Tarleton a court of enquiry on his 
 ^ndvi<5t, which Tarleton fo iarnefily re* 
 quefted^t and mxioujly demanded f I may 
 fefely leavje it to your own breads to de- 
 termine, wl^ether an officer of the high and 
 
 * Vide Extraft Tarleton/s IJiftory of the C^mipaigns 
 
 of 1780, and 1781, page 22 1 and 222. " Other cir- 
 
 ** cuaiftafices, perhaps, coi^tri^utjed to fo deciilve a 
 " rout, Nvhich, if the military fydem, admitted, the fiMne 
 *< judicious regulations as the naval, a court martial 
 « y/ould, pi^rl^aps, have difcloibd. Public trials of 
 « coiriinan^ing o/Ecersi, after unfortunate afFaiFS, are 
 <* as neceflary to one fervice as the other, and might* 
 <'< in fome inftances, be highly beneficial to the military 
 « prpfeffion. I^flueqcpd by t|ils idea. Lieutenant Cpio* 
 '* nel Tarleton, fome days after the adlion, required 
 ** Earl Cornwallis's approbation of his proceedings, or 
 '< his l^ave to retire tall einquiry cpuld be inftitut^ ta 
 « inveftigate his condu^.'* 
 
 V 
 
 unimpeached 
 
( 9i ) 
 
 iihimpeached integrity and honour of the 
 ftoble Earl, ought to be accufed, or even 
 fufpefled, of throwing an unmerited cen- 
 fure on fo many hundreds as weire con- 
 cerned on that fatal day, itierely to confole 
 (me Jingle individual wider a mlsfoHuHe ? No, 
 gentlenien, that letter § was given to Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel Tarleton publicly and avow- 
 edly as the real and deliberate opinion of 
 the noMe Earl upon the a6lion ; it was in- 
 tended as an honourable teftimony to Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel Tarleton, that he had not 
 forfeited the efteem of Ws General, by his 
 condu6l on that ui^fortnnate day. 
 
 § Copy of a letter rrom Ear} CornwalHs to Colonef 
 Tarleton. — ** You hah/e forfeited no part of my efteem^ 
 ** as an officer, by the unfortunate event of tb9 a^ion 
 ** of the 17th ; the means you ufed to bring the enemy 
 .« to a£lion were able and mafterly, and muft ever do 
 *' you honour } your difpodtion was unexceptionable : 
 ** the total mifbehaviour of the troops could alone have 
 ♦* deprived you of the glory which was fo juftly your 
 « due." 
 
 N2 At 
 
 : 
 
 ir 
 
 i I 
 
 «:>'••; vx:,';? 
 
( 92 ) 
 
 At .that time Tarleton never dreamt of 
 publifljiing a hillory of-the Southern Cam- 
 paigns ; but he always thought himfelfat 
 liberty to publifh a letter, which, in its own 
 nature, was pu^)lic. r ^ ..r* ^wf Vf*-- . 
 
 Let any candid, liberaJi an4 difiotereI\ed 
 officer fuggefl any other, pur pofe,fp^ which 
 the noble Earl could have given Liisuteiiant 
 Colonel Tarleton that letter^but for the pur- 
 pofe of a public vindication of his condu6l. 
 
 Had Tarleton never produced this letter, 
 after hgvinff been refuted an examiqation 
 by a qouf t; .^^ar^ial, his, chara6ler and con- 
 du6l might, ijideed, jfe^ive been expofed to 
 attacHs, not more fmifter, but far piore 
 formidable, than thofe pf our Stri6luTift;,i; r 
 '. Had I been prefent* at that xmfortunate 
 affair, (Cow Pens,) I ihould not hefitate 
 
 ; '4, )iii,iOiK{ 
 
 one 
 
 t ' " ■ .. ,. • -Kii^o "■•■' ' ' ■'••• '» ' 
 
 * When, the army quitted Charlotte, I myfelf, with 
 four or five oiher officers, fick of the yellow fever, were 
 
(93 ) 
 
 one inftant to declare my fentimcnts moji 
 fully to the whole world ; but not having 
 been an eye witnefs, I am obliged to bury 
 in my own breaft many particulars that I 
 am ilrongly inclined to believe. "^ynnm^rvE' 
 ~i From my fitiiation in the province of 
 South Carolina, at that time (being at 
 Camden), I had an opportunity of obtain- 
 ing eVery information relative to that un- 
 fortunate a6lion, by daily, nay hourly, con- 
 verfing with various oificers who had been 
 prefent at that a6lion, many of whom were 
 uninfluenced by prejudice: or party, and 
 who, from their military abilities and well 
 known honour, were incapable of mifrepre- 
 ienting the real fa(5ts, for various reafons 
 
 
 <o...eyed away in waggons. I was the onty one tliat 
 furvived a week's march. From the inclemency of the 
 feafon, and being frequently wetted by crofling rivers, 
 I loft the ufe of my limbs for fome months. 
 
 ism 'B ■ 'mf-^K-*i;wm 
 
 ^rt" 
 
 which 
 
 '-. ''^t 
 
( 94 ) 
 
 which I need not here enumerate. Interefted 
 as the world may well imagine md to have 
 been, both on the defeat of my friend, and 
 ^ corps I belonged to, I was moil particu- 
 larly induced to attempt to make myfelf 
 inafler of the fubje6l. I have given un- 
 wearied attention to every officer's account 
 of that adlion, and have continued to fe^k 
 for further information even to this hour^ 
 Without being too prefuir^ptuops, I think- 
 I may dedlare, that I am as fully mafler of 
 that fubje6l as it is poflible for any pne 
 to^ be who was not adlually prefent. i^M^ 
 
 I fliall now proceed, by dating a few ex- 
 tra6ls from diflfeient authors, and then re- 
 ply to the errors in judgment imputed ta 
 Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton, by Roderick 
 M'Kenzie. —>- 
 
 The Marquis de Chaftellux, whom our 
 Stri6lurift brings firft on the carpet, after, 
 cenfuring General Morgan for a manoeuvre 
 rl>Mv * ■■ ■' ■ " - . ' ' : he 
 
( 95 ) 
 
 / 
 
 he caufed his troops to make during the 
 
 
 a6\ion, concludes his remarks in the fol- . 
 
 
 lowing words ; — Stridlures, page 94.-^ 
 
 
 «* Whatever was the motive of this fmgular 
 
 
 ** monoeuvre of General Morgan, the re- 
 
 • 
 
 ** fult of it was the defeat of Tarleton, 
 
 1 
 
 ** whofe troops gave way on all fides with- 
 
 
 ^* out the poffibility of rallying."— Our 
 
 
 Stri(5lurift next produces the account from 
 
 
 the Annual Regifter of 1781. He then be- 
 
 
 gins hi3 own remarks in the following 
 
 
 words — Stri<$lures, page 95 — " The Mar- 
 
 - 
 
 ** quis's (de Chaftellux) expofition of the 
 
 •» 
 
 *« caufe of the defeat, in fpite of his afler- 
 
 
 « tions that it has the fan(5lion of General 
 
 • 
 
 ** Morgan, is flimfy and earroneous. The 
 
 
 " ^tpr pf the Annual Regifter has been 
 
 * 
 
 ** deceived ; cpnfequently, of thefe feveral 
 
 " 
 
 *< accounts, that given by Do6lor Ramfay 
 
 - 
 
 *^ def^ves moft attention." Pray, gentle- 
 
 # 
 
 ipen of the army, why is the Marquis de 
 
 1 
 
 Chaftellux's exporition, fanStioned by General 
 
 IT . 
 
