Cornwallis gave Tarleton permission to pursue Continental Colonel Abraham Buford and his American force, with instructions to abandon the mission if the pursuit seemed fruitless. Typically, Tarleton considered only one option: a forced march at a maximum pace. He had 270 troops and one three-pounder, and they accepted a constant loss of exhausted horses. On May 29, when the British forces were within twenty miles, Tarleton sent a message demanding that Buford surrender, falsely claiming that a greatly superior force was surrounding the Americans. Buford rejected the demand and formed his 450 men for battle just a few miles from the North Carolina line in a place called the Waxhaws.

Although the British force was strung out for miles and the cannon’s horses and many others could no longer move forward, Tarleton never hesitated when the Americans were sighted, and ordered an immediate attack. Tarleton’s horse was killed and he was wounded and lost consciousness. Believing him to be dead, his infantrymen proceeded to slaughter all the wounded Americans with their bayonets. Three hundred twenty-six Continentals were killed or captured, while Buford fled. Only five British were killed and twelve wounded. Tarleton soon recovered and now became Britain’s greatest hero, and the villain of America. Thereafter, “Tarleton’s quarter” would be the American battle cry as conquered or wounded British troops were slain.

This abandonment of the normal rules of war was especially notable when it is remembered that, except for British officers, most of the Redcoats were actually Americans who had maintained their loyalty to the crown and had offered their services as the British became dominant in the south. They were as deeply and sincerely wedded to their homes and families as were the revolutionaries who opposed them, and they despised the Continentals and Whig militiamen as traitors. The mutual condemnation was intense, and over months of bloody skirmishing, the robberies and atrocities in the south built up an almost uncontrollable hatred between Tories and revolutionaries, so that all restraints were abandoned in the heat of battle or in dealing with wounded men following an engagement.

•  •  •

Thomas Brown had James and Daniel McGirth and James Grierson assigned to his command, but his most active fighters were the Creeks and Cherokees who roamed the frontier areas and preyed on the remaining settlers. Brown was not well trained to command forces of such diversity, and made no real effort to control the violence he unleashed.