The Battle

The Battle. . On the foggy dawn of June 20, 1780, Patriot Captains McDowell and Falls led their cavalry along the Tuckaseegee Road towards the Loyalist camp. The horsemen advanced to within 30 yards of the Loyalist encampment before they were discovered, surprising the sleeping soldiers. Loyalists quickly rallied and fired back, causing the horsemen to retreat., Seeing the effect of their fire, Loyalists advanced down the hill as the horsemen returned to the fight with infantry close behind. The Loyalist counter-attack drove the Patriots back down the hill. After regrouping, the Patriots advanced, pushing the Loyalists further beyond the crest. Shortly thereafter, more Patriots approached the Loyalist camp from the south., Fighting was fierce and the action close. They wore common dress; it was difficult to determine which side one supported. The action became so close that men fought hand to hand and used the butts of their guns as clubs. Patriots under Captain Hardin arrived and deployed behind a fence, firing on the Loyalists' right flank while Captain Sharpe extended his skirmish line in front of the Loyalist position. Taking fire from two sides at once, the Loyalists again fell back, then broke and fled. Cresting the hill, Patriots saw Loyalists retreating over Clark's Creek. Assuming the Loyalists would regroup and attack, the Patriots formed a new line of battle. However, they could only muster 110 men. Outnumbered, Locke dispatched two officers to find Rutherford and urge him to hasten to the battle., Loyalists retreated to between Clark's Creek and the South Fork River. There they hung a white sheet and sent men to negotiate the surrender. It was only a ruse, but it allowed enough time for the remaining Loyalists to disperse to the countryside., (captions) , (bottom left) The Carolinas and Georgia 1777-1781 , (top right) The Battle of Ramsour's Mill June 20, 1780