 .. ' Morgan, 
 
 -5 
 
 i 
 
 
 
C 90 ) 
 
 Morgan, who commanded againd Tarleton, 
 to be deemed flimfey aild erroneous ? And 
 why is a notorious and avowedly rebelHous 
 writer (Dr. Ramfay) > be credited in pre^ 
 • ference to the Annual Regifter, or any 
 other periodical writer ? Is no perfon ex- 
 cept our Stridturift, and his favourite au- 
 thor (Ramfay), to be credited ? But let his 
 evidence be produced — Vide Stri6lures, 
 page 117 — " Of all improbable events, none 
 ** fecmed to him (Earl Cornwallis) more 
 " improbable, than that an inferior force, 
 ** two thirds militia, fhould gain fuch a! 
 " decifive advantage over his favourite 
 ** hero." Thus fays Ramfay ; and in my 
 humble opinion, not much in favour of the' 
 Brityh, Let the Stridlurift make themoft 
 of this declaration of his favourite author. 
 If either Earl Cornwallis's, rr Lieutenant 
 Colonel Tarleton's, difpatches or letters^^ 
 have thrown cenfure on any particular 
 
 V 4\>'fHV4-kj •j^\ :;*^jv;;>vn;\ft^_.fir>':v:9^7K'i e'ici/M corps 
 
{ 07 ) 
 
 corps employed that day, I am far from 
 imagining that he will be thought to have 
 removed it by the authorities he has 
 quoted. Without confuting a fmgle alle- 
 gation in the accounts of that a6lion, as 
 given either by the noble Earl, or Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel Tarleton, he ventures to 
 ^ccufe Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton of four 
 errors in judgment, which, with your per* 
 miffion, gentlemen of the ^rmy, we will 
 feparately inveftigate. 
 
 " The firft error in judgment to be im* 
 " puted to Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton, 
 ?* on the morning of the 17th of January, 
 *' 1781, is, the not halting his troops be^ 
 ** fore he engaged the enemy, Had he 
 ^ done fo, it was evident that the following 
 '* advantages would have been the refult of 
 " his condu6l: — General Morgan's force 
 ** and fituation might have been diftindlly 
 <^ viewed, under cover of a very fuperior 
 
 is 
 
 ^ 5 
 
 ] \ 
 
 ■ i ■■1 
 
 4m . 
 
 1 ; 
 
 ■*,»:i;.r- 
 
 Q 
 
 « cavalry; 
 
 ;. f 
 
ti 
 
 « 
 u 
 it 
 
 t 
 
 a 
 
 €€ 
 
 t( 
 
 «f 
 (( 
 if 
 it 
 U 
 ft 
 
 tc 
 (t 
 (( 
 
 «« 
 (t 
 
 (f 
 
 . ( 9S ) 
 
 cavalry; the Britifli infantry, fatigued 
 with rapid marches, day and night, for 
 fome time pad, as has been already ob- 
 ferved, might have had reft and refrefli- 
 ment; a detatchment from the feveral 
 pqrps left with the baggage, together 
 with batt-men, and officers' fervants, 
 would have had time to come up, and 
 join in the a6tion. The artillery all this 
 time might have been playing on the ene- 
 my's front, or either flank, without rifque 
 of infult ; the commandants of regiments, 
 Majors M* Arthur and Newmarfh, officers 
 who held commiffions long before our 
 author was born, and who had reputa- 
 tions to this day unimpeached, piiight 
 have been confulted ; and, not to dwell 
 on the enumeration of all the advan- 
 tages which wqujd have accrued from 
 fo judicious a del^y, time would have 
 been given for the approach of Earl 
 
 " Cornwallis 
 
** Gbrrtwallis to the preconcerted point,* 
 " for the imattainment of which he haS 
 " been fo much and fo unjuftly cenfured." 
 
 The truth is, gentlemen, that Lieutenant 
 Colonel Tarleton did halt the troops for 
 near half an hour, and made them throw of 
 their knapfacksand blankets to render them 
 lighter for a6lion. It is equally true, that 
 the troops did not receive all the j-ejl and 
 reffe/bmenty^hich ourStri6lurift: wifhedthem. 
 They were'not ordered to (lack their arms 
 before an enemy who were already formed 
 in battle array ; nor did they commence cook- 
 ing their camp kettles under the prote(5iion 
 of a cannonade; a fafliion of feafting which 
 I acknowledge, would have had the recom- 
 mendation of novelty. I have the mofl 
 perfe6l refpe6l for Majors M* Arthur and 
 Ne>Vmarfh ; moft particularly for the for- 
 mer, with whom I ever lived on fervice 
 upon the ftri6teft: footing of friendfhip. 
 .;v ~ 02 Confulting 
 
 ■i 
 
 If 
 
 :i.i 
 
 
 ■i-i 
 
 /■ 
 
( 100 ) 
 
 ronfulting them perhaps might have been 
 of ufe ; though, in my humble opinion, 
 (to borrow an ilea from the Stridlurift's 
 cannonading dinner,) too many cooks ge- 
 nerally fpoil the broth. Earl Cornwallis 
 judged Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton to 
 be fufiiciently qualified for this bufinefs. 
 He had commanded often times with dif- 
 tinguiflied perfeverance and fuccels, in at 
 leaft as arduous fituations* as that of the 
 unfortunate 17th of January. The idea of 
 a cannonade that fhould have given Earl 
 Cornwallis time to arrive at the fcene of 
 a6lion, (to ufe the Stri6lurifl'i? own words,) 
 is an abfurdity l^itherto unparalleled. The 
 
 * Vide the dcTcription of Beauford's defeat, where 
 Tarleton, with the Britifli Legion alone, a new corps, 
 and had not fccn much fervice, (at that time,} attacked 
 Beauford with a chofcn body of Continentals, killed a 
 number, and made prifoner the whole corps^ excepting 
 about fevcntcen qs eighteen* 
 
