Charlestown surrendered to the British arms on the 12th of May. Soon after this event the SEVENTEENTH were attached to the troops under Lieut.-General Earl Cornwallis, and marched up the north-east bank of the Santee river in pursuit of a body of Americans under Colonel Burford, who was retreating to North Carolina. Lord Cornwallis halted at Georgetown, from whence forty of the SEVENTEENTH, one hundred and thirty of Tarleton's legion, a hundred mounted infantry, and a three-pounder, followed the Americans by forced marches. After travelling one hundred and five miles in fifty-four hours, the detachment approached _Wacsaw_, on the confines of South Carolina, at three o'clock in the afternoon of the 29th of May, and the advance-guard, overtaking the enemy's rear, took a serjeant and four American light dragoons prisoners. Three hundred and eighty American infantry, a detachment of cavalry, and two six-pounders, formed for battle in an open wood; the British, though not half so numerous, (many men and the only gun with the detachment being unable to keep up,) moved forward in three columns to charge their opponents; the men of the SEVENTEENTH being in the centre column under Captain Talbot. The Americans remained steady until the British were within ten yards, and then fired a volley, which produced little effect; and before the smoke cleared away, their ranks were broken, and the British were cutting them down with a terrible carnage. In a few minutes the conflict had ceased; one hundred Americans lay dead on the spot, two hundred were made prisoners, and three colours, two guns, and a number of waggons containing stores and baggage, were captured by the British, who had only five officers and soldiers killed, and twelve wounded; Lieutenant Matthew Pateshall, of the SEVENTEENTH, being among the wounded. Thus South Carolina was cleared of the enemy's troops, and, in a few days after this exploit, the detachment joined Earl Cornwallis at Camden, a town situate on the east side of the Wateree river. In the mean time General Sir Henry Clinton had returned to New York, and had left orders for the SEVENTEENTH to follow; the detachment, accordingly, embarked from South Carolina, leaving the sick and a few men attached to Tarleton's legion behind, and joined the regiment at New York, where it had remained under General Knyphausen.