that had been fired were from Maxwell, who killed several of the
enemy, but was driven back upon the left of the American army, across
a ford by which he had before advanced. Three thousand militia had
been added to the army, but they were placed in the rear to guard some
still more distant militia, and took no part themselves in the action.
Such was the situation of the troops when they learnt the march of
Lord Cornwallis towards the scarcely known fords of Birmingham: they
then detached three divisions, forming about five thousand men, under
the generals Sullivan, Stirling, and Stephen. M. de Lafayette, as
volunteer, had always accompanied the general. The left wing remaining
in a state of tranquillity, and the right appearing fated to receive
all the heavy blows, he obtained permission to join Sullivan. At his
arrival, which seemed to inspirit the troops, he found that, the enemy
having crossed the ford, the corps of Sullivan had scarcely had time
to form itself on a line in front of a thinly-wooded forest. A few
moments after, Lord Cornwallis formed in the finest order: advancing
across the plain, his first line opened a brisk fire of musketry and
artillery; the Americans returned the fire, and did much injury to the
enemy; but their right and left wings having given way, the generals
and several officers joined the central division, in which were M. de
Lafayette and Stirling, and of which eight hundred men were commanded
in a most brilliant manner by Conway, an Irishman, in the service of
France. By separating that division from its two wings, and advancing
through an open plain, in which they lost many men, the enemy united
all their fire upon the centre: the confusion became extreme; and it
was whilst M. de Lafayette was rallying the troops that a ball passed
through his leg;--at that moment all those remaining on the field gave
way. M. de Lafayette was indebted to Gimat, his aide-de-camp, for the
happiness of getting upon his horse. General Washington arrived from a
distance with fresh troops; M. de Lafayette was preparing to join him,