 •J ; 
 
 army 
 
 
( 101 } 
 
 army being near thirty miles diftant, march- , 
 ing at the rate of four miles an hour, they 
 could not have arrived under feven hours. 
 This, in my opinion, would have been a 
 devil ifh long cannonade indeed ; and tho'' 
 the Stri6lurift remarks, that during this 
 time the Britifh might have refted and re- 
 freflied themfelves, we are not to fuppofe: 
 that the Americans would have gone to 
 fleep. Really, gentlemen, throughout thiar 
 fir ft criticifm upon the a6lion of the Cow 
 Pens, the Stridlurift is fo incomprehen- 
 fible in any military fenfe, and fhews him- 
 felf fo deftitute of military knowledge, that 
 I cannot treat it lerioufly. c> 4 ' »-— ^- ' 
 ** The fecond error was, the un-officer 
 " like impetuofity of dire6ling the line to 
 " advance before it was properly formed, 
 " and before '4:he referve had taken its 
 *'groxmd; in confequence of which, as' 
 
 |: 
 
 ,( I 
 
 
 St ;| 
 
 * : i 
 
 III 
 
( i02 ) 
 
 *' inight have been 55xpe6led, the attack wd£j 
 <* premature, confufed, and irregular." 
 4 While Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton w^ad 
 reconnoitering the enemy on his right, a 
 fcattering are commenced by fome recruits 
 of the 7th, who had but newly joined their 
 regiment, and feen no fervice. This un- 
 lleady behaviour he filenced to the utmoft 
 of his power, and then led the line to ac- 
 tion. In your defcription of the a6lion — » 
 Stri6lures, page 97, you fay : — " The light 
 " legion infantry and fuzileers were ordered 
 " to form in line. Before this order was 
 ** put in execution, and while Major New-f 
 •* marih, who commanded the latter corps^ 
 « was fo/fing his officers, the line, far from 
 <* complete, was led to the attack by Lieii- 
 «* tenant Colonel Tarleton himfelf." The 
 idea of polling officers I am at a lofs to 
 comprehend ; fuch an expreffion was ne- 
 ver betbre ufed in any military produ(5lion, 
 
 nor 
 
 •' 
 
( 103 ) 
 
 nof was fuch a pradliee ever adopted in 
 the field. ^ * ;v 
 
 Every officer, when a regiment is order- 
 ed to form, of courfe knows his proper 
 ftation without being pofled*. Again, in 
 the fame page, Stri6lure§ 97, you fay ;.^ .. 
 ** The 71 ft regiment and cavalry, who had 
 *f not as yet difentangled themfelves from 
 ** the brufh wood with which Thickelle 
 ** Creek abounds, were dire6lv>d to form, 
 *r* and wait for orders/' And in the fol- 
 lowing page, Stridures 98, thus you in- 
 form us ; " The referve, which as yet had 
 " no orders to move from its firft pofition, 
 ". and confequently remained near a mile 
 f* diftant, was now dire6ted to advance. 
 ♦* When the lin^ felt the advance of the 
 
 * The Idea is equally new and curious ; and could 
 only have been brought to life by the fertile and mili-r '; 
 pry genius of Dr. Browne and Roderick M^Kenzie^ 
 
 ti . 1 
 
 m 
 
 !: 
 
 I: 
 
 f' 71ft, 
 
 i 
 
 i- 
 
( 104 ) 
 
 "■■ ■ I, ' 
 
 ^f 7lll, all the infantry again moved on ; the 
 f* Continentals and backwoods-men gave 
 ^ groimd ; the Britifh rufhed forward." 
 
 Firft, fir, I will be fo free as to tell you, 
 that the a^ion was fought very near two 
 miles from Thickelle Creek, in an open pinei 
 barren, and not one lingle bufb on the field 
 of battle to entangle the troops, as you are 
 pleafed to aflert. f ' 
 
 , Secondly, fir, I will take upon me to 
 maintain, that the Tift v^ere not one mile 
 in the rear, as you abfurdly relate ; they 
 were not three hundred yards diftant ; they 
 were equally concerned in this affair "with 
 the reft of the line. They moved up ; and 
 when moving up to form in line with the 
 reft of the troops, whether from their not 
 taking ground enough, or from fome other 
 circumftance, their right flank bru/hed the 
 left flank of the 7th regiment, and inter r 
 mixed one \yith the other. Major M^Ar^ 
 t *' «. " thur, 
 
.. r 
 
 
 r . ( 105 ) 
 
 thur, who commanded them, will not deny" 
 this fa6l. This, I hope, gentlemen of the 
 army, is a plain proof they could not have 
 been a mile diftant. The whole front line 
 might have been deftroyed before they 
 could have moved to that diftance. Finally, 
 fir, I mull now inform the public, that 
 you have acknowledged to officers that have 
 converfed with you on thefe two fubje6ls, 
 fince the publication of your Stri6lures, 
 that you have miftated thofe fa6ls. 
 
 You complain of the want of cannon and 
 cavalry to fupport our troops. General 
 Morgan had no cannon in the field to in- 
 duce his troops to rally ; fo far the Britiu. 
 were upon equal terms with him. And al- 
 though the main body of the cavalry (in a 
 ^oft unaccountable manner) fled, your own 
 account has proved there was a fufficient 
 force of cavalry left in the field to repulfe 
 Wafliington's horfe, although they were 
 . , ^ . . ,F , ;.; \^ fupported 
 
 If 
 
 t 
 
 Ml' ■ 
 
 ■/'I 
 
 i -li 
 
"II ,1,1 m-'v^im^miywrw' 
 
 'i^f-^fuf/ir- 
 
 ( 106 ) 
 
 fttpported by their Contineritals~Vide Stric- 
 tures, page 100. — " Lieutenant Colonel 
 ** Tarleton, with no more than fifty horfe, 
 " hefitated not to charge the whole of 
 " Walhington's cavalry, though fupported 
 ** by the Continentals ; it was a fmall body 
 ** of officers, and a detatchment of the ntli 
 " dragoons who prefented themfelves on 
 ** this defperate occafion ; the lofs fuftained 
 " was in proportion to the danger of the 
 " enterprize, and the whole body was re* 
 « pulfed." 
 
 " The third error in this ruincns bufi- 
 <* nefs, was the omiffion of giving difcre- 
 <* tional powers to that judicious veteran 
 " M* Arthur, to advance with thek*eferve, 
 " at the time that the front line was m 
 •* purfuit of the militia ; by whkJi means 
 " the conne6lion, fo neceflary to troops eh- 
 " gaged in the field, was'not preferved." 
 
 It may be propei*, in every adlion, to give 
 certain difcretionary powers to experienced 
 
 officers 
 
. ( 107 ) 
 
 officers. In the prefent inftance, the ar- 
 rangements made, as I have juft (hewn, hy 
 Colonel Tarleton himfelf, rendered fuch a 
 power lefs neceflary ; but with or without 
 difcretionary powers, communicated in ex- 
 prefs terms, I have too high an opinion both 
 of the courage and judgment of Major 
 M* Arthur, to imagine that, commanding 
 the referve, he would remain three-quarters 
 of a mile in the rear. — He might as well 
 have been in England as in fuch a fituation. 
 In a word, the fa6l was not as you relate 
 it — ^He was not three hundred yards in the 
 rear. But I {hall dwell no longer on this 
 fubjecl, as I believe your own confeflions, 
 fubfequent to your publication, are on my 
 Jide. You have acluiowledged your mif- 
 -ftatement in this inftance, as well as in your 
 defcription of the nature of the groimd on 
 which the a6tion was fought, to officers 
 .■who ^re ready to atteft your confefTion. 
 
