This is Interesting...
Here is the SAR site's Description of the Battle of Waxhaws:
<i>1780 May 20 - Waxhaw (SC) - Virginia troops under Col. Abraham Buford were returning home after failing to reach Charleston SC in time to relieve the siege. They were overtaken by British dragoons (mounted infantry) under Col. Tarlton.
<b>Buford's Massacre occurred when Buford initially refused Tarleton's demand to surrender. Although Buford later raised a white flag of surrender, Tarleton's troops continued to fight and killed most of the Virginians.(Casualties: 250 colonists, 15 British)</b></i>
Note that in the casualties they say "British" not Provincials or Loyalist colonists.....just a bunch of British "bad guys"....
..Note the bolded version...it was a "massacre" while they were under white flag....
and here is the Patriot Resources' site version, not a Loyalist site, mind you:
<i>The Battle
Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton sent a messenger ahead requesting that Colonel Abraham Buford surrender. In the message, Tarleton exaggerated his forces in hopes of scaring Buford into surrender, or at least delaying him. <b>After delaying the messenger, while his infantry reached a favorable position, Buford declined in a one sentence reply: "Sir, I reject your proposals, and shall defend myself to the last extremity."</b>
Around three o'clock in the afternoon on May 29, 1780, Lt. Colonel Tarleton caught up with Colonel Buford near the Waxhaws district on the border of North and South Carolina. Tarleton's advance guard slashed through Buford's rear guard. Buford now formed his men up in a single line, while it is unknown what he did with Lt. Colonel William Washington's dragoons. Meanwhile, Tarleton did not wait for his stragglers to catch up, but continued to press the attack.
Lt. Colonel Tarleton assigned fifty cavalry and fifty infantry to harass Colonel Buford's left flank. Another forty cavalry were to charge at the center of Buford's line, while Tarleton would take another thirty cavalry to Buford's right flank and reserves. He formed up his troops on a low hill opposite the American line. At 300 yards, his cavalry began their charge.
When Lt. Colonel Tarleton's cavalry was fifty yards from Colonel Buford's line, the Americans presented their muskets, but they were ordered to hold their fire until the British were closer. Finally, at ten yards, Buford's men opened up, but that was too close for cavalry. Tarleton's horse was killed under him, but the American line was broken and in some cases, ridden down. The rout began and controversy soon followed.</i>
<i>The details of what happened following the battle are still under controversy. <b>Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton claimed that his horse was shot out from under him and he was pinned. His men, thinking that their commander had been shot and killed under a flag of truce, angrily attacked again. They slashed at anyone and everyone, including men who were kneeling with their hands up in surrender. </b>
Patriots claimed that Lt. Colonel Tarleton himself ordered the renewed attack because he didn't want to bother with taking prisoners. <b>Based on his aggressive style and zeal for brutal charges in other engagements, the Patriot claims are usually given more credence. Although the first complete statement claiming a massacre did not appear until 1821 in a letter from Dr. Robert Brownfield to William Dobein James.</b>
Either way, the slaughter lasted fifteen minutes. The result was 113 Continentals killed and 203 captured with 150 of those wounded. Colonel Buford himself managed to escape. There were only five killed and twelve wounded on the British side. The controversy continues to this day, but it took only days for Lt. Colonel Tarleton to be branded with the reputation for which he is remembered even now.</i>
Note the bolded text again.....
Ok, so Buford tried to take advantage of the truce and violated the White flag...and prisoners WERE taken, not 250 "colonists" killed.
AWI propaganda still lives.
I Truth-Seekingly Remain,