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THE LAND WE LOYE.
NO. I. NOVEMBER, 1SG8.
Уот,
VI.
BATTLE OF ETJTAW.
Wc must return to the main
battle. We have seen Sum¬
ner, with his brigade, taking the
place vacated by the militia. He,
at length, yielded to the superior
force and fire of the .enemy. As
his brigade wavered, shrank, and
finally yielded, the hopes of the
British 'grew sanguine. With a
wild yell of victory, they rushed
forward to complete their sup¬
posed triumph, and, in doing so,
their line became disordered. —
This afforded an opportunity of
which Greene promptly availed
himself. He had anticipated this
probability, and had waited anx¬
iously tor it. He was now ready
to take advantage of it, and gave
his order— to Otho Williams, in
command of the Marylanders —
“ Let Williams advance, and
sweep the field with his bayonets!”
And Williams, heading two
brigades — those of Maryland and
Virginia — swept forward with a
shout. When, within forty yards
of the British,, the Virginians
poured in a destructive fire, under
which their columns reeled and
shivered as if struck by lightning;
and then the whole second line,
the three brigades, with trailed
arms, and almost at a trot, darted
on to the savage issue of naked
steel, hand to hand, with the
desperate bayonet. The terrible
fire of the Virginians, followed up
by the charge of the second line,
and seconded, at this lucky junct¬
ure, by the legion infantry,
which suddenly poured in a most
destructive fire upon the now ex¬
posed flank of the British left,
threw the whole line into irre¬
trievable disorder. But the bay¬
onets of certain sections were
crossed, though for a moment
only; men were transfixed by one
another, and the contending offi¬
cers sprang at each other with
their swords!
The left of the British centre
at this vital moment, pressed
* Extract from Eutaw, a tale of the Revolution, V>y W. Gilmore Slinms, Esq.
VOL. VI.— NO. I. 1
