My Lord:
It is with inexpressible satisfaction that I have the Honor to offer to your Lordship my sincerest congratulations on a victory gained over the Rebel Army by His Majesty's Forces under the command of Earl Cornwallis on the 16th inst., of which I had the Honor and Happiness to be a Spectator... The Enemy's Army, of much more than three times our strength, being intirely routed after a very sharp action of three -quarters of an hour, with the loss of 1,500 Men Killed, Wounded and Prisoners, together with their whole artillery, consisting of 8 pieces of Brass Ordnance, 130 Waggons, many Colours, an d the greatest part of their Arms, Ammunition, Accoutrements and Baggage... from page 49)
starting on page 53 Between 9 & 10 in the evening of the 15th, His Lordship moved from hence with his little gallant Army towards the Enemy, who, by his Intelligenc e, was now certainly at Rugely's Mills. About 2 o'clock in the morning of the 16th, our army being on the March in Column, the advanced guard was fired upon and fell back on the 33rd Reg., which steadily supported it and returned the Enemy's Fire. The Colu mn halted, the Army was formed with all expedition. The firing ceased. Two Deserters from the Enemy now informed Lord Cornwallis that their whole army had marched at 10 o'clock the night before with design to attack him at Camden, and was now formed in two Lines in his Front and very near him, being more than 6,000 strong, after having detached a considerable Corps under Sumpter, with two pieces of Cannon, to cross the Wateree and pass down its West Bank to co-operate with the Main Body in the mediated attack on Camden, and in the mean time to straiten it by interrupting our Communications with the Country. In this position the army lay til day break, at which time the Enemy fired a gun that we could discern to be in the Road, nearly opposite the center of our Line, and at the distance of about 400 yards. A thick fog impending, and the dawn not yet fair, the Enemy was discovered advancing in a heavy Column and very near to the right of our Line, On which Lord Cornwallis ordered with the utmost promptitude the necessary change of Disposition, and that the Enemy should be instantly attacked in that Point, which was executed in the moment with equal vigour and alacrity on the part of the Troops, who performed every thing that can be expected of Men and Soldiers.
As a Spectator of the Action merely I am not intitled or qualified to give a detail of it. If I was, it would be unnecessary, as your Lordship will have it perfectly from Lord Cornwallis.