Never was a victory more complete.  Every corps was broken and dispersed in the woods.  The general officers were divided from their men; and, except Rutherford of the North Carolina militia who was made a prisoner, reached Charlotte at different times.  Colonel Williams, who witnessed the whole battle, and bore a conspicuous part in it, concludes his very animated description of it, with the observation, that “if in this affair the militia fled too soon, the regulars may be thought almost as blameable for remaining too long on the field; especially after all hope of victory must have been despaired of.”  He censures freely the conduct of the brigadiers, who gave, he says, no orders whatever to their brigades.

About two hundred wagons, with a great part of the baggage, military stores, small arms, and all the artillery, fell into the hands of the conqueror.  The loss of men could never be accurately ascertained, as no returns were received from the militia.  Of the North Carolina division, between three and four hundred were made prisoners, and between sixty and one hundred were wounded.  Of the Virginia militia, three were wounded on the field; and, as they were the first to fly, not many were taken.

For the numbers engaged, the loss sustained by the regulars was considerable.  It amounted to between three and four hundred men, of whom a large portion were officers.  The British accounts state the loss of the American army at eight or nine hundred killed, and about one thousand prisoners; while their own is said to be only three hundred and twenty-five, of whom two hundred and forty-five were wounded.  Although many of the militia were killed during the flight, this account is probably exaggerated.  It would seem too, that while the continental troops kept the field, the loss on both sides, in that part of the action, must have been nearly equal.

On his retreat, the day of the battle, General Gates received information of the complete success of Sumpter.  That officer had, on the evening that Lord Cornwallis marched from Camden, reduced the redoubt on the Wateree, captured the guard, and intercepted the escort with the stores.

This gleam of light cheered the dark gloom which enveloped his affairs but for a moment.  He was soon informed that this corps also was defeated, and entirely dispersed.

[Sidenote:  August 18.]

On hearing of the disaster which had befallen Gates, Sumpter began to retreat up the south side of the Wateree.  Believing himself out of danger, he had halted on the twenty-eighth, during the heat of the day, near the Catawba Ford, to give his harassed troops some repose.  At that place he was overtaken by Tarlton, who had been detached in pursuit of him on the morning of the 17th, and who, advancing with his accustomed celerity, entered the American camp so suddenly, as in a great measure to cut off the men from their arms.  Some slight resistance made from behind the wagons was soon overcome, and the Americans fled precipitately to the river and woods.  Between three and four hundred of them were killed and wounded; their baggage, artillery, arms, and ammunition were lost; and the prisoners and stores they had taken, were recovered.  This advantage was gained with the loss of only nine men killed and six wounded.