he south side of the
Congaree, towards Monk's Corner.

As Lee approached Dorchester, Colonel Wade Hampton, with his cavalry,
passed to the east of that place, to a bridge on Goose Creek, to cut
off all communication between the garrison and Monk's Corner. His
sudden appearance gave the alarm, the garrison abandoned its post, and
when Lee arrived there he found it deserted. He proceeded to secure a
number of horses and wagons, and some fixed ammunition, which the
garrison had left behind, and to send them off to Hampton. Hampton,
kept in suspense by this delay, lost patience. He feared that the
alarm would spread through the country, and the dash into the vicinity
of Charleston be prevented. Abandoning the bridge at Goose Creek,
therefore, he set off with his cavalry, clattered down to the
neighborhood of the lines, and threw the city into confusion. The
bells rang, alarm guns were fired, the citizens turned out under arms.
Hampton captured a patrol of dragoons and a guard, at the
Quarter-house; and then retired, carrying off fifty prisoners, several
of them officers.

Lee arrived in the neighborhood on the following day, but Hampton had
been beforehand with him, made the dash, and "thundered at the gate."
Both now hastened to rejoin Sumter on the evening of the 16th, who was
only waiting to collect his detachments, before he made an attack on
Colonel Coates at Monk's Corner. The assault was to be made on the
following morning. During the night Coates decamped. A pursuit was
commenced; Lee with his legion, and Hampton with the State cavalry,
took the lead; Sumter followed with the infantry. The rear-guard of
the British, about one hundred strong, was overtaken with the baggage,
at the distance of eighteen miles. They were new troops recently
arrived from Ireland, and had not seen service. On being charged by
the cavalry, sword in hand, they threw down their arms without firing
a shot, and cried for quarter, which was granted. While Lee was
securing them, Captain Armstrong with the first section of cavalry
pushed on in pursuit of Coates and the main body. That officer had
crossed a wooden bridge over Quimby Creek, loosened the planks, and
was only waiting to be rejoined by his rear-guard, to throw them off,
and cut off all pursuit. His troops were partly on a causeway beyond
the bridge, partly crowded in a lane. He knew nothing of an enemy
being at hand, until he saw Armstrong spurring up with his section.
Coates gave