Ward, Christopher, 1952, The War of the Revolution, MacMillan Company, W5644 CHAPTER 67 King's Mountain Cornwallis abandoned at once his project for the subjugation of North Carolina and, on October 14, started his troops on a hurried retreat. The rainy season had set in, and for several days rain fell incessantly. The roads were deep with mud, the swampy parts almost impassable. There was a lack of provision; for one five-day period the soldiers lived on corn gathered from the fields. Lacking tents, they spent the nights in the open, lying on wet ground. And always they were harassed by the American militia, hanging on their rear and cutting off baggage wagons. There was much sickness; Cornwallis himself, stricken with fever, lay in one of the wagons. After fifteen days of this wretched flight they reached Winnsboro, between Ninetysix and Camden, and encamped. For some time the two armies lay in camp, the Americans at Hillsboro, North Carolina, the British at Winnsboro, South Carolina. Morgan's newly organized light troops made an expedition to Salisbury and down into Mecklenburg County to cooperate with the local militia, but nothing "of consequence" happened. Then, having heard of a Tory outpost at Rugeley's Mills, South Carolina, William Washington's horsemen marched against it. Colonel Rugeley with 100 Tories occupied a log barn surrounded by an abatis. It was impregnable to bullets, the horsemen could do nothing with it, and Washington had no artillery. He fashioned a log into the semblance of a gun and propped it up on the stubs of three of its limbs. This "Quaker gun" was pushed boldly to the front by some of his dismounted men. The garrison was summoned to surrender or have their fortress blown to pieces. They surrendered, and Washington led the colonel, a major, and 107 privates back to Morgan's camp at New Providence, where Gates with his main force also came and established his camp. Though there was no major activity on the part of the two armies at this time, Marion's irregulars were busy in South Carolina between the Pee Dee and the Santee River, arousing the people to revolt against the British, threatening the enemy's communications between Camden and Charleston, and cutting off supply trains. Cornwallis sent Tarleton after him. The Swamp Fox successfully eluded Tarleton's stronger force. Sumter was active in the same country. Against him Cornwallis sent Major Wemyss with a part of the 63rd Regiment mounted and 40 of the British Legion horse. At Fish Dam Ford in what is now Chester County, Wemyss came upon Sumter's camp on November 9 and attempted a surprise; but he was on guard, and when Wemyss dashed upon the American pickets he was received with a volley. Two bullets hit and disabled him. His second in command pushed on, but Sumter from behind a fence poured upon the enemy such a fire that 28 of them were shot down. Further attempts were fruitless. Wemyss was captured, as were 25 of his men, and the rest retreated. End of part 6