He set out, with his force, consisting of about five hundred men, and reached the vicinity of the encampment of the patriot force about the middle of the afternoon of the next day.
He advanced and attacked the British with great energy, and they, taken by surprise, were thrown into great disorder. Then the patriot force on the knoll charged out upon the British, and added to the confusion, and for a while there raged about as fierce a battle as one would expect to see.
The British tried to rally and hold their ground, but could not do so, and finally they broke and fled at the top of their speed, pursued by the patriots, who were glad to turn the tables on the British.
The British continued on in the direction of Fort Ninety-Six, and it seemed evident that they did not intend to linger in the vicinity of the patriots, now that they had a strong force.
Generals Greene and Sumpter held a council, and after considerable discussion, decided not to follow the enemy and try to capture Fort Ninety-Six.
Instead they joined forces and went to another part of South Carolina, where the redcoats and Indians were causing the patriot settlers a lot of trouble, and made it so hot for the British and Tories and Indians that they were glad to cease operations and head in the direction of Fort Ninety-Six.
The patriots were well satisfied with their work. They had stopped most of the work of plundering by redcoats, Tories and Indians, and were ready to start to make it lively for other gangs of Tories and Indians, in other parts of the country.
Dick and Tom Dare, and Ben Foster, having gotten through the campaign without being wounded, were well pleased with their part in the campaign, and were eager for further adventures.
“I like the excitement of battling with the British,” said Tom, as they sat in camp, at evening, and talked of the exciting adventures they had gone through in the past few weeks. “I hope we will soon get started on another series of adventures just as exciting.”
“I don’t like fighting for the sake of the excitement of the fight,” said Dick; “but I am always glad to be fighting when it is to be for the benefit and good of the patriot Cause.”