The Hillsborough Recorder

From the Fayetteville Observer,

N. CAROLINA ILLUSTRATED: BY PORTE CRAYON OF HARPER'S MAGAZINE
OR,
The Battle-Fields of North Carolina Desecrated-- North Carolina Villified-- and Virginian Valor Magnified - By Porte Crayon--A Virginian.

Messrs. E. J. Hale & Son--Gentlemen:-

So long as Porte Crayon, of Harper's Magazine, confined his genius to a caricature of the State in general, and a delineation of low life such as he specially met with, his efforts merited and received silence and contempt. Nor would we have felt at liberty to notice his attempted sneers at Canova's Statue of Washington, and praise of Houdon's Statue of the same great Chief, or his picture from Turner's Almanac of the Capitol of the State, or the pictures copied from Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution, illustrative of North Carolina--and yet not one of them presents a North Carolina face, except that of a caricatured North Carolina woman. These things we could and would have laughed at. But when he visits the North Carolina battle-field of Guilford Court House--the first battle-field at the South on which Cornwallis met with even nominal defeat--a battle from which dates a reaction in favor of American Liberty that resulted in the defeat of Rawdon at the South, and Clinton at the North, and in six months after it was fought led to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown and the establishment of peace between the Colonies and Britain-- When such an ape visits such a battle-field and charges North Carolina Militia with rank unmitigated cowardice, and magnifies the valor of Virginia's raw recruits, at the expense of truth, justice to the dead demands that the slander should not pass unrefuted in "Harper's North Carolina Illustrated," "compiled from the best authorities."

Porte Crayon says:

"Greene's force was posted on a wooded hill, drawn up in three lines, the two first composed of militia, and the third of his Continentals, consisting of four regiments from Virginia and Maryland.

"No sooner had the British column deployed and commenced marching to the attack, than the militia forming the left of the front line were seized with a panic, and fled, before a man of them had been either killed or wounded. Many of them did not even discharge their guns, but left them loaded, sticking between the rails of the fence behind which they were posted. In vain did their officers attempt to rally this terror-stricken herd; in vain did Lee threaten to fall upon them with his dragoons, and cut them to pieces. The panic was complete and final." The gap thus ignominiously left was immediately seized by the enemy, giving him a powerful advantage at the commencement of the onset, and throwing the flanking legion out of combination with the rest of the army. But this auspicious beginning did not give to the enemy the speedy triumph it seemed to promise. The Virginia militia fought with extraordinary courage and obstinacy, and did everything that raw troops could do against the highly-disciplined and indomitable valor of their adversaries.

"The hills are again crowned with armed battalions. The rolling of drums, the startling bugle call, the voice of command, break the silence of the budding forest. There, swarming in the thicket, near the edge of the woods and behind the protecting fences, are the unskillful militia, valiant in pot houses but unreliable in the field, hearkening with fainting hearts, the mingled threats and encouragement of their leaders, ready to fire and runaway at the first burst of battle.

"Maneuvering on either flank are the snorting squadrons of Washington and Lee, whose flashing sabres have already tasted blood. In the distance are seen the serried lines of the grim Continentals, men of reliable metal, who can hear the battle going on around them and bide their time; who, unmoved and scornful, see the panic-stricken herds of friends fly past them, and then rush gallantly to meet the bayonets of their enemies.

"Hark! the rolling of the English drums! Like an electric shock it shakes the thousands that stand expectant upon the embattled hill! Now the coward's cheek blanches, as with impotent and trembling haste he fumbles his musket lock. Now the warm blood rushes to the brow of the brave, and with fiercer eagerness he grasps his sword hilt. The head of the advancing column is already in sight. The sun's rays glance upon their burnished arms.

"The American lines are broken, and the tide of war rolls on until intrepid assailants meet, in the Continental line, foes more worthy of their steel:

The war which for a space did fail.
Now, trebly thundering, swelled the gale."

"Then, then Virginia, it was a joy, that even defeat and disaster cannot blight, to see that haughty battalion of Guards flying in wild disorder from the wood, while thy fiery horsemen, with hoof and sabre, trampled them in the dust."

The author has not had the manliness to state what is well known--that it was the North Carolina militia that was stationed in the front line. He simply calls them militia, and doubtless hopes to escape censure by pleading his delicate forbearance to call them by name. Be that as it may, and let his motives be what they were, we proceed to vindicate the truth of history, and enter a denial to the charge that the North Carolina militia acted cowardly in the battle of Guilford Court House.

The British forces consisted of the "German Regiment," "71st or Frazer's Highlanders," "33d Regiment," 2d Battalion of Guards, German Yagers, and Cavalry. In all about 2,500 men--regiments that had been mustered into service by the gallant Wolfe, and on every battle-field in the American Revolution had acquired distinction and fame.

Greene's army consisted of Huger's brigade of Virginia Continentals, 778; Virginia Militia, 1,693; North Carolina Militia, 1,060; Maryland and Delaware Brigade, 630; Lee's Legion, 82; Lee's Dragoons, 75; Washington's Dragoons, 86; Cavalry 161; and Continental Regulars, 1,490. In all 4,243 men; or, stated thus,

Virginians, 2,575--more than one-half.
North Carolinians, 1,060--less than one-fourth
Maryland and Delaware, 630--about one-seventh.
U. S. Continentals, 1,490--more than one-fourth

"The Maryland, Delaware, and