gun. In the fort was found ninety-three men, and two hundred and fifty stands of arms, loaded with ball and buck-shot, and so arranged at the port-holes that they could have defended the fort against an enemy of double the strength of Col. Shelby's.

At this time, Col. Ferguson, of the British army, an officer of great talents, enterprise and bravery, was in the vicinity, with an army of two thousand strong under his command. Colonels Shelby and Clark were dispatched with about six hundred men, to watch the movements of the enemy, to cut off his scouts and foraging parties, and harass him as much as possible. Ferguson made many attempts to surprise and cut off Shelby, but failed in all. On the 1st of August, however, Ferguson's advanced detachment, about six or seven hundred strong, coming up with Shelby at a place called Cedar Spring, he gave them battle, but Ferguson's whole force soon coming up, Shelby retreated, carrying with him twenty prisoners, besides two British officers.

A few days after this affair, Colonels Shelby and Clark were again detached with about six hundred mounted men, to attack a party of British and tories, then lying at Musgrove's mill on the Enoree river, about forty miles distant from Colonel McDowell's camp. Ferguson's whole force lay immediately on the route Shelby had to 'march. He therefore marched all night, went through the woods, and passed Ferguson's encampment three or four miles to the left. Just at day-light, Shelby met a strong patrol party of the enemy, and a smart skirmish ensued, but the enemy soon retreated. A countryman of the neighborhood now came up, and informed Col. Shelby that the enemy were reinforced the previous evening by six hundred British regulars, under the command of Col. Ennis. The men and horses were now so fatigued, that to retreat was im

possible; and Shelby therefore fortified himself with a breastwork of logs and brush, and sent out Capt. Inman with twenty-five men, to skirmish with the enemy as soon as they should cross the river, with the hope, by this stratagem, to throw them into confusion. Capt. Inman had suggested the plan, and therefore was detached to execute it; and it succeeded most admirably. As soon as the enemy crossed the river, Inman's little force fired on them and began to retreat, the enemy pursuing in disorder, believing they had routed the whole party of Americans; nor were they undeceived until they met a hot and destructive fire from Shelby's riflemen, behind the breastwork. The battle raged most furiously for about an hour, the British officers falling every few minutes. The British forces, however, being greatly superior in numbers, forced a few of the riflemen from the breastworks at one or two points, but just at the same instant, Col. Ennis was wounded, and Capt. Hausey, the leader of the tories, being shot down, the whole of the enemy's line fled. The Americans made hot pursuit, and drove them across the river. The loss of the Americans was six or seven killed, and a few wounded. That of the enemy was very great, besides more than two hundred prisoners taken by the Americans.

As soon as the battle was ended, the victors mounted their horses, determining to make a dash upon Ninetysix, a weak British post about thirty miles distant; but just as they were getting in readiness to march, an express arrived from Col. McDowell, with the information of the defeat of Gen. Gates at Camden. Shelby therefore distributed the prisoners amongst the different companies, so as to make one prisoner to three men, and set off with all speed towards the mountains; and continued his march until late the next morning, without stopping to

refresh either man or horse; being all the while pursued by Maj. Dupoister, with a strong body of mounted men from Ferguson's army. But the spirited and hardy Americans made good their retreat. After they were beyond the reach of danger, Shelby left the prisoners with Colonels Clark and Williams, to be conveyed to some place of safety, and returned with his volunteers to the western side of the mountains; for it was not then known to Shelby, or a man of his party, that there was an American corps embodied any where south of the Potomac. A general panic prevailed over the whole southern country. McDowell's army broke up, and he retreated, with a few hundred of his followers, west of the mountains. The alarmed and desponding inhabitants flew in crowds to the British standard, or sought protection under the proclamation of Lord Cornwallis, who had promised a pardon and kind treatment to all such as should return to their allegiance, and support the authority of the King. Meantime, Ferguson, finding he could not overtake Shelby, took post at Gilbert-town, North Carolina, and sent an insulting and threatening message over the mountains, by a paroled prisoner, telling the officers west of the mountains, that if they did not cease their hostility, he would march over and lay waste the whole country.— But such spirits as Shelby and Sevier were not to be intimidated by this windy gasconade of the chagrined and infuriated Briton. They met and consulted upon the course proper to pursue, and instead of awaiting the haughty royalist's approach, they determined to raise what men they could, and dash across the mountains, and attack him in his camp. They appointed a day to rendezvous their forces near Watauga, and then set about raising volunteers, Sevier having agreed to procure the aid of Col. McDowell, and Shelby to use his best en

deavors to enlist the interest and influence of Col. William Campbell, of Washington county, Virginia. Sevier succeeded in prevailing on McDowell to engage in the campaign at once; and Shelby sent his brother, Moses Shelby, to see Col. Campbell, and wrote a letter, informing him of the whole plan. Campbell did not at first agree to join them, thinking it best for him to march his forces in another direction, in order to meet Cornwallis in Virginia; but Shelby sent another express, urging the propriety and necessity of the campaign, and Campbell finally was prevailed upon to give his assistance.

They rendezvoused on Watauga on the 25th of September, 1780. Col. Campbell had about four hundred men, Sevier two hundred and forty, Shelby about two hundred, and these, with the few under the command of Col. McDowell, constituted the whole force, with which they set off on the next day to attack Col. Ferguson, an experienced, talented and veteran officer of the British regular army, having at the time treble the number of troops under his command, all well armed and disciplined, and a portion of them regulars. But having crossed the mountains, about the first of October, they fell in with Col. Cleveland, with an army of about three or four hundred men, slipping through the woods, with the hope of falling in with some party, who might be marching to attack the enemy. On the succeeding day, the rain poured down so incessantly the troops could not travel; and the officers met and held a council, in which it was agreed that Col. McDowell, although the commanding officer of the district, was too far advanced in life, and too infirm and inactive to command such an expedition; and that it was most prudent to send to head quarters, wherever it might be, to procure an active and experienced field officer to command them. Col. McDow

ell, at his own request, was appointed the messenger, and set off immediately, leaving his men under the command of his brother, Joseph McDowell. And, in the meantime it was agreed, at the instance of Col. Shelby, that Col. Campbell should, for the time, have the command. The third day after Col. McDowell left the army, they were joined by Col. John Williams, of South Carolina, and a number of other field officers, with a force of about four hundred men, as the army were in pursuit of Ferguson, it having marched the next morning after McDowell left, to Gilbert-town, from whence, on their arrival, they found Ferguson had retreated, having permitted many of his tory friends to visit their families, not expecting an attack. He took a circuitous route through the country, sending expresses in every direction; and finally took a permanent stand on King's mountain. These brave and intrepid Whigs, having ascertained that Col. Ferguson wished to avoid them until he obtained reinforcements from the Tories, determined to pursue with all possible speed, and force him into a battle as soon as they should overtake him. To this end, two nights before the action, the officers spent the whole night in selecting the best horses, men and arms, and took Ferguson's trail the next morning, with a force of about nine hundred expert marksmen. During the last thirty-six hours preceding the battle, the Americans halted but once to refresh either themselves or horses. On the 7th of October, they came up with Ferguson, encamped on the summit of King's mountain. The troops were so disposed as to march up the mountain on different sides, and surround the enemy. They accordingly marched up the mountain in this order, and attacked the enemy on all sides. Ferguson's troops, however, fought with a courage and valor worthy of a better cause; but nothing could resist the invincible and