My Dear Sir:

I wrote you by the last post, to give you an account of our late misfortunes in South Carolina, since which we are certainly informed that the defeat was not so fatal as was apprehended. Instead of all the Maryland line being killed and taken, near five hundred are come in, with most of the officers, particularly Smallwood, Cist and Gunby, who were said to have been slain.

This veteran corps, after having sustained the attack of the enemy, with the assistance of only one regiment of North Carolina Militia, by a bold and well conducted attack on the enemy forced a passage through their main body and retreated. On their retreat they totally demolished a party of horse sent to harass them, except two only that escaped by flight. The militia are collecting at their places, Charlotte, Salisbury and Hillsborough, and Gov. Nash informs me that the defeat is by no means so disastrous as was at first represented; and adds that in a few days they should be able to face about and confront their enemies, who have been severely handled in this action, and had not advanced from their post at Camden.

I was yesterday at Cawsons; the family well. ∗ ∗ ∗