From  the  Colonel  down  to  the  humblest  private  they  all
heartily  detested  Tories,  and  fought  them  with  a  resolute
determination  to  subdue  them  at  all  hazards.  They  sought
all  natural  places  of  protection — trees,  logs,  rocks,  and
bushes ;  when  Cleveland  would,  ever  and  anon,  vocifer-
ously urge  onward  and  upward  his  troops — "a  little  nearer
to  them,  my  brave  men  !  "  And  the  men  of  Wilkes  and
Surry  would  then  dart  from  their  places  of  concealment,  and
make  a  dash  for  more  advanced  positions.  Occasionally
one  of  their  number  would  fall,  which  only  served  to  nerve
on  the  survivors  to  punish  the  Tories  yet  more  effectually.
In  one  of  these  bold  and  dashing  forays,  Lieutenant
Samuel  Johnson,  of  Captain  Joel  Lewis'  company,  was  more
adventurous  than  prudent,  and  found  himself  and  men  in  a
most  dangerous  and  exposed  position,  which  resulted  in  the
loss  of  several  of  his  soldiers,  and  receiving  himself  a  severe
wound  in  the  abdomen.  Three  bullet  holes  were  made  in
one  skirt  of  his  coat,  and  four  in  the  other.  After  Lieuten-
ant Johnson  had  fallen,  and  while  the  contest  was  yet
fiercely  raging  around  him,  he  repeatedly  threw  up,  his
hands,  shouting — "-^  Huzza,  boys!"  The  salvation  of  his
life  was  attributed  to  the  scanty  amount  of  food  he  had  taken
during  the  three  days  preceding  the  battle,  so  difficult  had
it  been  to  obtain  it.  f  Of  his  fellow  officers  of  Cleveland's
regiment  who  were  also  among  the  wounded,  were  Major

*Dr.  C.  L.  Hunter,  in  IVkeeler  s  North  Carolina^  ii,  245,

-{-  Pension  statenlent  of  Johnson's  widow,  substantiated  by  surviving  witnesses.
