The Battle at Monck's Corner
"In the spring of 1780 news came that the British was advancin' into North Carolina from the south. Charleston was under seige by the King's navy and infantry and if Charleston fell it was feared that the rest of the south was under great threat. General Charles McDowell was sendin' men throughout the settlements along the Catawba lookin' for recruits to fill his ranks. I was already a veteran of a campaign and without any steady work so I decided to reenlist which I did in the County of Burke in a company of light horse under Captain Robert Patton.
"We started our march at Morgantown and from there we rode to Mecklenberg under the command of General McDowell who returned to Burke County to find more recruits. We continued the march with Captain Patton. I was a wagoner in the company, placed in charge of a wagon and horse which I paid for myself. I was promised I would be paid for the service of my horse, saddle and bridle which in fact I was after making a long journey to Charleston in 1787.
"We was carryin' supplies to the city of Charleston which was under seige. The troops there, we was told, were close to starvation so the supplies we brought was urgently needed. We was camped up by White Church near Monck's Corner which served as a meetin' house and barracks. We controlled the Cooper River so as to communicate with the city and to carry supplies down the River. I was drivin' one of 50 wagons carryin' arms, ammunition, clothes, and provisions for Charleston. The infantry and calvary troops at Monck's Corner was under the command of General Isaac Huger.
"From Monck's Corner we marched to the sea shore about 6 miles outside of Charleston carrying' provisions for the Patriot troops which was under seige in the city. We lay there a few days and then returned back up to Monck's Corner until more supplies could arrive for us to bring down to the men in Charleston.
"It was a terrible suprise to us one night in April when at about three o'clock in the mornin' gunshots rang out and Redcoats on horseback came ridin' through our camp shootin' men as they ran for the swamps. Several of the Redcoats shot at me but I was able to escape into the woods there along with several hundred men.
"Us men that escaped made our way up country until a small band of us gathered on the north shore of the Santee River. That night I lost all my possessions in the world - my horse, bridle, saddle, and everythin' I had carried with me. We was reorganized at a camp there and placed under the command of Colonel Buford and began our march of retreat from South Carolina which had now completely fallen to the British.
Buford's Massacre/Battle of the Waxhaws
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