In the meantime, Cornwallis, leaving Rawdon at Camden, marched with the larger portion of his army to “rebellious” Charlotte, to forage upon its farms, and to punish its inhabitants for their well-known resistance to royal authority.  He reached Charlotte on the 26th of September, 1780, and during his stay of eighteen days, many scenes of rapine, house burnings and plunderings took place in and around that place.  But the bold Whigs of Mecklenburg—­the “hornets” of that section—­although unable to keep the open field, were vigilant and at work, constantly popping the sentinels, and insolent dragoons of Tarleton, sent out as scouts and on foraging excursions.  Becoming uneasy by these bold attacks of the rebels, frequently driving his foraging parties within sight of his camp, Cornwallis, when he heard of the defeat of Ferguson at King’s Mountain, concentrated his army, and, on the 14th of October, commenced his retrograde march towards Winnsboro, S.C.  During this march, the British army halted for the night at Wilson’s plantation, near Steele Creek.  Cornwallis and Tarleton occupied the house of Mrs. Wilson, requiring her to prepare a meal for them as though they had been her friends.  Cornwallis, in the meantime, finding out that her husband and one of her sons were his prisoners in the Camden jail, artfully attempted to enlist her in the King’s cause.

“Madam, said he, your husband and son, are my prisoners; the fortune of war may soon place others of your sons—­perhaps all your kinsmen, in my power.  Your sons are young, aspiring, and brave.  In a good cause, fighting for a generous and powerful king, such as George III., they might hope for rank, honor and wealth.  If you could but induce your husband and sons to leave the rebels, and take up arms for their lawful sovereign, I would almost pledge myself that they shall have rank and consideration in the British army.  If you, madam, will pledge yourself to induce them to do so, I will immediately order their discharge.”

To this artful appeal, Mrs. Wilson replied that “her husband and children were indeed dear to her, and that she was willing to do anything she thought right to promote their real and permanent welfare; but, in this instance, they had embarked in the holy cause of liberty; had fought and struggled for it during five years, never faltering for a moment, while others had fled from the contest, and yielded up their hopes at the first obstacle.  I have,” she continued, “seven sons who are now, or have been, bearing arms—­indeed, my seventh son, Zaccheus, who is only fifteen years old, I yesterday assisted to get ready to go and join his brothers in Sumter’s army.  Now, sooner than see one of my family turn back from the glorious enterprise, I would take these boys (pointing to three or four small sons) and would myself enlist under Sumter’s standard, and show my husband and sons how to fight, and, if necessary, to die for their country.”

“Ah General,” interrupted the cold-hearted Tarleton, “I think you’ve got into a hornet’s nest!  Never mind, when we get to Camden, I’ll take good care that old Robin Wilson never comes back.”