second retrograde move,
stationing some of his ships in Cooper River, and sinking the rest at
its mouth so as to prevent the enemy from running up that river, and
cutting off communication with the country on the east: the crews and
heavy cannon were landed to aid in the defence of the town. The
reinforcements expected from the North were not yet arrived; the
militia of the State did not appear at Governor Rutledge's command,
and other reliances were failing.

At this time the reinforcements which Sir Henry Clinton had ordered
from Savannah were marching toward the Cambayee under Brigadier-general
Patterson. On his flanks moved Major Ferguson with a corps of riflemen,
and Major Cochrane with the infantry of the British legion; two brave
and enterprising officers. It was a toilsome march, through swamps and
difficult passes. Being arrived in the neighborhood of Port Royal,
where Tarleton had succeeded, though indifferently, in remounting his
dragoons, Patterson sent orders to that officer to join him. Tarleton
hastened to obey the order. His arrival was timely. The Carolina
militia having heard that all the British horses had perished at sea,
made an attack on the front of General Patterson's force, supposing it
to be without cavalry. To their surprise, Tarleton charged them with
his dragoons, routed them, took several prisoners, and, what was more
acceptable, a number of horses.

Tarleton had soon afterwards to encounter a worthy antagonist in
Colonel William Washington, the same cavalry officer who had
distinguished himself at Trenton, and was destined to distinguish
himself still more in this Southern campaign. He is described as being
six feet in height, broad, stout and corpulent. Bold in the field,
careless in the camp; kind to his soldiers; harassing to his enemies;
gay and good-humored; with an upright heart and a generous hand, a
universal favorite. He was now at the head of a body of Continental
cavalry, consisting of his own and Bland's light-horse, and Pulaski's
hussars. A brush took place in the neighborhood of Rantoul's Bridge.
Colonel Washington had the advantage, took several prisoners, and
drove back the dragoons of the British legion, but durst not pursue
them for want of infantry.

On the 7th of April, Brigadier-general Woodford with seven hundred
Virginia troops, after a forced march of five hundred miles in thirty
days, crossed from the east side of Cooper River, by the only passage
now open, an