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I78i] Battle of Hobkirk Hill. 229 woods. Steadily the whole British line gained ground and reached the ravine. But in the process of advance, owing to the wooded nature of the ground and the different degrees of resistance offered, the British line had become dislocated and forced into an irregular Echelon formation. Thus the first detachment that crossed was exposed to a flank attack and driven back into the ravine, where they rallied. A second detach- ment met the same fate. So critical did the position seem that Cornwallis ordered his artillery to fire on the Americans, regardless of the inevitable injury to his own men. The desperate expedient answered. Some of Cornwallis' own troops fell, but the attack was stayed. At the same time the detachment which had been separately engaged in the wood, having disposed of its enemy, reappeared and joined the main British force. Thus strengthened, Cornwallis made ready for a general attack. Thereupon Greene retreated in good order, without any serious attempt being made at pursuit. Guildford has been claimed, both at the time and since, if not as an American victory, at least as a drawn battle. The claim can hardly be maintained. During the afternoon of a March day the Americans were driven back fully a mile. Yet, so far as the honour of the battle went, if a portion of the American force gave way, their failure was more than atoned for by the valour of their comrades. No regiment won greater glory on that day than the 1st Maryland, who, having with- stood and repulsed the onslaught of the 33rd, then instantly turned on the 71st and drove them likewise in confusion into the ravine. And, if Guildford was a victory for Cornwallis, it was a Pyrrhic victory. His loss in killed and wounded was little less than a third of his whole army, including thirty officers. So weakened was his already reduced force that it became almost valueless as a weapon for offensive operations. From the day of Guildford, the British invasion of the Carolinas was practically at an end. It may be best, at the expense of strict chronology, to deal with the rest of Greene's campaign, before coming to those more important operations in which Cornwallis was soon engaged in Virginia. After Guildford Cornwallis withdrew to Wilmington, leaving the defence of South Carolina in the hands of Lord Rawdon at Camden, with British garrisons dotted to the south-east and south-west. Greene, apprehending no further danger from Cornwallis, advanced against Rawdon. On April 25 Greene was strongly posted at Hobkirk Hill, about three miles from Rawdon's head-quarters. Rawdon, having the advantage of the ground, determined to attack. He succeeded in surprising Greene and defeating him in a hard-fought action, with about equal loss on both sides. Rawdon's bold strategy probably saved his own force from a crushing defeat, but it had little effect on the campaign as a whole. Greene advanced, receiving at every stage of his march popular support, which was met by no similar display on the part of the loyalists. Fort CM. VII.