The British were suddenly startled, they had not anticipated that these black devils would have cannons.
The next moment, a neat line of infantry appeared on the north side of the cotton field, comprising over seven hundred soldiers. Except for some mixed-race officers, the vast majority were black.
Although these black soldiers wore a variety of clothing, they all carried Charleville 1763 flintlock guns.
Previously, the British Army had been focused solely on pursuing the defeated enemy and had no formation to speak of at this time. They could only reluctantly halt and turn toward the incoming enemy under the desperate shouting and cursing of the officers.
However, Ludwell didn't give them a chance to organize their formation and took the lead, sword held high. It wasn't until he could see the faces of the British soldiers in front that he loudly commanded,
"Stop! Prepare to shoot!"