f
the Loyalists at Ramseur's Mill a few days before, crossed the Yadkin
and united with General MacArthur, whom Cornwallis had sent to Anson
County.

By July 31 Gregory's men, with Rutherford and his brigade, were with
General Caswell at The Cheraws, just across the South Carolina border.
For several weeks there was much suffering among the men on account of
the lack of food, for though corn was plentiful, the rivers were so high
that the mills could not grind the meal.

Lord Rawdon's army was stationed near Camden, South Carolina, and Gates,
who had joined Caswell on August 17, having learned that the British
general was daily expecting a supply of food and stores for his men,
determined to intercept the convoy and capture the supplies for his own
army. In the meantime Cornwallis, unknown to Gates, had joined Lord
Rawdon. Gates, ignorant of this reinforcement of Cornwallis' troops,
marched leisurely towards Camden to capture the coveted stores.

The result of the battle that followed is known only too well. The
American militia, panic-stricken at the furious onslaught of the enemy,
threw down their arms and fled. General Gates, after a vain attempt to
rally his troops, lost courage, and abandoning his forces and his
stores, brought everlasting disgrace upon his name by fleeing in hot
haste from the field.

But the cowardly conduct of Gates and several of the other officers of
the American army, as well as many of the militia, in this disastrous
battle, was offset by the heroism and courage of others; and among
those who won undying fame on that fatal field, none is more worthy of
praise than General Gregory.

Roger Lamb, a British officer, writing an account of the battle, and
speaking of the disgraceful conduct of those officers and men whose
flight from the field brought shame upon the American army, gives this
account of Isaac Gregory's heroic struggle to withstand the enemy at
this bloody field: "In justice to North Carolina, it should be remarked
that General Gregory's brigade acquitted themselves well. They formed on
the left of the Continentals, and kept the field while they had a
cartridge left. Gregory himself was twice wounded by bayonets in
bringing off his men, and many in his brigade had only bayonet wounds."

As to fight hand to hand with bayonets requires far more courage than to
stand at a distance and fire a musket, this account of Gregory and his
troops proves the bravery with which they fought