It was afterward said by the Tories that Lord Cornwallis had expressly ordered him to return, but more than one of our company believed the red-coated Britisher, who could be so courageous when he had none but old men, boys, and women in front of him, was actually afraid to measure strength in a fair battle with General Marion, and our spirits rose accordingly. While we remained here in camp with safety, gathering numbers every day, much was done by our friends in other parts of the State. General Sumter gave battle to Tarleton at the Blackstock farm on the banks of the Tyger, defeating him utterly, but at a terrific loss, so far as the Cause was concerned. The Britishers had ninety-two killed and one hundred and four wounded. The patriots lost only three killed and four wounded, but in the latter list was the general himself, who had been severely injured in the breast by a British bullet. His men, true to him as was our “ragged regiment” to General Marion, lashed him in the raw hide of a bullock slung as a litter between two horses, and thus, guarded by a hundred picked men, he was carried to the upper part of the State, where, so we were told, he lay hovering ’twixt life and death. At this time, also, was fought the battle of King’s Mountain, when the British under Major Ferguson were defeated handsomely, the killed, wounded, and captured of the enemy amounting to eleven hundred men, and among the dead was the major himself. And now, after the “ragged regiment” had remained inactive near two weeks, and the Minute Boys were eating their hearts out because they could not go in search of Seth Hastings even at the risk of meeting Tarleton’s men, our leaders decided that the time had come when we must show that lingering long in camp had not made us timid. The British post at Georgetown was the one place which our people of the Carolinas most needed as a base of operations against Charleston, and, in fact, to hold our own in the Williamsburg district. Situated as it was, we were constantly menaced while the enemy held possession of the place. In addition to that, it was a depot of supplies of salt, clothing, and ammunition for the king’s troops, and the capture of the goods would be a severe blow to the Britishers. To take Georgetown would be an exploit such as might advantage the Cause more than had the victory of King’s Mountain, therefore it was to this end our general proposed to bend all his energies. It was believed the enemy lay at Georgetown in great force, perhaps to the number of four thousand men, and we knew full well the nature of the fortifications roundabout the post. A direct assault would have been fatal to us. It was only by such methods as had won for our general the name of “Swamp Fox” that we could succeed, and, as can well be fancied, none of our people was averse to the attempt, believing so far as backwoods strategy was concerned, we were far superior to any of the king’s forces.