but General Davidson had
neglected to place his entire force, about three hundred and fifty in
number, near the ford, so as to present an imposing appearance. As it
was, only the companies of Captain Joseph Graham, and of two or three
other officers, probably not more than one third of the whole force on
duty, actually participated in the skirmish which immediately took
place; otherwise, the result might have been far more disastrous to
the British army.

The river at Cowan's Ford, for most of the distance across, has a very
rugged bottom, abounding with numerous rocks, of considerable size,
barely visible at the low water of summer time. With judicious
forethought, Cornwallis had hired the services of Frederick Hager, a
Tory, on the western bank, and, under his guidance, the bold Britons
plunged into the water, with the firm determination of encountering
the small band of Americans on the eastern bank.

Stedman, the English commissary and historian, who accompanied
Cornwallis in his Southern campaigns, thus speaks of the passage of
the river at Cowan's Ford:

"The light infantry of the guards, led by Colonel Hall,
first entered the water. They were followed by the
grenadiers, and the grenadiers by the battalions, the men
marching in platoons, to support one another against the
rapidity of the stream. When the light infantry had nearly
reached the middle of the river, they were challenged by one
of the enemy's sentinels. The sentinel having challenged
thrice, and receiving no answer, immediately gave the alarm
by discharging his musket; and the enemy's pickets were
turned out. No sooner did the guide (a Tory) who attended
the light infantry to show them the ford, hear the report of
the sentinel's musket than he turned around and left them.
This, which at first, seemed to portend much mischief, in
the end, proved a fortunate incident. Colonel Hall, being
forsaken by his guide, and not knowing the true direction of
the ford, led the column directly across the river to the
nearest part of the opposite bank."

This direct course carried the British army to a new landing-place on
the eastern, or Mecklenburg side, so that they did not encounter a
full and concentrated fire from the Whigs. Upon hearing the firing,
General Davidson, who was stationed about half a mile from the ford,
(in the Lucas house, still standing,) with the greater p