Martial Biography,
Or Memoirs Of The Most Eminent British Characters
Who Have Distinguished Themselves Under The English Standard
By Their Splendid Achievements In The Field Of Mars,
To their own immortal honour, and the Glory of the British Arms;
From the earliest Period of modern History to the present Time.
Containing an authentic Narrative of their
Lives, Public and Private Characters, Eminent Virtues, &c.
including correct and interesting Accounts of the various
Battles, Sieges, Blockades, Campaigns & Brilliant Victories,
from Government Authorities.
With Portraits of the most distinguished Characters.
To which is added,
A Compendious Glossary,
containing
An Explanation of the Military Terms and Phrases,
With the Rank and Duty of every Officer, whether in the Camp, Field, or Quarters;
With several useful Hints and Instructions in Military Tactics.
Also a Correct List of all the principal
Battles, Sieges, & Actions
Which have taken place, with the Names of the commanding Officers, the Issue of the Contest,
&c. &c.
London: Printed by James Cundee, Ivy-Lane,
For Thomas Hurst, Paternoster-Row; J. Harris,
St. Paul's Church-Yard; and J. Wallis,
Ludgate-Street.
1804
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Tarleton, (Banastre)...Major-general Tarleton is the second son of Mr. John Tarleton, an eminent
merchant of Liverpool. He was born in the year 1755. His father destined him for the profession
of the law: and after finishing his education at Oxford, he was admitted a student of the temple,
London. But the repetitions of jurisprudence had no charms for our hero: and the American war
breaking out, he turned his attention to arms, and entered as a cornet in the first regiment of
dragoon guards, April 20, 1775. He remained in this commission nearly two years, when,
wearied with that inactive life, he embarked with some reinforcements for America, where; for
his activity, courage, and abilities, he was promoted by sir William Erskine, then general of
cavalry, to the rank of brigade-major; in which situation, by his good horsemanship, he
recommended himself to the knowledge of all the officers of the staff in general; and he acquired
that particular knowledge which qualified him for the prosecution of those petty skirmishes
which usually fall to the lot of a leader of light troops. He continued a brigade-major during the
whole of the year 1777, and part of 1778 with the chief Pennsylvania army. It could not be said,
however, that the cavalier and his horse were idle: equestrian exercises with his brother officers
occupied his leisure hours, while pent up in the lines of Philadelphia. A new commander in chief
was however about to be appointed, whose disposition inclined him to cut out more active and
useful work to such men as the aspiring Tarleton. At the Mischianza, however, a
fete instituted in compliment to sir William Howe on returning home, as was
pleasantly said an unconquered knight, our military adventurer took a part in it, not
only with good humour, but with great spirit also. In the mock touraments he acted the part of the
black champion to the fair damsels of the Burning Mountains. The trophy he bore with the motto
"swift, vigilant, and bold," were adopted by him with intent to characterize his views, and the
energy of his mind; and lest it should be imagined that his
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devotion to Mars might leave him no desire to pay his vows to Venus, he chose a name for his
squire appropriate to such a cautious design. But as this was not a voyage to the island of
Cythera, sacred to dalliance, but to the continent of America, then in rebellion against the
mother-country: not a contest with metaphorical arrows, said to be tipt with gold and silver, but a
warfare carried on by the fatal sword, and more destructive ball; we shall in our sketch pass over
those deviations, those wanderings from the common track of his professional duty, and leave
them to be spoken of by the frequenters of Cyprian haunts and followers of pharo banks; places
of dissipation, and we may say of destruction, but too much resorted to by men who profess to be
actuated by the most noble principles....When the army, under the command of sir Henry Clinton,
left Philadelphia for New York in 1778, captain Sutherland, one of his aids-de-camp, had
permission to raise a corps under the denomination of the Caledonian volunteers, who gave him
the rank of major-commandant. This corps was relinquished in favour of the gallant lord
Cathcart, a young nobleman, who had distinguished himself in his excursions in Pennsylvania.
Upon the promotion of this latter officer the corps was new modelled by being made up into a
legion of light-cavalry, with infantry attached to it, and called the British Legion.
Of this newly re-organized body of troops, brigade major Tarleton was appointed commander,
with the local rank of lieutenant-colonel. A promotion so rapid in preference to many other
officers of much older standing, could not fail to give some umbrage, and especially attract the
eye of those captious judges who are always ready to animadvert upon the least departure from
established usage. Colonel Tarleton was however countenanced by the officers at the head of the
army, and therefore he felt satisfied he should silence the tongue of envy by a zealous execution
of his duty. In the beginning of the year 1778, a new regiment, the seventy-ninth, under the name
of the royal Liverpool volunteers, was raised, in which, from the circumstance of its being
recruited in his native town, and in some measure by the influence of his friends, he was
appointed eldest captain, and his commission, dated with those of the staff, before that of every
other battalion officer. This regiment embarked for the West-Indies under major-general Hall,
and as captain Tarleton was on a distinct service in America, he was allowed an over-slaugh, and
to draw his regimental pay as if in Jamaica. The moment for the display of his energy on the
American theatre was now arrived. The campaign for the year 1780 was now planned in the
councils of the British commanders in New York. The one of the preceding year had closed
much to the disadvantage of the Americans. The defeat of the French naval commander, and his
expulsion from Georgia, together with the spiritless condition of the continental troops and
Militia under Washington, had occasioned a resolve to carry the British arms to the southward.
