deserted
the night before," and continued by saying:

"If any amongst you is so faint-hearted as not to serve with the
resolution of conquering or dying, this is the time for such to
declare themselves."

The speech was answered by a general huzza for the king; but from
Cotton's corps about twenty laid down their arms. He decamped, with his
army at midnight, crossed the Cape Fear, sunk his boats, and sent a
party fifteen miles in advance to secure the bridge over South river,
from Bladen into Hanover, pushing with rapid pace over swollen streams,
rough hills, and deep morasses, hotly pursued by General Moore.
Perceiving the purpose of the enemy General Moore detached Colonels
Lillington and Ashe to reinforce Colonel Caswell, or if that could not
be effected, then they were to occupy Widow Moore's Creek bridge.

Colonel Caswell designing the purpose of MacDonald changed his own
course in order to intercept his march. On the 23rd the Highlanders
thought to overtake him, and arrayed themselves in the order of battle,
with eighty able-bodied men, armed with broadswords, forming the center
of the army; but Colonel Caswell being posted at Corbett's Ferry could
not be reached for want of boats. The royalists were again in extreme
danger; but at a point six miles higher up the Black river they
succeeded in crossing in a broad shallow boat while MacLean and Fraser,
left with a few men and a drum and a pipe, amused the corps of Caswell.

Colonel Lillington, on the 25th took post on the east side of Moore's
Creek bridge; and on the next day Colonel Caswell reached the west side,
threw up a slight embankment, and destroyed a part of the bridge. A
royalist, who had been sent into his camp under pretext of summoning him
to return to his allegiance, brought back the information that he had
halted on the same side of the river as themselves, and could be
assaulted with advantage. Colonel Caswell was not only a good woodman,
but also a man of superior ability, and believing he had misled the
enemy, marched his column to the east side of the stream, removed the
planks from the bridge, and placed his men behind trees and such
embankments as could be thrown up during the night. His force now
amounted to a thousand men, consisting of the Newbern minute-men, the
militia of Craven, Dobbs, Johnston, and Wake counties, and the
detachment under Colonel Lillington. The men of the Neuse region, their
officers wearing silver crescents