g that night and the
following morning, the remnant of Tarleton's forces crossed Broad
river at Hamilton's Ford, and reached the encampment of Cornwallis at
Turkey creek, about twenty-five miles from the Cowpens.

This _hand-wound_ of Tarleton, inflicted by Washington, gave rise, on
two different occasions, to sallies of wit by two American ladies,
daughters of Colonel Montford, of Halifax county, North Carolina. When
Cornwallis and his army were at Halifax, on their way to Virginia,
Tarleton was at the house of an American citizen. In the presence of
Mrs. Willie Jones, Tarleton spoke of Colonel Washington as an
illiterate fellow, hardly able to write his name. "Ah! Colonel," said
Mrs. Jones, "you ought to know better, for you bear on your person
proof that he knows very well how to make his mark!" At another time,
Tarleton was sarcastically speaking of Washington in the presence of
her sister, Mrs. Ashe. "I would be happy to see Colonel Washington,"
he said, with a sneer. Mrs. Ashe instantly replied: "If you had looked
behind you, Colonel Tarleton, at the battle of the Cowpens, you would
have enjoyed that pleasure." Stung with this keen wit, Tarleton placed
his hand on his sword with an inclination to use it. General Leslie,
who was present, remarked, "Say what you please, Mrs. Ashe, Colonel
Tarleton knows better than to insult a lady in my presence."

The victory of the Cowpens gave great joy to the friends of liberty
throughout the whole country. Congress received information of it on
the 8th of February following, and on the 9th of March voted an award
of a gold medal to Morgan; a silver medal to Howard and Washington; a
sword to Col. Pickens, and a vote of thanks to the other officers and
men engaged in the battle.

At this time, Cornwallis was advancing triumphantly in the direction
of North Carolina, having placed South Carolina and Georgia, as he
thought, in submission at his feet. The defeat and death of Ferguson,
one of his most efficient officers, at King's Mountain, and now of
Tarleton, his favorite partisan, greatly withered his hopes of strong
Tory cooperation. His last hope was the destruction of Greene's army
by his own superior force, and, with that design in view, he broke up
his encampment near Turkey creek, and like Saul, "yet breathing out
threatenings and slaughter" against Morgan's little army, he commenced
that pursuit of the "hero of the Cowpens," who, encumbered with his
five hundred prisone