An expedition to Charlestown was accordingly undertaken, and Colonel Tarleton embarked with
sir Henry Clinton early in the season. On the 12th of February the army was safely landed on the
islands in the vicinity of Charlestown; and from thence proceeded to the banks of Ashley's river,
between
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which, and Cooper's river, that town is situated. At the close of the month of March the whole
force crossed Ashley River, and broke ground within eight hundred yards of the enemy's works,
in the night of the first of April. Various obstacles being overcome, and admiral Arbuthnot
having taken possession of the harbour in spite of the vigorous fire from Fort Sullivan, the
general and admiral summoned the town to surrender, but the American general, Lincoln, who
commanded there, answered, that he would defend it to the last extremity: the batteries were
therefore opened on the ninth of April, and approaches made within little more than four hundred
yards of the town. These proceedings made it necessary to cut off all communication between the
town and country; for which purpose a detachment of chosen men was formed; colonel Tarleton
with a body of cavalry, and major Fergusson with twice the number of infantry were fixed on; the
whole to be commanded by colonel Webster. The enterprize was accompanied by numerous
difficulties: they had rivers to cross, and a strongly posted enemy to dislodge; an enemy too,
greatly superior in cavalry. It was at this corps the efforts of the detachment were principally
aimed. By the dexterity and bravery of our hero it was surprised and totally defeated. This
obstruction being removed, the detachment advanced into the interior of the country, and seized
all the principal passes, by which means the town was completely invested, and the army enabled
to proceed on the siege with additional vigour and security....The Americans were greatly
alarmed at these proceedings, and took uncommon pains to repair their loss of cavalry, which,
with great industry and expence, they were able to effect, as horses had been dispatched from
very considerable distances. But no sooner was intelligence of their approach obtained, than
colonel Tarleton was ordered to attack them; and he executed his commission with so much
success and speed, that almost the whole corps was either taken or destroyed, and all the horses
fell into the hands of the victor. Charlestown being reduced, the neighboring provinces were
greatly discouraged, not doubting but the successes of the British arms under sir Henry Clinton
would be improved to the utmost. The enemy therefore collected, with all possible speed, a force
sufficient to make a temporary stand till an adequate army could be formed. Detachments of
Americans were drawn from various parts to the borders of North Carolina, where it was
naturally expected the motions of the British army would next be directed. The enemy was
posted at a place called Warsaw, on the boundary line which marked north and south Carolina, at
a hundred miles distance from earl Cornwallis. His lordship, no sooner heard of the Americans
having assembled this new army, than he marched up the banks of the river Santae, and colonel
Tarleton was again selected to spring forward with a chosen body of men, and to attack them
before they could be re-inforced. He advanced with such rapidity, according to his usual custom,
viz a hundred miles in forty-eight hours, that he reached them the third day of his march; he
proposed to them the same terms as had been granted to the garrison of Charlestown, but they
refuse them; upon which colonel Tarleton fell upon them with so much
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skill and courage, that by far the major part of them were either killed in the action, or wounded
and made prisoners. Lord Cornwallis, in the account he gives to Sir Henry Clinton of his
proceedings, dated June 2, 1780, says, "In my letter of the 30th of last month, I enclosed a note
from lieutenant-colonel Tarleton, wrote in great haste from the field of action. I can only add the
highest encomiums on his conduct, and it will give me the most sensible satisfaction to hear that
your excellency has been able to obtain for him some distinguished mark of his majesty's favor."
