The Bland papers

15 March 1781

Battle of Guilford Court House

LETTER LIII.

* " Brigadier Lawson (wlio commanded one of tlie two brigades of Virginia militia, which behaved so handsomely at the battle of Guilford Court House,) was at the head of the strongest of these corps, having under him the lieutenant colonels Monroe, Ca; Banister and Mercer. (6^ As soon as Leslie abandoned Vir- ginia, to join Cornwallis in South Carolina, Lawson's corps was disbanded ; by which means the horse, commanded by Banister, was lost to the state, when our situation now so pressingly required cavalry." Lee's Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department, vol. 1, p. 197.

THE BLAND PAPERS. 67

General Greene has now his whole force collected, amounting to 1300 or 1400 regulars, and 200 cavalry. His lordship, it is said, is about 3000 strong. Some of our principal partisans are raising the well-affected inhabitants in his rear. Expresses are sent over the mountains, to our faithful friends, Campbell, Shelby, &c., who are shortly expected, with a number of riflemen. I am of opinion, if we were joined by those men, we should give his lordship battle, and commit the issue to the point of the bayonet ; our men now are fond of appealing to that decision. A Captain Conyers has lately taken off a British picket of 30, with 14 militia, near Charlestown, and Colonel Marion is within 20 miles of Charlestown, with 500 men. Col. Pickens is gone round to assemble the well-affected in the district of Ninety- six, from which, February 30th, at Guilford Court House. After this General Greene marched to Dan, crossed that and Banister, and took post at Halifax Court House, where he now remains daily increasing in numbers, from all quarters. The people are entirely unanimous, and spirited on this occasion ; but I think the rest of the continent have totally abandoned us, as we have, unaided, to encounter an army at each end of the state, which, by keeping the militia always in arms, effectually prevents us from recruiting our regular forces. Lord Cornwallis has not yet crossed the Dan, and I believe the apparent danger of such a movement has brought him to cool reflection. If we could have a regular force to assist us, until we could get our soldiers into the field, I think, with the assistance of a strong French fleet, we could manage our enemies in all quarters. It is much the opinion of our friends in Greene's army that Lord Cornwallis will be roughly handled in a few days.