pioneers of the old southwest-第26部分

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of　the　linsey…woolsey　spun　by　their　women。　Their　hunting　shirts　were　bound　in　at　the　waist　by　bright…colored　linsey　sashes　tied　behind　in　a　bow。　They　wore　moccasins　for　footgear；　and　on　their　heads　high　fur　or　deerskin　caps　trimmed　with　colored　bands　of　raveled　cloth。　Around　their　necks　hung　their　powderhorns　ornamented　with　their　own　rude　carvings。

On　the　first　day　they　drove　along　with　them　a　number　of　beeves　but；　finding　that　the　cattle　impeded　the　march；　they　left　them　behind　on　the　mountain　side。　Their　provisions　thereafter　were　wild　game　and　the　small　supply　each　man　carried　of　mixed　corn　meal　and　maple　sugar。　For　drink；　they　had　the　hill　streams。

They　passed　upward　between　Roan　and　Yellow　mountains　to　the　top　of　the　range。　Here；　on　the　bald　summit；　where　the　loose　snow　lay　to　their　ankles；　they　halted　for　drill　and　rifle　practice。　When　Sevier　called　up　his　men；　he　discovered　that　two　were　missing。　He　suspected　at　once　that　they　had　slipped　away　to　carry　warning　to　Ferguson；　for　Watauga　was　known　to　be　infested　with　Tories。　Two　problems　now　confronted　the　mountaineers。　They　must　increase　the　speed　of　their　march；　so　that　Ferguson　should　not　have　time　to　get　reinforcements　from　Cornwallis；　and　they　must　make　that　extra　speed　by　another　trail　than　they　had　intended　taking　so　that　they　themselves　could　not　be　intercepted　before　they　had　picked　up　the　Back　Country　militia　under　Colonels　Cleveland；　Hampbright；　Chronicle；　and　Williams；　who　were　moving　to　join　them。　We　are　not　told　who　took　the　lead　when　they　left　the　known　trail；　but　we　may　suppose　it　was　Sevier　and　his　Wataugans；　for　the　making　of　new　warpaths　and　wild　riding　were　two　of　the　things　which　distinguished　Nolichucky　Jack's　leadership。　Down　the　steep　side　of　the　mountain；　finding　their　way　as　they　plunged；　went　the　overhill　men。　They　crossed　the　Blue　Ridge　at　Gillespie's　Gap　and　pushed　on　to　Quaker　Meadows；　where　Colonel　Cleveland　with　350　men　swung　into　their　column。　Along　their　route；　the　Back　Country　Patriots　with　their　rifles　came　out　from　the　little　hamlets　and　the　farms　and　joined　them。

They　now　had　an　army　of　perhaps　fifteen　hundred　men　but　no　commanding　officer。　Thus　far；　on　the　march；　the　four　colonels　had　conferred　together　and　agreed　as　to　procedure；　or；　in　reality；　the　influence　of　Sevier　and　Shelby；　who　had　planned　the　enterprise　and　who　seem　always　to　have　acted　in　unison；　had　swayed　the　others。　It　would　be；　however；　manifestly　improper　to　go　into　battle　without　a　real　general。　Something　must　be　done。　McDowell　volunteered　to　carry　a　letter　explaining　their　need　to　General　Gates；　who　had　escaped　with　some　of　his　staff　into　North　Carolina　and　was　not　far　off。　It　then　occurred　to　Sevier　and　Shelby；　evidently　for　the　first　time；　that　Gates；　on　receiving　such　a　request；　might　well　ask　why　the　Governor　of　North　Carolina；　as　the　military　head　of　the　State；　had　not　provided　a　commander。　The　truth　is　that　Sevier　and　Shelby　had　been　so　busy　drumming　up　the　militia　and　planning　their　campaign　that　they　had　found　no　time　to　consult　the　Governor。　Moreover；　the　means　whereby　the　expedition　had　been　financed　might　not　have　appealed　to　the　chief　executive。　After　finding　it　impossible　to　raise　sufficient　funds　on　his　personal　credit；　Sevier　had　appropriated　the　entry　money　in　the　government　land　office　to　the　business　in　handwith　the　good　will　of　the　entry　taker；　who　was　a　patriotic　man；　although；　as　he　had　pointed　out；　he　could　not；　OFFICIALLY；　hand　over　the　money。　Things　being　as　they　were；　no　doubt　Nolichucky　Jack　felt　that　an　interview　with　the　Governor　had　better　be　deferred　until　after　the　capture　of　Ferguson。　Hence　the　tenor　of　this　communication　to　General　Gates：