And in the commander-in-chief's account of the same action, to lord George Germain, of the 5th
of the same month, and published with the former in the London Gazette, his excellency says,
"Your lordship will observe, that the enemy's killed, wounded, and taken, exceed lieutenant
colonel Tarleton's numbers with which he attacked them." This was the third victory obtained by
the British cavalry, commanded by this enterprising young officer. The numbers he had with him
in every one of these engagements, were inferior to those of the enemy; but they were chosen
men, both for their management of their horses and expertness in the use of their arms. The
consequence of this last affair was important to the interests of the British cause, as it decided,
for that time at least, the fate of all Carolina. Sir Henry Clinton was succeeded in the command
by lord Cornwallis, who observing the vigorous military preparations of the Americans, found it
would require the utmost exertions of his talents to oppose them. And he fixed upon Camden for
the centre of his military operations. General Gates, and Baron Kalbe, (a German officer of
merit) were advancing to oppose his progress. The appearances were truly disheartening to men
of less resources of mind than those at the head of this part of the British army. Upon the
appearance of the American forces under general Gates, on the confines of South Carolina, many
of the inhabitants repaired to him, regardless of their assurances of fidelity, and two whole
battalions raised for the British service also went over to the enemy. In this state of affairs no
time was to be lost: the post at Camden was much exposed, the main body under Gates pressed it
on one side, and a strong detachment under general Sumpter was endeavoring to cut off its
communications with Charlestown, to all which may be added, that the whole country beyond
Camden had declared in favor of the American general. Such were the circumstances, when Earl
Cornwallis resolved to attack Gates at the head of near six thousand men, while his own did not
amount to a third of that number; but he relied on the goodness of his little army. On the 15th of
August, 1780, he advanced to give battle to the Americans, encamped at twelve miles distance;
and at the precise time the latter marched to attack the post at Camden. They met on the road in
the night, they fought next morning; the ground was advantageous to the smaller army: after an
obstinate resistance of three quarters of an hour, the Americans were thrown into confusion, and
forced to give way in all directions. The cavalry completed the victory, over an enemy so very
superior in numbers, pursuing the fugitives as far as Hanging Rock, a distance of twenty-two
miles. On this occasion Lord Cornwallis, in his dispatches says, "the capacity and vigour of
Lieutenant-colonel
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Tarleton, at the head of the cavalry, deserves my highest commendation." On the morning of the
17th he was, by lord Cornwallis, detached with the legion cavalry and infantry, and corps of light
infantry, in all about three hundred and fifty men, with orders to attack general Sumpter, who was
advancing down the Wateree with near a thousand men; the like orders were given to
Lieutenant-colonel Turnbull and major Fergusson. Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton had the good
fortune to reach him first, and executed the service he was sent upon with his usual activity and
military address. He obtained good information of Sumpter's movements; and, by forced and
concealed marches, surprised him in the middle of the day of the 18th of August. The place of
attack was the Catawba Fords, where he totally destroyed or dispersed his detachment, then
consisting of seven hundred men, killing one hundred fifty on the spot, and taking two pieces of
brass cannon and three hundred prisoners, besides forty-four waggons. He likewise retook one
hundred British prisoners, who had fallen into the enemy's hands at the action of Hanging Rock,
and others in escorting some waggons from Congarees to Camden: he also released one hundred
and fifty British militia and friendly country people, who had been seized by the Americans. This
double defeat of the enemy, it might have been supposed, would extinguish their hope of ever
regaining possession of South Carolina. It was however, otherwise; for no sooner had the
enterprising Fergusson met with his death, and his party with a defeat on King's mountain, then
their hopes revived, and new means were taken for the total expulsion of the British. General
Sumpter, who had been handled so roughly in the two late affairs, had not lost all relish for a
further trial of skill. The Americans considered him as one of their most active officers, and lost
no time in assembling a considerable body of men to put under his orders; he proceeded with
them towards the British posts in the upper country of South Carolina, with an intent to surprise
them. Lord Cornwallis was timely informed of his movements, and dispatched Tarleton to give
him the meeting, and prevent him from executing his design. Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton on this
new occasion surpassed, if possible, any thing he had hitherto done, in respect to the celerity of
his motions. He penetrated a large extent of country, and came up with Sumter just as he was
preparing to pass the Ennoree, and with all the expedition he could use, he was obliged to leave
his rear guard behind, every man of whom was either killed or taken. Sumpter fled with the
utmost precipitation, his pursuer overtook him, by which he was compelled to make a stand on
the banks of the Tyger, or leave the British to press as before on his rear. He was partly induced
to make this stand by the information that Tarleton, in the eagerness of his pursuit, had left his
infantry some miles behind, and that his whole force did not amount to more than three hundred
men: not doubting to put this handful to the rout before it was joined by the main body, he drew
up his party, of more than a thousand men, on an advantageous ground; but colonel Tarleton,
notwithstanding his inferiority, attacked him with such incredible vigour, without waiting for all
his infantry to come up, that he broke them; and compelled
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them to cross the river in the utmost confusion. In this splendid action general Sumpter was
dangerously wounded, three of his colonels were killed, and one hundred and twenty men killed,
wounded, or taken prisoners. Earl Cornwallis, in his dispatches of Dec. 3, 1780, says, "it is not
easy for Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton to add to the reputation he has acquired in this province: but
the defeating one thousand men, posted on very strong ground, and occupying log-houses, by one
hundred cavalry and eighty infantry, without the assistance of any artillery, is a proof of that spirit
and those talents which must render essential service to his country." Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton
was next ordered to advance with speed to the relief of Ninety-six, with orders to clear that part
of the country of the American parties which infested it, and especially of that under colonel
Morgan, a brave and distinguished officer. He came up with and attacked colonel Morgan at
eight o'clock in the morning, of the 17th January, 1781, and obliged him to retreat to Broad river,
which being impassable from the great rain, an engagement became unavoidable, and the
champions of the two powers were about to put their abilities in what is called petit
guerre, to the test. Morgan was convinced, that were he defeated, his whole party must be
either taken or destroyed, and that the event of the campaign depended on his success. Animated
by these motives, he made every disposition in his favor which the nature of the ground admitted.
