It was now near to daylight, and we soon learned that we had captured or killed twenty-two regulars, among whom was a captain, and held two Tories as prisoners.
Our loss was one killed and one wounded.
In addition to having thus gained a victory over the best of his majesty's soldiers in the colonies, we had recaptured one hundred and fifty men, and it is not necessary to say how much of rejoicing there was in our lines when the sun rose.
Now am I come to the shameful part of the story, and one which will be most difficult of belief.
To Percy and I it seemed that with this successful attack, by liberating one hundred and fifty men who were supposed to be friends to the Cause, because of wearing the Continental uniform, we had added just so much to General Marion's strength, and neither of us had any question but that every one of them would gladly join our force.
As we two believed, so did all our comrades as well as the officers who led us, for after the first rejoicings were over those who had been prisoners were ordered into line, and Major James proposed, with the air of one who thinks he makes what will be accepted without question, that they enroll themselves among us of Williamsburg until such time as we could fight our way through the district to where others who loved the Cause might be found.
To the shame of these Continental soldiers it must be set down that out of that number freed by us at risk of our lives, only three consented to serve under the general.
Some said that the "Cause was lost;" others declared that to fight longer was "simply to risk one's life without an object, because the king's troops overrun the country, and after the defeat of Gates there was no longer the slightest chance we could hold our own many days."
When no more than these three stepped forward from the ranks in response to his proposal, and the others talked loudly among themselves, or with our men, my uncle turned away like one who is stricken with a deadly wound.
Then Percy and I made our way among these men who wore the buff and the blue, to hear further reasons as to why they had acted such a cowardly part.