by the North Carolina and Virginia militia, with
the artillery, composed the main body and rear guard; and the
volunteer cavalry were equally distributed on the flanks of the
baggage.

In the event of an attack in front by the British cavalry, the
infantry on the flanks were directed to march up, and to continue
their fire on the assailants. It was supposed they would enable
Colonel Armand to resist the shock; and his orders were positive to
maintain his ground against the cavalry, whatever their numbers might
be.[32]

[Footnote 32: Journal of Colonel Williams.]

At the time of communicating these orders to Colonel Otho H. Williams,
the Deputy Adjutant General, Gates, showed him a rough estimate of the
army, making it upwards of seven thousand. Convinced that this
estimate was exaggerated, Colonel Williams availed himself of his
means of information to make an abstract of the whole, which he
presented to the general, and which exhibited exactly three thousand
and fifty-two in the column of present fit for duty, of whom more than
two-thirds were militia. Gates expressed some surprise at the numbers,
but said, "there are enough for our purpose," and directed the orders
to be issued to the army. About ten at night, the line of march was
taken up, and the army had advanced about half way to Camden, when a
firing commenced in front.[33]

[Footnote 33: Journal of Colonel Williams.]

Intelligence of the approach of the American army, and of the
defection of the country between Pedee and the Black River, had been
communicated to Lord Cornwallis, and had induced him to hasten in
person to Camden, which place he reached the day Gates arrived at
Clermont.

The British army did not much exceed two thousand men, of whom about
nineteen hundred were regulars; but, as the whole country was rising,
Lord Cornwallis apprehended that every day would strengthen his enemy,
and therefore determined to attack him in his camp; hoping, by a
prompt execution of this resolution, to surprise him. By one of those
caprices of fortune on which great events often depend, he marched
from Camden to attack Gates in Clermont, at the very hour that Gates
moved from that place towards Camden.[34]

[Footnote 34: Journal of Colonel Williams.]

[Sidenote: August 16.]

About half past two in the morning, the advanced parties of the
hostile armies, to their mutual surprise, met in the woods, and began
to skirmish with each other. Some of Armand's cav