 Pg Tho 
 
V ( 108 ) 
 
 The reft of this third error in judg- 
 ment, imputed by you to Tarleton, has 
 been fufficiently expatiated on in the re- 
 mark on your fecond accufation. 
 
 i» 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 109, 
 
 ' ' " His fourth error was, ordering Captain 
 ** Ogilvie, with a troop confifting of no 
 «* more than forty men, to charge, before 
 " any impreffion was made on theConti- 
 « nentals, and before Walhington's cavalry 
 ** had been engaged." 
 
 Although I fhould fmcerely have regret- 
 ted the lofs of Captain Ogilvie, not only as 
 one of my moft intimate friends, but as a 
 diftinguilhed and gallant officer, yet, had he, 
 together with his whole troop, been mafla- 
 cred and annihilated to a man, this par- 
 tial misfortune could not have loft the 
 day. 
 
 STRIC- 
 
 
 '.J- 
 
,j >'\l 
 
 ( 109 ) 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 109. 
 
 
 - " The next, and the mod deftru6live (for 
 " I will not pretend to follow him through 
 " all his errors) was in not bringing up a 
 " column of cavalry, and in completing 
 ** the rout ; which, by his own account, 
 " had commenced through the whole Ame^ 
 " rican infantry/' 
 
 Two fepirate times Lieutenant Colonel 
 Tarleton fent for the cavalry to advance ; 
 but, regardlefs of his orders, and their own 
 honour, they went off the field without en- 
 gaging. Be this known to the world.— 
 Their molt fanguine friends can never 
 fpeak one word in behalf of their condudl 
 on that day. They did not advance. But, 
 gentlemen, why is Lieutenant Colonel Tarle- 
 ton to be condemned for their mifcondu<5l ? 
 This accufation of the Stridlurift's, is the 
 heighth of injuftice and malevolence. If 
 
 . > they 
 
 I « 
 
 *S*^v 
 
 
 :' ' 
 
 -■ ^ - 
 
 
 A - 
 
 
 ' ^ 
 
^ir< 
 
 • i 
 
 . ( "o ) 
 
 they were determined not to advance, how 
 could he compel them to do it ? It is well 
 known, that in perfonal gallantry, Tarleton 
 fhewed them a moft brilliant example on 
 that occafion. — He flood almoft alone, be-^ 
 tween his flying troops and the enemy, 
 with hopes either of rallying his own men, 
 •or not furviving heir difgrace. Exertions 
 were ufed, and mo9: vigourous ones, to en- 
 force obedience to the orders, of the gallant 
 commander: fome officers went fo far as to 
 cut down feveral of their men, in order to 
 ftop the flight. The condudt of the cavalry 
 was moft aftonifliing ; for they certainly had 
 ferved well, and with difl^^indlion, before that 
 day : they had often charged when expofed 
 to a heavy fire. 
 
 ■> I need not be diffident in giving my 
 opinion of the difpofition Tarleton made 
 of his troops that day, when it is fandlion- 
 ed by the opinion of fp din:inguiflied an 
 
 officer 
 
 li V*. 
 
C ni ) 
 
 officer as Earl Cornwallis. Vide extradt 
 from Earl Cornwallis's letter to Lieutenant 
 Colonel Tarleton, Stridtures, page 105, and 
 in Tarleton's Hiftory, page 252, " your 
 " diJPofition was unexceptionable." 
 
 But fetting afide the noble Earl's opinion 
 tor a moment only, I will a(k any man, 
 who claims a (hare of military knowledge^ 
 if it were poflible for any officer to have 
 drawn up his forces in a more military 
 and advantageous order ? He was oppofed 
 to a numerous enemy, in an open pine-' 
 barren, with no natural ftrength to pro- 
 te61: his flanks ; the militia and back- 
 woods-men) from their loofe manner of 
 fighting, were in a fituation to out flank 
 him. — His force confifted of the light and 
 legion infantry, the 7th regiment, the 71(1, 
 and a body of near three hundred horfe. 
 The light infantry, legion infantry, and 
 7th regiment, were drawn up in front, 
 
 ' with 
 
 '♦ 
 
 i> , >>i'' 
 
 ?^:i 
 
 I 
 
( 112 ) 
 
 with a fquadron of cavalry to prote6l each 
 flank — a moft military fubftitute to fupply 
 the want of a natural defence. The 71 (I 
 regiment, and the remainder of the cavalry, 
 were in referve. I will boldly alTert, that 
 it was not poflible to difpofe of his troops 
 more judicioufly. r 
 
 The means Tarleton ufed to bring the 
 enemy to a6lion, would do honour to any 
 officer. The unwearied attention and per- 
 feverance he (hewed to oblige them to fight, 
 muft ever do him credit ; and even defies 
 the rancour and malevolence of Roderick 
 M*Kenzie, who in this point is forced to 
 admit his merit. 
 
 i; EarlCornwallis pays the higheft tribute 
 of praife to Tarleton, for his vigourous ex- 
 ertions in compelling the enemy to halt 
 and engage. Vide extra6t from EarlCorn- 
 wallis's letter to Lieutenant Colonel Tarle- 
 ton, Stri6lures, page 105. " The means 
 
 • ' " you 
 
 I-., 
 
( I'S ) 
 
 •* you iiled to bring the enemy to a6lion 
 « were able and mafterly, and will ever 
 "' do you honour." 
 
 Your account of the a6lion at Cow Pens, 
 was confeflyiy written with an intent to 
 vindicate the condu6t of the troops, and 
 to impute the whole blame and misfortune 
 of that day to feveral errors in judgment 
 cx)mmitted by Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton ; 
 yet in your own account of that bufinefs, 
 you furnifh proofs againft yourfelf ; as for 
 inflan*'^, vide page 100 :— ** The advance 
 •* of the Britifli fell back, and communis 
 " cated a panick to others, which foon be 
 «* came general." Ls. not this paiTage, iiB 
 plain Englifli, as follows :•— " The advance 
 ** of the Britifh Jied, and were foon accom- 
 « pamed by the rejl of the line, who jled 
 ** likewife, but never rallied^*' To conflrue 
 this as good behaviour in the troops, I find 
 a very difficult talk; but your opinion 
 . Q and 
 
( "* ) 
 
 » and mine may, perhaps differ on this 
 fubje6t. 
 
