Patriot forces held their fire as Loyalists and Provincials marched toward the ridge, and only when the British came within 70 yards were they ordered to fire. The first Patriot volley was devastating, but the enemy quickly re-formed and pressed the attack again. The fighting grew especially intense here, where the Provincials advanced to within ten yards of the Patriot line. Before they could come any closer, British commander Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Innes was wounded, triggering the retreat of his forces. In a letter to Lord Cornwallis dated August 27, 1780, John H. Cruger wrote that Colonel Innes was at a house four miles away with a wound through the back part of his neck and hoped he would soon be able to ride out. When the British commander was wounded on this field, his troops fled the battle.