During this period he was charged by a British officer with contumacy towards him, for which he was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to receive 500 lashes, which was put in execution. Some time afterwards the officer discovered Morgan's innocence, begged his pardon, and obtained his forgiveness.

After Braddock's defeat, he left the army, returned home and resumed his former business, with the fruits of which he purchased a lot of ground in Frederick county, whereon he subsequently built an elegant mansion house which he called Saratoga, in honor of the capture of Burgoyne in 1777, in which he bore a distinguished part.

During the revolution he used frequently to laugh at the affair of his being flogged, and tell the British officers, whom the fortune of war had thrown in his way, that his Britannic Majesty was indebted to him one lash, for the drummer having miscounted, he received 499 only, instead of 500, the number, which he had been sentenced to receive.

In the commencement of the revolutionary contest between Great Britain and her colonies, he was appointed to command a troop of cavalry, raised in defence of the rights of the latter, against the usurpation of the mother country. In this corps were men who afterwards rose to distin guished honors. With it he joined the American army at Boston, whence he was detached by General Washington, to the expedition of General Arnold against Quebec, to co-operate with Gen. Montgomery in the reduction of that capital.

The difficulties and hardships which the army had to encounter in a long and perilous march through the wilderness, was borne with cheerful ness and composure.

The combined operations against that city were begun under the angry auspices of a December sky. In the early part of the attack on that city, Arnold was wounded in the arm and carried off the field, when his command devolved on Morgan, who, with his little Spartan band, passed the first barrier and had mounted the second, when the fall of the lamented Montgomery checked his career of expected glory. Colonel Campbell, second in command to that general, after his fall, made no farther effort at conquest but drew off his troops, which left the enemy undisturbed to direct his whole attention towards the troops under Morgan who was compelled to surrender to superior force. While a prisoner he was offered the rank and emolument of a Colonel in the British service. He begged the officer who made him the offer, never again to insult his misfortunes in so degrading a manner.

Soon afterwards he was exchanged, when he repaired to the American standard and received the command of a select rifle corps, by Gen. Washington's recommendation, who, although in want of his services, judged it prudent to detach him to the assistance of Gen. Gates. That general having after the fall of Ticonderoga, succeeded Gen, St. Clair, appeared unable to check the career of Burgoyne, in whose subsequent capture Morgan particularly distinguished himself, notwithstanding which, Gates in his official communication of that event to the American government, passed his services over unnoticed. The cause was thisGates was connected with a party who wished to take away the chief command from Washington, and sounded Morgan on the subject. Morgan treated the attempt with disdain, and declared he would serve under no other commander. Hence

intimacies ceased to exist between them, and Gates treated him with studied neglect. The latter, after Burgoyne's capture, having invited several British and American officers to dine with him, purposely neglected Morgan. Having, however, some business to transact with him, he called on the General at his dining-room in the evening; but upon his entrance was not announced to the guests. His business finished, he withdrew, and the British officers having learnt his name, followed him out of Gates's presence and paid him individually their respects.

On the northern frontiers of New-Jersey his brother resided, whom he had not seen for many years, and who he learnt was in extreme indigence. On his return from Saratoga he left his troops a few days, and went twenty miles out of his way to see him. During this visit he slept on the bare floor, his brother having but one bed in the house, which the General refused to occupy on account of the indisposition of his sister-in-law. He offered his brother a good farm if he would remove with him into Virginia, which from strong local attachments his brother declined.

He returned to his corps and proceeded on to the main army, where the most hazardous enterprizes were committed to him for execution.

He was placed with a command, in the winter of 1777, on the west side of Schuylkill, to prevent the country people from supplying the British, who were then in possession of Philadelphia, with provisions.

The eclat which Gates gained by the capture of Burgoyne induced Congress to invest him with the command of the armies in the southern states, in order, if possible, to retrieve the American affairs in that quarter. Notwithstanding the dis

pleasure he manifested towards Morgan at Saratoga, on account of his failure in detaching the confidence of that officer from the commander-inchief, he strongly solicited Morgan to accompany him to his southern command, which was as strongly resisted, until Morgan's resentment was somewhat blunted by the reception of a brevet Brigadier-General's commission. He, however, did not join the southern army until after Gates's discomfiture at Cambden, which caused Congress to transfer the command of the south to General Greene, who fully retrieved the American affairs in that quarter.

When the British army lay at Winnsborough, Morgan having the command of the van of Gen. Smallwood, attempted to cut off a foraging party of the British, who were ravaging the country between the two armies. His vigilant adversary, however, escaped safe to the British camp at Cambden.

To his command was committed a division composed of several corps destined for operations in the western quarter. They were, on their march, to be strengthened with mountain militia from Carolina and Georgia. His orders were to pass the Catawba and take post in the country between Broad and Pacolet rivers, which with corresponding dispositions, was to secure provisions for General Greene's army. During this march he received a part of the expected succour, and, after having passed Broad river, took a position near its confluence with the Pacolet. At the time Cornwallis learnt the dispositions of Morgan, General Greene was seventy miles on his right, and Morgan fifty miles on his left. Alarmed for the safety of Augusta and Ninety-six, Cornwallis despatched Tarleton with a body of troops, either

to force Morgan to battle, or to drive him back into North Carolina. Aware of Tarleton's advance, Morgan took his measures accordingly. The former gave his troops but little repose until he came up with the latter at the Cowpens, where he intended to give his adversary battle, which he wrongfully supposed to be the intention of Morgan to avoid, who halted his troops for repose and determined to give battle when offered.

Tarleton's judgment being overruled by irritation of temper advanced at the dawn of day; (January 17, 1781.) Apprised of his movements Morgan was duly prepared for action. The environs of Cowpens were covered with open wood which permitted the cavalry to manœuvre with facility, and Tarleton's trebled Morgan's. The flanks of the latter had no resting place, and could be easily turned. Broad river was parallel in his rear, which prevented a safe retreat in case of a discomfiture. Although Morgan might have chosen a more eligible situation in the opinion of others for his forces to act advantageously, had he crossed the river, where he might have had ground suited to his species of troops and inferiority of numbers. As it was, his disposition for action evinced his great capacity. Majors M'Dowell of North Carolina, and Cunningham of Georgia, were sent forward with two light bodies of militia to amuse the foe as he advanced, by keeping up a slow but well directed fire, and he fell back upon the front line with which he was to range and renew the fight. General Pickens commanded the main body of the militia of which this line was composed. Lieut.Colonel Howard commanded the second line, composed of two companies of militia who had mostly been Continental soldiers, whose time of service had expired under Captains Triplet and Taite.