He formed his party in two divisions: the first, composed of militia, occupied the front of an open
wood; the second was drawn up in the wood itself, and consisted of the marksmen and best
troops. Colonel Tarleton drew up in two lines, placing his infantry in the centre of each, and his
cavalry on the flanks: he attacked and routed the militia that fronted him, pursuing them into the
wood, with air they fled with precipitation. This defeat being expected by the American colonel,
he provided against it accordingly. On the first line giving way, he directed the second to open to
the right and left, and extend along the wood. A way being opened for the fugitives, their
pursuers were suffered to follow them, till they were entangled in the wood, when, on a signal
given, they were assailed on both sides with a terrible discharge of rifle pieces from behind the
trees, almost every shot of which took effect. They were confounded by this attack from an
unexpected and almost invisible enemy. The greatest part of the infantry were cut to pieces, and
the seventh regiment lost its colours; two three-pounders also fell into the enemy's hands.
Colonel Tarleton, however, did not lose his presence of mind by this interruption of his
successes, for he assembled fifty of his choice cavalry, who, spirited up by the intrepidity of their
leader, charged and repulsed an hundred horse under colonel Washington. On the 2d of February,
he had the good fortune to defeat a corps of the enemy's militia, assembled under colonel
Pickering, near the Catawba. On the 2d of March also he fell in with a considerable number of
the enemy, detached from the army under general Green, he routed them and drove them into the
main body, who apprehending the approach of the whole British army, fell back to a more secure
position, till reinforced by the continental regulars that were daily
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expected. The last action fought by this brave officer in America, was the battle of Guildford,
which took place on the 15th of March, in the same year. Lord Cornwallis set forward to meet
general Green, who was reported to be advancing full speed upon him. Lieutenant-colonel
Tarleton falling in with the advance parties of the enemy, charged them with his accustomed
spirit, killed several of them, and drove the rest back upon the main body, which was drawn up
on a rising ground near the town of Guildford. The smallness of the earl's force admitted only of
being formed in two lines. His right wing was commanded by general Leslie, and his left by
colonel Webster, and colonel Tarleton was left with a body of reserve and the cavalry. The battle
began about two in the afternoon, when after several discharges on both sides, the superiority of
the Americans in number enabled them to outflank the wings of the British army, the second line
was obliged to unite with the first, in order to form an equal length of front with the Americans.
Notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, the enemy were not able to withstand the vigorous
attack made upon them, but were broken. They however rallied again, and put British courage
and discipline to a full trial. The second battalion of guards, under major-general O'Hara,
distinguished themselves, and drove the enemy into a wood in the rear. Other divisions of the
British army made their way through the wood and charged as they came up; when
lieutenant-colonel Tarleton, with the cavalry, which he had been ordered to keep compact till an
opportunity for a decisive stroke occurred, with a resolute onset fell upon the enemy, and
terminated one of the most bloody and hard contested conflicts fought in America. The enemy's
loss in killed and wounded was computed at near two thousand, besides the total loss of their
artillery and ammunition. Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton was wounded in this action. The noble
lord, in giving an account of the battle to the American secretary of state, says,
"Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton's good conduct and spirit in the management of his cavalry was
conspicuous during the whole action." Thus have we curiously traced the military career of an
officer, whose frequently repeated exploits justified the partiality shown him by the commanders
of the armies on the American station, and which, in all probability, occasioned him to be sent in
1799, on an important command in aid of our ally, the crown of Portugal. On the 15th of July,
1780, while making the campaign in America, he was promoted to the rank of major in the army,
and to that of lieutenant-colonel the 15th of June, 1781. On the 18th of Nov. 1790, he was
included in the list of colonels, and on the 3d of Nov. 1794, he was made a major-general. On the
reduction of Tarleton's dragoons, in 1783, the lieutenant-colonel commandant and other officers
were placed on half-pay. Gen. Tarleton has lately been appointed col. of the princess of Wales's
regiment of fencible cavalry. He has been twice chosen to represent the town of Liverpool in
parliament; as member for which he has often distinguished himself in the defense of the rights
of his country; and displayed his superior and useful knowledge of military subjects.
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