wounded,
restored it to the former. But at the moment of taking it, Bush received
a mortal wound. He fell into the ditch with his ensign under him, and
it remained in possession of the enemy. The other standard was more
fortunate. Lieutenant Grey, by whom it was borne, was slain, but
M'Donald plucked it from the redoubt where it had been planted, the
moment the retreat was ordered, and succeeded in carrying it off
in safety. The repulse was decisive. The slaughter, for so brief an
engagement, had been terrible, amounting to nearly eleven hundred men;
637 French, and 457 Americans. Of the former, the Irish Brigade, and of
the latter the 2d South Carolina Regiment, particularly distinguished
themselves and suffered most. The loss of the British was slight; the
assailants made no impression on their works. "Thus was this fine body
of troops sacrificed by the imprudence of the French General, who,
being of superior grade, commanded the whole.* In this battle Jasper was
mortally wounded. He succeeded in regaining the camp of the Americans.
The fatal wound was received in his endeavor to secure and save his
colors." Another distinguished personage who fell in this fatal affair,
was Col. Count Pulaski, a brave and skilful captain of cavalry,
better known in history for his attempt upon the life of Stanislaus
Poniatowski, King of Poland.

* Major-General T. Pinckney.--

Chapter 7.

From the Battle of Savannah to the Defeat of Gates
at Camden.

The failure of the combined forces of France and America before the
walls of Savannah, left the cause of the latter, in the South, in
much worse condition than before. The event served to depress the
Carolinians, and in the same degree, to elevate and encourage the enemy.
The allies withdrew to their ships, and, shortly after, from the coast.
General Lincoln, with the American army, retreated to the heights
of Ebenezer, and thence to Sheldon. Proceeding from this place to
Charleston, he left Marion in command of the army. On the thirty-first
of January, 1780, he writes to the latter as follows: "The state of
affairs is such as to make it necessary that we order our force to a
point as much and as soon as possible. No troops will be kept in the
field except two hundred Light Infantry and the Horse (Washington's).
You will therefore please to select from the three regiments with
you, two hundred of your best men, and those who are best clothed, and
organize the