I almost blush to say that this one British officer beat off three Americans."*2* The honor of the day was decidedly with Merritt, though he was beaten.

He was no doubt a far better swordsman than our self-taught cavalry, with broadswords wrought out of mill saws.
Merritt abandoned his horse, and escaped to a neighboring swamp, from whence, at midnight, he got into Georgetown.*3* Two of Horry's prisoners proved to be American soldiers; "the sergeant belonged to the 3d Regiment of South Carolina Continentals, and a drummer formerly belonged to my own Regiment (the 5th).

The drummer was cruelly wounded on the head; the sergeant was of Virginia, and wounded on the arm.

They said they had enlisted from the Prison Ship to have a chance of escaping and joining their countrymen in arms,"*4* and would have done so that day but that the British captain was in the rear, and they dared not.

Horry rejoined Marion in safety with his prisoners.
*1* MS.