Thus disencumbered, Cornwallis, early on the morning, of the 28th of January, broke up camp and marched to the Catawba River, but finding it much swollen, and rendered impassable in consequence of heavy rains at its sources, he fell back to Forney’s plantation, five miles from the river.  Jacob Forney was a thrifty, well-to-do farmer, and a well-known Whig.  The plantation is now (1876) owned by Willis E. Hall, Esq.  Here the British army lay encamped for three days, waiting for the subsidence of the waters, and consumed, during that time, Forney’s entire stock of cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry, with all of which he was well supplied. (For further particulars, see sketch of “Jacob Forney, Sen.”)

Having dried their powder, and laid in an additional supply of provisions and forage, the British army was now prepared to renew more actively the pursuit of Morgan.

On the evening before the marching of the main army, Colonel Webster moved forward with the artillery, and a small detachment as a rear guard, and took position at Beattie’s Ford.  This was a mere feint, intended to create the impression that the whole British army would cross there, as it was the most eligible pass, and thus elude the vigilance of the Whigs.

At half-past two o’clock, on the morning of the 1st of February, 1781, Cornwallis broke up his camp at Forney’s plantation, and marched to a private crossing-place known as Cowan’s Ford, six miles below Beattie’s Ford.  As he approached the river, a little before the dawn of a cloudy, misty morning, numerous camp fires on the eastern bank assured him his passage would be resisted; but General Davidson had neglected to place his entire force, about three hundred and fifty in number, near the ford, so as to present an imposing appearance.  As it was, only the companies of Captain Joseph Graham, and of two or three other officers, probably not more than one third of the whole force on duty, actually participated in the skirmish which immediately took place; otherwise, the result might have been far more disastrous to the British army.

The river at Cowan’s Ford, for most of the distance across, has a very rugged bottom, abounding with numerous rocks, of considerable size, barely visible at the low water of summer time.  With judicious forethought, Cornwallis had hired the services of Frederick Hager, a Tory, on the western bank, and, under his guidance, the bold Britons plunged into the water, with the firm determination of encountering the small band of Americans on the eastern bank.

Stedman, the English commissary and historian, who accompanied Cornwallis in his Southern campaigns, thus speaks of the passage of the river at Cowan’s Ford: