To George Washington from Colonel Abraham Buford, 6–8 May 1780
From Colonel Abraham Buford
Camp Lenuds Ferry1 [S.C.] May the 6th[–8] 1780
Sir.
I am very sorry to inform you that Cols. Whites & Baylors regements of Light Dragoons have this Day met with the loss of every horse and I fear the greatest part of their men; two nights agoe they with the remains of Polaskeys legion & Col. Orees2 horse crosd santee river they about 9 OClock this morning met with a party of the enemye’s horse consisting of Capt. Quarter Master Sargent & 12 pr[i]vate who they took with horses Accoutrements &c., without opposition They imediately sent an officer to give me notice that I might cover their retreat a cross this ferry, I imediately detach’d 150 men with officers to cross the ferry & get into the rear of the horse to cover their crossing the river. The horse arriv’d on the oposite side of the ferry before the Infentry, Met with forage (& not apprehending that the enemy could be so early in persute) were ordred to feed their horses when done the men fatiegu’d were resting themselves. The enemie’s horse rush’d on them before a single horse could be bridled, Cut & hack’d many of the men in a most shocking manner Some were killd and many made prisoners, While ——Washington Jemmerso⟨n⟩ and many of the officers have escap’d by swiming the river which is little beter than being kill’d or taken, I expect many of the men who escapd the enemy will drown crossing the river Twenty or thirty of the men have come in. I hope the loss in men is not so great as I first apprehended,3 Polaskeys & Orees cores had seperated to cross nine miles below. I expect they are safe tho have not heard from them, This is a bad country & I have every reason to fear a bad people inhabit it.
My men are very fue in number, & all that I apprehend safty from, As what fue militia are in service are unarm’d & I might say unman’d & those fue of the inhabitants who are disposd to be friendly are scar’d half to death. I have reason to believe that our friends in Charlestown apprehend the loss of that place, by being starv’d out which is said will happen very soon unless a communication is open’d and kept That I apprehend will not be the case until we are reinforsd from your army, We want a commanding Officer much Genl Caswell is very young & the Govenor of this state much hurased.4
George town South carolina May the 8th 1780
The late unfortunate affair with the regements of horse (tho bad enough) is not so bad as was thought, many of the Men and horses that was expected lost are come in, I believe the loss will be about thirty men; (kill’d wounded and mising) & from forty to fifty horses, This with the late surprise at Monks Corner5 has rendered our Cavilry Unfit for service, & given the Enemy horse a very great superiority, Capt. Hill is a prisoner with [the] enemy & the only officer mising.6 I am with due respect Your Most Obedt Hble Servt
Abm Buford Colo.
ALS, DLC:GW. A note on the cover of Buford’s letter reads: “By the care of Capt. Jno. Stith.”
1. Lenud’s, or Lenew’s, Ferry crossed the Santee River about forty miles north of Charleston, South Carolina.
2. Buford is referring to South Carolina militia colonel Daniel Horry, Jr.
3. British captain John Peebles, then besieging Charleston, wrote in his diary entry for 7 May that “the troops on t’other side Cooper have had a dash at Col: [William] Washington & his Light Horse at a place called Santee ferry—This happen’d yesterday—it seems that Lt. [Lovett] Ash with the few mounted Light Infantry being out on a patrole was surrounded & taken by a body of the enemys Light horse, on hearing of which Lord Cornwallis sent Tarleton with the Legion to endeavor to surprise & get a blow at them, they accordingly came up with them at Santee ferry just as they were going to take boat & falling upon them suddenly they cut down about 20 took 32 & about 100 horses & drove the rest into a great Swamp. Lt. Ash being in a boat passing the River seeing how matters went, threw the Rebels that were in the boat with him over board & join’d Col: Tarleton” (, 370; square-bracketed material in source). British officer Archibald Robertson, among the besieging force, reported in his diary entry for 6 May: “This day Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton followed a Party of 200 Rebel dragoons . … Killed between 20 and 30, took 34 Prisoners and 100 Horses. Colonels Washington, White, and Jameson with the rest of the Party were forced into the River and Hell hole swamp, where it is supposed they will most of them be drown’d” (, 227; see also the portion of Buford’s letter dated 8 May; the entry for 7 May in 285, 287; , 19–20; and , 193–94).
4. Buford is alluding to South Carolina governor John Rutledge.
5. The Battle of Monck’s Corner, S.C., occurred on 14 April when a British force led by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton attacked Continental cavalry and South Carolina militia stationed along the Cooper River north of Charleston (see , 15–17; see also , 145–51). Peebles wrote in his diary entry for that date: “The Legion & Fergusons Corps have surprized a Body of the Enemys horse about 20 miles in the Country, have kill’d 6 & taken about 70 prisoners” (, 360; see also the diary entry for 15 April in 84, and Benjamin Harrison to GW, 6–10 May). In his journal entry for 14 April, Gen. Henry Clinton, then commanding British operations around Charleston, wrote about learning “that Biggins Bridge had been surprised and the cavalry dispersed with great loss; a most fortunate event … for in 3 days I hope we shall be master of all their com[municatio]ns” ( 160; square-bracketed material in source).
6. Baylor Hill (d. 1805) joined the 1st Continental Dragoons as a cornet in December 1776, advanced to lieutenant in 1777, and became captain in 1780. He remained in the army until January 1783 and later went into various businesses at Norfolk, Va., where he also served as mayor.