aka Torrence's Tavern, near present-day Mooresville.

When the local civilians heard the British artillery firing upon Beattie's Ford, many of them packed up their belongings and headed away from the approaching two armies. These "refugees" also decided to go to Tarrant's Tavern that same day to seek the protection of the gathering miltiamen.

The day was wet and cold and rum was served by the pailful to the militiamen. Lt. Col. Tarleton then arrived. He was clearly outnumbered, but this fact never stopped him before. His recent defeat by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan at the Cowpens was quite fresh on his mind, so, with a shout of "Remember the Cowpens!," he charged the militiamen. Most ran, many with pails of rum clutched tightly to their chests.

Capt. Salathiel Martin rode up with seven sober men and told the fleeing militia to get behind a fence and take a stand. Some followed his order, but most ran on with their buckets of rum. One of Lt. Col. Tarleton's men fired and killed Capt. Martin's horse - and he was quickly taken prisoner.

Adding to the chaos and panic were the wagonloads of refugees on the roads. After pursuing the fleeing miltia for a short distance, the British Legion returned to Tarrant's Tavern and burned the remaining wagons. They ripped up the beds of the refugees until the road was strewn with feathers. Lt. Col. Tarleton spared the tavern, but when Lord Cornwallis arrived the next day he ordered it burned to the ground.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, Lt. Col. Tarleton missed capturing Major General Nathanael Greene by only a few minutes. Greene had ridden on past the tavern that day and was only a few miles down the road when Lt. Col. Tarleton showed up. Greene was alone and rode on to Steele's Tavern in Salisbury, where he was met by a friend who asked if he was alone. Greene responded, "Alone, tired, hungry, and penniless." Mrs. Steele overheard the conversation and brought him breakfast and two small bags of coins. These few pennies became the entire military chest of the Continental Army's Southern Department at that point in time.

Surry County Regiment of Militia detachment of two (2) known companies, led by:
- Capt. Salathiel Martin (POW) with 7 men
- Capt. Arthur Scott

Mecklenburg County Regiment of Militia detachment of two (2) known companies, led by:
- Capt. Joseph Graham
- Capt. James Huggins

Rowan County Regiment of Militia detachment of ten (10) known companies, led by:
- Capt. Abel Armstrong
- Capt. William Bell
- Capt. David Caldwell
- Capt. Thomas Cowan
- Capt. Thomas Davidson
- Capt. John Dickey
- Capt. Richard Graham
- Capt. Jacob Nichols
- Capt. Samuel Reid
- Capt. William Wilson (probably wounded)

Lincoln County Regiment of Militia detachment of three (3) known companies, led by:
- Capt. John Baldridge
- Capt. Peter Forney
- Capt. James Lytle

Burke County Regiment of Militia detachment of one (1) known company, led by:
- Capt. Alexander Irvin

Randolph County Regiment of Militia detachment of one (1) known company, led by:
- Capt. John Hill

Orange County Regiment of Militia detachment led by Lt. Col. Thomas Farmer and Maj. Archibald Murphy with five (5) known companies, led by:
- Capt. William Greenwood
- Capt. William Jamieson
- Capt. Stephen Merritt (Granville County)
- Capt. Jones Fuller (Granville County)
- Capt. William Nichols

Caswell County Regiment of Militia detachment of two (2) known companies, led by:
- Capt. Spillsby Coleman
- Capt. Robert Park

Wake County Regiment of Militia detachment of one (1) known company, led by:
- Capt. Etheldred Jones

Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton - British Legion, with unknown number of men

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