 Your own account allows alFo, that the 
 Britifh had once gained the vidlory, but 
 did not chiife to keep it :— you aver even 
 that the enemy fled in all quarters. Vide 
 Stri6tures, page 98:—" The Continental 
 ** and back-woods men gave groimd, and 
 « the Britifh ruflied forward." Stri6tures, 
 page 99, " They (the cavalry) flood aloof, 
 ** without availing themfelves of the faired 
 •* opportunity of reaping the laurels which 
 •* lay before tliem ; — the infantry were not 
 <* in a condition to overtake the fugitives." 
 Again, in Stri6tures, page 99, " General 
 *< Morgan ordered Colonel Wafhington, 
 •* with his dragoons, to cover his retreat, 
 ** and to check the purfuit." * 
 
 In pages 98 and 99 of your Stri6lures, 
 you acknowledge the Americans were beat- 
 en, and flying, but rallied ; and, in page 
 
 SJ ''. r 100,you 
 
 !l 
 
> • 
 
 ( "^ ) 
 
 J 00, you allow «* The Briilfli, in their turn, 
 ^* fled, but never rallied." ' ' 
 
 I mud confefs, I cannot myfelf find out 
 where, in your defcription of this a6lion, 
 you have confuted Earl Cornwallis's opinion 
 of the condudl of the troops, and Tarleton ; 
 and therefore, until you give me very 
 dif{«;rent arguments to bring me over 
 to your opinion, I (hall adopt the noble 
 {Carl's. You meant well, fir ; but a 
 bad advocate employed in a caufe, does 
 Iijore harm than good. That is exa<5lly 
 your cafe ; for yoiu: own defcription of the 
 a6lion, intentionally meant to vindicate, 
 condemns the very caufe you wilh to de- 
 fend. 
 
 You inform us, that your account of the 
 adlion has been fubmitted to the judgment 
 of feveral refpe6hible officers who were 
 iji this a6tion, and that it has met with 
 tlieir entire approbation, I hope I fliall 
 
 ^% not 
 
 'it! 
 
 .i 
 
 •yi 
 
 «■ 
 
 •% 
 
-i! 
 
 M 
 
 i 
 
 ■■« 
 
 mf' 
 
 ■m 
 
 ( "6 ) 
 
 hot incuf the difple? fure of thol. officers, 
 •when, with the moft perfe6l refpe6l, I in- 
 form them, they have fan6lioned an ac- 
 count, replete with erroneous ftatements 
 of fadls*, and glaring abfurdities§. 
 
 After all you have written-^after various 
 quotations from different authors— after 
 having charged Lieutenant Colonel Tarle-*. 
 ton with four particular errors in judg-! 
 mei't — yovL cannot deny this plain fedl: 
 The Americans, both militia and Contin 
 
 * Surely it muft be allowed moft erroneous to ftate^ 
 that the 71ft were a mile in the rear, when thiy were 
 not three hundred yards $ and that the referve were en- 
 tangled in the brufh-wood with which Thickelle Creek 
 abounds, wh^n the a<^iun was fought very near two 
 miles from the Creek, on an open pine-barren, and not; 
 one flngle bufli on the field of battle. 
 
 § Surely no perfcn, after a moment's reflexion, can 
 fuppofe that a connonade could have been kept up long 
 enough to bring EarlCornwallis, with the ZTmy^ ^ that 
 fpor, from which he was thirty miles diftant ; nor can 
 any man fupport fo unmilit%ry an idea, as poking officers 
 in aiSlion, 
 
 . • ■ : • X. ^\: - . 'X- 
 
 
 nentals. 
 
I 
 
 ( "7 ) ■ 
 
 V 
 
 nentals, fled, but rallied, and renewed the 
 engagement; when the Britifli, in their 
 turn, fled, but never rallied. It is certain, 
 the Britifti had once gained tlie vi^lory, 
 but did no* l«5ep it : your own, and every 
 other account, agre^ in this point. 
 
 In two infl:ances you reprobate Do6lor 
 Ramfay's condu6l, and reproach him with 
 the bafenefs of charging the brother of an 
 Englifli Duke with a defire to receive a 
 commiflion from Congrefs, and juftly ftig* 
 matize him for his arrogance in daring to 
 cenfure the honourable and diiiinguiflied 
 chara6ler of a Montcrief ; but yet you are 
 happy in quoting every paflage from that 
 notorious author, that you imagine may 
 tend to degrade Lieutenant Colonel Tarle- 
 ton, or detra6t from his military fame. I 
 have honourably related, according tr- the 
 befl: information I have been able to ob- 
 tain, the various condu<5l of the different 
 
 corps ; 
 
 ( 
 
 \M: 
 
i 
 
 I 
 
 ml' 
 
 li 
 
 
 ( ^13 ) 
 
 corps ; and having juftly cenfured thofo 
 who deferve cenfure, I cannot, fir, permit 
 the regiment to which you belonged to, 
 (the 71 ft), to retreat unnoticed. I truft, 
 tlie army, to whom I addrefs my difcourfe 
 will allow them an equal fhare with the 
 reft of the line, both in the merits and 
 demerits of that day ; though you wifti to 
 make the world believe, by your defcrip^ 
 tion of that unfortunate affair, that they 
 had no Ihare in the adlion until all the 
 other infantry were totally beaten. I tell 
 the world pofitively, fir, they were engag- 
 ed (vide page 104) ; and although the ut-j 
 moft exertions were ufed by their officers, 
 they, with the reft of the line, fled. Though 
 I know full well the Highlanders are a 
 gallant and bold race, pleafe, fir, to recol- 
 le&:, they are but men. 
 
 .^■^'rr 
 
 
 >i.J<Ji;- 
 
 
 STRIG-^ 
 
{ "9 ) 
 
 <C 
 
 <( 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE 89 AND 90. 
 
 » ■•'.,■ 
 
 -• To examine whether proper ufe was 
 ** made of the advantages which occurred 
 on the morning of the 17th of January, 
 both before and during the a6iion ; and, 
 ** to trace to its very fource, a fountain that 
 " overflowed with blood, and fwept along" 
 " its torrent deftrudlion to the intereft of 
 « Great Britain." j;...; 
 
 ^ Here indeed you rife into horror.—* 
 ** Fountains orverflowing with blood! dejiruc^ 
 ^ Urn I bloody torrents!" Ghqfts, hobgoblins, 
 damons, Tartarus, I imagine follow ! I 
 7/3S terrified, and fhut the book ! Had 
 } b en aware that I (hould meet with fuch 
 a bloody defcription of the fate we poor 
 foldiers are doomed to fufFer, I (hould have 
 been afraid to open it» 
 
 ,',' 
 
 H 
 
 jSTRICf 
 
 '■ y 
 
"''^'•wr 
 
 mm 
 
 ( i20 ) 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 M 
 
 M 
 
 STRICTURES, t>AGE 107. ' 
 
 *« If to be difinterefted is neceflary to 
 « the inveftigation of truth, I come fo far 
 •* qualified for this talk. Unconne6led 
 " wich par? 7, devoid of fpleen, and too 
 
 wnimporta^i' > be afFe6led by general 
 
 refle6lions on colle6live bodies of military 
 " men — <$andour and impartiality may be 
 " allowed me." I ; .. 
 
