ait for his wagons and artillery,
which had remained on the other side in the woods; so that by
nightfall of the 1st of February he was not more than five miles on
the road to Salisbury. Eager to come up with the Americans, he mounted
some of the infantry upon the baggage horses, joined them to the
cavalry, and sent the whole forward under General O'Hara. They arrived
on the banks of the Yadkin at night, between the 2d and 3d of
February, just in time to capture a few wagons lingering in the rear
of the American army, which had passed. The riflemen who guarded them
retreated after a short skirmish. There were no boats with which to
cross; the Americans had secured them on the other side. The rain
which had fallen throughout the day had overflooded the ford by which
the American cavalry had passed. The pursuers were again brought to a
stand. After some doubt and delay, Cornwallis took his course up the
south side of the Yadkin, and crossed by what is still called the
Shallow ford, while Greene continued on unmolested to Guilford
Court-house, where he was joined by General Huger and his division on
the 9th. Cornwallis was now encamped about twenty-five miles above
them, at the old Moravian town of Salem.

The great object of Greene now was to get across the river Dan, and
throw himself into Virginia. With the reinforcements and assistance he
might there expect to find, he hoped to effect the salvation of the
South, and prevent the dismemberment of the Union. The object of
Cornwallis was to get between him and Virginia, force him to a combat
before he could receive those reinforcements, or enclose him in
between the great rivers on the west, the sea on the east, and the two
divisions of the British army under himself and Lord Rawdon on the
north and south. His lordship had been informed that the lower part of
the Dan, at present, could only be crossed in boats, and that the
country could not afford a sufficient number for the passage of
Greene's army; he trusted, therefore, to cut him off from the upper
part of the river, where alone it was fordable. Greene, however, had
provided against such a contingency. Boats had been secured at various
places by his agents, and could be collected at a few hours' notice at
the lower ferries. Instead, therefore, of striving with his lordship
for the upper fords, Greene shaped his course for Boyd's and Irwin's
fords, just above the confluence of the Dan and Staunton rivers which
forms t