I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, Francis Marion.
[Six days after this date Gen. Marion detached Major Postell on the expedition which we have mentioned, page 91.] [Chapter III Paragraph 7—the party of supernumerary officers, who captured and destroyed British supplies.—A. L.]
Gen. Greene to Gen. Marion.
Camp, on Pedee, Jan. 23, 1781.
Dear Sir,
I have the particular pleasure to congratulate you on the entire defeat of the enemy under Lieut. Col. Tarleton. Major Giles, this moment arrived, brings the glorious intelligence, which I have the pleasure to transmit.
On the 17th, at day-break, the enemy consisting of eleven hundred and fifty British troops, and fifty militia, attacked Gen. Morgan, who was at the Cowpens, between Pacolet and Broad river, with two hundred and ninety infantry, eighty cavalry and about six hundred militia. The action lasted fifty minutes and was remarkably severe. Our brave troops charged the enemy with bayonets, and entirely routed them, killing near one hundred and fifty, wounding upwards of two hundred, and taking more than five hundred prisoners, exclusive of the prisoners with two pieces of artillery, thirty-five waggons, upwards of one hundred dragoon horses, and with the loss only of ten men killed and fifty-five wounded. Our intrepid party pursued the enemy upwards of twenty miles. About thirty commissioned officers are among the prisoners. Col. Tarleton had his horse killed and was wounded, but made his escape with two hundred of his troops. This important intelligence I wish you to communicate to Lieut. Col. Lee if possible. I have not time to write him. If he has not attacked Georgetown, I wish he could privately transmit it to the garrison.
I am with esteem, Your most obedient humble servant, N. Greene.