 J cite ibis pafTage neither to laugh at it, 
 nor treat it ferioufly.— It carries its anfwer 
 with it. Thofe who have read the preced- 
 ing part of your Stri<5lures, may pofTibly 
 conceive, that intenfe application may have 
 diftraiSied your mind, and aflfe6led your 
 underftanding. After cramming one hun- 
 dred and feven pages with abufe, malevo- 
 lence, and fcurrility, p^n you, in your fober 
 fenfes, expe6l us to believe that your pen 
 is' guided by candour and impartiality ? 
 
 and 
 
pp 
 
 mm 
 
 C 
 
 > 
 
 ) 
 
 ■nd that you are uninfluenced by interejt^ 
 party, or fpleen. — Such an infult upon th« 
 common fenfe of the world would be too 
 grols. Vv ; ; 
 
 STRICTURES, PAGE l^S, 
 
 *^ He (Ramfay) Kas engaged my efteem 
 '* for having done no more than juftice 
 ** to Fergufon, and no lefs th^n juf^ 
 *' tice to Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton. — 
 " His fei^timents of the fprmer are already 
 *♦ in your pofleflion ; and with refpetSl to 
 *^ the latter— read, and judge," tv^ i; 
 
 Whenever your favourite author (Ram»^ 
 fay) makes an attack upon any officer in 
 the Britifh army, excepting Lieutenant 
 Colonel Tarleton, you immediately repro- 
 bate him, and lament that *^ you are com- 
 f * pelled to deplore fuch a mixture of alloy, 
 ^^ with his fhining abilities." Page 136.) 
 put whenever you can fir^d any paflage in 
 
 ]^ this 
 
 :i! 
 
 n 
 M 
 
 .1 
 
 hi! 
 
this author tending to detra6l: from LieiH 
 tenant Colonel Tarleton's cliara6ler as an 
 officer, you adopt it with avidity, and give 
 it all the aid of your own candid remarks. 
 
 Let us examine whether it be true, that 
 the following paflage, which you have 
 tranfcribed in triumph from your con- 
 genial hiftorian, ^* does no lefs than juftice 
 *« to Lieutenant Colonel Tar leton." 
 
 ** Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton had hi- 
 " therto acquired difti lifted "Qputation ; 
 V but he was greatly indebted for his mi- 
 " litary fame to good fortune and accident. 
 " In all his previous engagements he ei- 
 " ther had the advantage of furprifing an 
 " incautious enemy — of attacking them 
 *« when panic-rftruck after recent defeats-— 
 " or of being oppofed to undifciplined mi- 
 ■\\y litia. He had gathered no laurels by 
 . '** hard fighting acainft an equal force ; 
 •<< his repulfe on this occafion (Cow Pens) 
 
{ 125 ) . 
 
 ** did more eflential injury to the Brltlfll 
 " intered, than was compcnfated by all 
 f* his vici^ories, Tarleton's defeat was the 
 " firfl link in a grand chain of caules, 
 «* which finally drew dov/n ruin, both in 
 '•' North and South Carolina, on the Royal 
 «* intereft" ' •• • ^^ 
 
 , Out of the mouth of your own witnefs^ 
 I will judge both you and him ! This un- 
 happy quotation contains the antidote to 
 its own venom, and eftabliflies the military ' 
 fame which it profefles to depreciate. If 
 you had confulted Lloyd (vide page 145 of 
 his work) inftead of Ramfay, you would 
 have learned that victory is the refult of 
 adlion. " No army conquers merely by rejijl- 
 " w/^ : you may repel an enemy ; but victory ii 
 ** the refult of adtion," .u.^ . , v^-, 1 i;- ^^^ •« 
 '"' You having ftudied in a different fchool> 
 may naturally condemn Tarleton for the 
 enterprize and perfeverance which enabled 
 
 
 '■ ^- ■■ !^ 
 
 R2 
 
 him 
 
 Vii 
 
ir. 
 
 I 184 ) 
 
 h? to fuf prize his enemy ; for the celerity 
 of his inarches ; for his inftant decifion ; for 
 that quicknefs, that rapidity of attack^ 
 which prevents an enemy from forming, 
 and injures vidlory with inferior force ; for 
 every quality, in ihort, and for all the talents 
 which conftitute the very excellence and per- 
 fection of a partizan . Upon your principles , 
 it mud be admitted, that the attack on the 
 the American cavalry at Lenoo's Ferry was 
 
 • extremely unmilitary. Neither was it civil 
 to force Colonels Wafliington and Lee to 
 fave their lives by fwimming the Santee ri- 
 ver with their dinner in their moiiths. It 
 would certainly have been more polite iit 
 Tarleton to have offered them a boat» Had 
 this affair happened in the winter feafon, 
 it certainly would have been a moft inhu- 
 man action ; but the warmnefs of the 
 weather in fome meafure palliated the in- 
 civility. The defeat of Sumpter, near Cam- 
 
 ' '■■ ■ i .; - den. 
 
^■^1' 
 
 ( 1^5 ) 
 
 den, \vas ftill more horrible ! It was a 
 barbarous and inhuman murder! Some 
 of thofe poor devils were killed (with their 
 fpoons in their mouths, eating omminey,) 
 before ever they could ftand to their arras. 
 There can be no excufe pleaded for fuch 
 an SL^ of cruelty. Belides, where was the 
 bravery of furprizing and attacking that 
 General fo fuddenly as not to give him 
 time to put his coat on*? - - iri-r n 
 , But now. Sir, to be more ferious ;— -youf^ 
 favourite author (Ramfay) is as incorredt 
 
 * An officer weH known in India fent to Tippoo Safb^ 
 when at the head of one hundred thoufand troops, re- 
 quiring him to meet him (honourably) with one hundred 
 men on each fide. Tippoo, on receiving the challenge, 
 faid to a colonel in the Imperial fervice, who happened 
 to be in his camp ; *' What would your mafter fay 
 **' to this ?" The German officer, who probably pof- 
 feiTed fome of Tarleton's unmilitary ideas, perceived that 
 Tippoo did not expe£l an anfwer. The magnanimity 
 6f Ramfay, Roderick M'Kenzie, and Dr. Brown, would 
 doubtlefs have exhorted him to accept the challenge. 
 
 fei. : . . • ^ in 
 
 ■ ,1 
 
 
 
