when under fire. When Captain Campbell fell he
directed his men to make the best of their way to the redoubt; but they
refused to obey, and leave their officers on the field. The Americans,
at this juncture ceased firing, and the seven soldiers carried their
officers along with them, followed by such as were able to walk. The
Americans advanced on the redoubts with partial success. The Hessians
having got into confusion in the redoubt, which they occupied, the
Americans forced an entrance, but the 71st having driven back those who
attacked their redoubt, Colonel Maitland was enabled to detach two
companies of Highlanders to the support of the Hessians. The Americans
were instantly driven out of the redoubt at the point of the bayonet,
and while preparing for another attempt, the 2d battalion of Highlanders
came up, when despairing of success they retreated at all points,
leaving many killed and wounded.

The resistance offered by Captain Campbell afforded their friends in the
redoubts time to prepare, and likewise to the 2d battalion in the island
to march by the difficult and circuitous route left open for them. The
delay in the 2d battalion was also caused by a want of boats. Two
temporary ferry-boats had been established, but the men in charge ran
away as soon as the firing began. The Americans opened a galling fire on
the men as they stood on the banks of the river. Lieutenant Robert
Campbell plunged into the water and swam across, followed by a few
soldiers, returned with the boats, and thus enabled the battalion to
cross over to the support of their friends. Five hundred and twenty
Highlanders and two hundred Hessians successfully resisted all the
efforts of the Americans twelve hundred strong, and this with a trifling
loss in comparison to the service rendered. When the Americans fell
back, the whole garrison sallied out, but the light troops covered the
retreat so successfully, that all the wounded were brought off. In
killed and wounded the Americans lost one hundred and forty-six and one
hundred and fifty missing. The British loss was three officers and
thirty-two soldiers killed and wounded. Three days afterwards, the
foraging party having returned, the British evacuated Stono Ferry, and
retreated from island to island, until they reached Beaufort, on Port
Royal, where Colonel Maitland was left with seven hundred men, while
General Prevost, with the main body of the army, continued his difficult
and harrassi