 ^ i 
 
 * 
 
 ■m ■ 
 
I 
 
 ■ : .( i»6 ) 
 
 in his defcription of Lieutenant Colonel 
 Tarleton's fuccefles, as you are malevolent. 
 Be pleafed, Sir, to recollect the defeat of 
 Colonel Beaufort, witli a cbofen body ofCon^ 
 tinentals, fliortly after the furrender of 
 Charleftown. Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton 
 fent an officer to Colonel Beaufort, when 
 tie found he had approached him fo clofe< 
 that an a<Siion could not be avoidedi 
 to inform him, that if he chofe to fur- 
 fender his corps as prifoners of war, they 
 Ihould receive the fame terms as their fellow 
 foldiers that were captured in Charlcf* 
 town. This Colonel Beaufort pofitively re- 
 fufed ; halted, and formed his troops for . 
 adion. Tarleton advanced, attacked thd 
 Americans, killed go on the fpot ; and every 
 other individual of his whole corps was ei- 
 ther wounded or taken prifoners, excepting 
 the commanding officer and about feven- 
 teen or eighteen men, who mounted them- 
 •■*.'. felves 
 
felves on the waggon horles and efcaped by 
 flight. Surely, Sir, this cannot be conr 
 flrued a lurprize or i'udden attack, for Co-* 
 lonel Beaufort had above an hour's notice 
 to form his troops and prepare for battle. 
 
 The numbers on each lido were nearly 
 equal, but rather in favour 6f the Ame-? 
 ricans. .;.,.; ^. 
 
 !■ Your favourite author (Ramfay) has 
 harped very much on the defeats of Fergu- 
 fon and Tarlcton, at King's Mountain an3 
 Cow Pens ; and attributes greatly the de- 
 ftru6lion of the Britifli intereft in the fou- 
 thern partsof An.^rica,to thefe events. Al- 
 thoug-h the actions of King's Mountain, and 
 Cow Pens, were I'everely felt at that inftant of 
 time, they were only partial misfortunes. I 
 will ba fo boM as to alTcrt, that thefe misfor- 
 tunes did not in any degree contribute to the 
 lofs of America, nor could many fuch mis- 
 fortunes have produced that calamity. Our 
 
 ruin 
 
 
 4!| 
 
niw 1 
 
 "■■•f 
 
 h 
 
 E 
 
 ruin was completed by permitting afupe-* 
 rior French feet to ride triumphant on the 
 American feas the autumn of 1781. That, 
 and that only, ruined our caufo in Amer 
 rica, and difgracc fully put an end to the 
 wJar.^-There the nail was clinched !— — 
 
 Wherever a: opening is to be found for 
 detraction, or refledlionson Lieut. Col. Tarlct. 
 ton as an officer, Koderick M'Kenzie is 
 fure to come forward, but as cautioufly 
 does he avoid touching on particular events 
 to which the moft envenomed pen muft 
 render a tribute of praife : as for inftance, 
 the a6tion of Monk's-Corner', Lenor's-Ferry ; 
 Colonel Beauford's defeat in the upper parts 
 of Carolina ; and Sumpter's defeat near Camden. 
 Not one fingle comment has this candid Stric- 
 turift made on either of thefe adlions : 
 though in Page 107 of his Stri6tures, he 
 declares himfelf fo difnterefed, candid and. 
 devoid of fpleen ; and impartial^ You, Gen- 
 '-:■* tlemen 
 
^"^ 
 
 if 189 ) 
 
 tlcmen of the Army, are well acquainted 
 with their merits ; fo is Roderick M*Ken- 
 zie ; but he cautioufly avoids faying one fin- ' 
 gle word on any of thofe gallant, confpi- * 
 cuous, and decifive adtions, knowing they 
 tend fo much to the credit of Tarleton 
 and his corps* But ftill our Stidlurift af- 
 fures us that he is impartial, candid, and 
 devoid of fpleen. I am not one of thofe 
 credulous mortals who put faith in fuch 
 profeflions of candour and impartiality. I 
 would as foon believe that the Begums of 
 Oude were coming from India to appear in 
 behalf of their much injured friend, Mr, 
 Haftings. - 
 
 IN 
 
 I 
 
 V- " 
 
 m 
 
( 13d ) ' 
 
 >■■"--* ... \ • 
 
 IN CONCLUSION. 
 
 n ij 
 
 ^i' 
 
 ! 
 
 Il9i 
 
 npHE Stri6turin: is armed at all points 
 againfl Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton ; 
 lie reproaches him with a defire of ap- 
 pearing as great In the cabinet as in the field. 
 
 ^■J-'t furely he need not be jealous of 
 Tarleton's literary merit, after having him- 
 felf dlfplayed fuch extenfive knowledge 
 and talents wliich he muft have acquir- 
 ed from an intimacy with fo many ce- 
 lebrated authors, one of whom he^ix'f^.w^ 
 a quotation from, ahr.oft in every page of his 
 Stri61urcs. Mis memory muP- have been 
 very retentive, as we cannot imagine him 
 to be fo v;anting in truth, merely to have 
 made a pompous difplay of their names at 
 fccond handy and never to have perufed them. 
 
 I cannot 
 
I 
 
 ( 131 ) 
 
 I cannot Wt remind him (at parting) of 
 his moft elaborate ftudies, and Iring thtm 
 all concifely to view, with his own words 
 and quotations. And a very pretty little 
 library he brings before us. , 
 
 Stridlures, page 4 ; The difcriniinating 
 talents of a Hume, a Sewart, or a Gibbon, 
 which are fatelli^es of true genius.— Page 
 7 ; Goodall, Tytler, Stewart, and Whitaker; 
 writers of honor, difc v nment, and veracity, 
 who penetrated the thick cloud of mifrepre- 
 fentation, and placed that much injured 
 Prmcefs (Mary Queen of Scots) in the ge- 
 nuine light. — Page ai: Hs profefles him- 
 felf well acquainted with the deep defcern" 
 mentof a Machiavel. — Page 21 and 22 ; He 
 fings the praifes of a Leonidas at Thermo- 
 pylae ; the iuimortal Wolfe at the Heip:hths 
 of Abraham ; the Corfican Cheif, Paoli, and 
 his hiftorian Bofwell. — I beg pardon, I had 
 like to have forgot the ! \irifli Priefts of Cor-» 
 
 S 2 fica. 
 
 :■ 
 
 ! 
 
 J 
 
"T-'«^^PI^^' 
 
 ' "lH"pi'.w 
 
 -I 
 J't,.) 
 
 I! I 
 
 V ■ 
 
 'I 
 
 ii' < ( 
 
 
 ( ^3* ) 
 
 fica.— Page 27 ; He feems well informedi 
 of the Hiftory of Csindia an4 Rhodes.— rPage 
 38 ; he laments with the celebrated Ganga- 
 nelli. — Page 125; he produces Tacitus and 
 Livy. — Page 135 ; by his introducing the 
 talifman of a necronfiancer, we may with 
 propriety fuppofe that he may poflefs forae 
 fkill in the black art, and be a greater 
 conjurer in that fcience than in the art of 
 war. — Page 142 ; Keewee and Cherokee, 
 plainly evince that his geographical knowt 
 ledge of America, extends even to the re- 
 mote fettlements of the Indians.— -Page 143, 
 Muller's Elements of Fortication, are 
 brought in evidence to his (kill as an engi-^ 
 neer. — Page 147; Kokenfco proves alfo, 
 that he has fome curfory connedlion with 
 Poland ; nor can he be wanting in philofo-r 
 phy mathematics, or aftronomy ; and the 
 iitualion both of the heavenly and earthly 
 bodies. — As in page 125, he is oftentatious 
 
 of 
 
^r 
 
 ( ^33 ) 
 
 of his knowledge of 9 certain author's de- 
 fcription of the world, 
 
 *' He now to fenfe, now nonfenfc, leaning, 
 
 ** Means not, but blunders round about a meaning. 
 
 He here happily mixes the diilce with the 
 utile. He fhews a pretty tafte for poetry ; 
 though it muft be confefled that he is not 
 equally fortunate in the application of 
 thefe verfes ; which his readers, I believe, 
 will think, might have been more proper- 
 ly addrefled to his own compofitions than 
 to Tarleton's. 
 
 Nor (hall Ramfay, the Annual Regifter, 
 pr the Scots Magazine, pafs unnoticed in 
 the catalogue of his ftudies ; but as they dq 
 not carry with them fuch fine pompou?^ 
 names, I thought tit to place them laft. 
 
 Was I to make known my own extent 
 five knowledge of th i celebrated hiftories 
 pf Jack the Ginnt-Jiiller, and the mighty 
 
 Tom 
 
( ^34 ) 
 
 Ift- 
 
 i: 
 
 Tom Thumb, who was f wallowed up by a 
 cow, the world certainly would not render 
 me the fame tribute of praife on the im- 
 provement of my mind, as they muft to 
 him for fuch fuperior ftudies. But in my 
 humble opinion, the one would be full as 
 appropos to the American war as the other, 
 
 ** Moft learned young man ! a fecond 
 ** Daniel \" What a fund of knowledge 
 has he treafured up in his capacious mind ! 
 
 I beg leave to compliment him on the fe*- 
 cret happinefs and fatisfadlion he muft en- 
 joy from fuch extenfive, profitable, and ela-^ 
 borate ftudies ; and at the fame time, con- 
 dole with myfelf, and avow my own inabi* 
 lity and idlenefs ; for, by heavens, I never 
 read one fiftieth part, durii'gmy whole life, 
 of fuch edifying produ6lions. . 
 
 But although our Stridluriil: has plainly 
 proved his application and extenfive know^ 
 ledge as an hiftorian, a philofopher, a poet, 
 
 and 
 
and a necromancer ; which muft tend 
 ever greatly to his advantage. Permit me< 
 Gentlemen of the Army, to alk you what 
 have Hume, Gibbon, Stewart, Goodall, 
 Tytler, Whitaker, Machiavel, Lemonidasj 
 Wolfe, Ganganelli, Mary Queen of Scots, 
 Bofwell, Paoli, and Parifh Priefts) to do 
 with the American war, or Tarleton's con- 
 duct as an officer ? ^ 
 
 It grieves me much whenever I find a 
 foldier difgrace his pen with indelicate 
 abufe and vulgar wit ; throughout our 
 Stri6luriR's whole book^'he is expofed to 
 the reproach of grofs perfonality againfl 
 Colonel Tarleton ; in one part he has no 
 fcrupled to compare him to a butterfly- 
 vide Stri6lures, page 7. ** He (larleton) 
 ** appears to fubftitute a profeflionial expe- 
 " rience, fo limited as fcarcely to exceed 
 ** the duration of a butterfly's exiflence/' 
 And, with the addition of the following 
 
 elegant 
 
■^ 
 
 'vmmmm 
 
 Mr 
 
 m 
 
 t ^3^ 3 ^ 
 
 elegant note, *' Natural hiftorians relate^ 
 •* that this infeft is, in the firft period of its 
 *• exiftence, a crawling grub ; in the fe- 
 *' cond, a fluttering ufelefs fly; and that 
 *• in the third, it dies." 
 
 I furely may, in return^ be allowed to 
 prefent him with the opinion of a Huron 
 on fuch produ(5lions, when confined in the 
 Baftile with Gordon the Janfanifr, who 
 gives him feveral books to read, during 
 their confinement ; — the ftory is Voltaire's, 
 and none of mine, — .(vide the Sincere Hu- 
 ron, as tranflated from Voltaire.) *' The 
 good man had fome little books of cri- 
 ticifm, fome of thofe periodical pamphlets 
 ** wherein men, incapable of producing any 
 •* thing themfelves, blacken the produc- 
 ** tions of others ; where a Vife infults a 
 ** Racine, and a Fardit a Fenelon. The 
 ** Huron ran over fome of them. 
 
 * I com- 
 
 et 
 
 *x 
 
^ 
 
 * I compare them tp certain gnjits, that 
 
 * lodge their eggs in the pofteriors of the 
 ^ fineft horfips, which do not, however, 
 
 • prevent their running/ 
 
 ' The two philofophers fcarce deigned to 
 caft their eyes upon thefe excrements of 
 literature. 
 
 For the great pains our Stri6lurifl: has 
 taken to ridicule and ahufe Colonel Tarle- 
 ton, he really deferves fome reward. If 
 he Ihould emigrate from hence to the Eall, 
 I think a contra6l for opiu m and ele- 
 phants would not over reward the labours 
 of his pen ; but fliould thofe torrid regions 
 not be congenial to his conftitution, what 
 think you of his being made Purveyor 
 to the Lions in the Tower*? It is a 
 good thing where he may be able to ferve 
 
 ;■: i 
 
 * This pl^ce is worth j^iooo per annum, and in the 
 gift of th'j Conftablc of the Tower (Earl Coruwallis.) 
 
 his 
 
 

 ^ m* 'ii<yi|i 
 
 iiiipiiiivii mmmi^wmiimi^w^ir^^^^imiifmii&imi^ 
 
 t ^88 3 
 
 hi* friend Dr. Brown *, by appointing hihi 
 Head Keeper, a proper employment for 
 fuch a fhamelefs deftru(Slor of public or pri- 
 vate fame, who (hould be banifhed the loci- 
 ^ty of all human beings, and deflined to 
 live with favage beafts. 
 
 * Although Dr. Brown died fume time this vy^ter, I 
 have not deviated from the old adage " De mortuis nil 
 <« nili boniim.'* This book was written, and the greateil 
 part printed laft July. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
n^ mjmamwt 
 
 1 
 
 ihi 
 for 
 iri- 
 )ci- 
 to 
 
 5r,I 
 
 s nil 
 ateft 
 
 '*-;,'