〃As　we　have　at　this　time　called　out　our　militia　without　any　orders　from　the　Executive　of　our　different　States　and　with　the　view　of　expelling　the　Enemy　out　of　this　part　of　the　Country；　we　think　such　a　body　of　men　worthy　of　your　attention　and　would　request　you　to　send　a　General　Officer　immediately　to　take　the　command。。。。　All　our　Troops　being　Militia　and　but　little　acquainted　with　discipline；　we　could　wish　him　to　be　a　Gentleman　of　address；　and　able　to　keep　up　a　proper　discipline　WITHOUT　DISGUSTING　THE　SOLDIERY。〃

For　some　unknown　reasonunless　it　might　be　the　wording　of　this　letter！no　officer　was　sent　in　reply。　Shelby　then　suggested　that；　since　all　the　officers　but　Campbell　were　North　Carolinians　and；　therefore；　no　one　of　them　could　be　promoted　without　arousing　the　jealousy　of　the　others；　Campbell；　as　the　only　Virginian；　was　the　appropriate　choice。　The　sweet　reasonableness　of　selecting　a　commander　from　such　a　motive　appealed　to　all；　and　Campbell　became　a　general　in　fact　if　not　in　name！　Shelby's　principal　aim；　however；　had　been　to　get　rid　of　McDowell；　who；　as　their　senior；　would　naturally　expect　to　command　and　whom　he　considered　〃too　far　advanced　in　life　and　too　inactive〃　for　such　an　enterprise。　At　this　time　McDowell　must　have　been　nearly　thirty…nine；　and　Shelby；　who　was　just　thirty；　wisely　refused　to　risk　the　campaign　under　a　general　who　was　in　his　dotage！

News　of　the　frontiersmen's　approach；　with　their　augmented　force；　now　numbering　between　sixteen　and　eighteen　hundred；　had　reached　Ferguson　by　the　two　Tories　who　had　deserted　from　Sevier's　troops。　Ferguson　thereupon　had　made　all　haste　out　of　Gilbert　Town　and　was　marching　southward　to　get　in　touch　with　Cornwallis。　His　force　was　much　reduced；　as　some　of　his　men　were　in　pursuit　of　Elijah　Clarke　towards　Augusta　and　a　number　of　his　other　Tories　were　on　furlough。　As　he　passed　through　the　Back　Country　he　posted　a　notice　calling　on　the　loyalists　to　join　him。　If　the　overmountain　men　felt　that　they　were　out　on　a　wolf　hunt；　Ferguson's　proclamation　shows　what　the　wolf　thought　of　his　hunters。

〃To　the　Inhabitants　of　North　Carolina。

〃Gentlemen：　Unless　you　wish　to　be　eat　up　by　an　innundation　of　barbarians；　who　have　begun　by　murdering　an　unarmed　son　before　the　aged　father；　and　afterwards　lopped　off　his　arms；　and　who　by　their　shocking　cruelties　and　irregularities　give　the　best　proof　of　their　cowardice　and　want　of　discipline：　I　say　if　you　wish　to　be　pinioned；　robbed　and　murdered；　and　see　your　wives　and　daughters　in　four　days；　abused　by　the　dregs　of　mankindin　short　if　you　wish　to　deserve　to　live　and　bear　the　name　of　men；　grasp　your　arms　in　a　moment　and　run　to　camp。

〃The　Back　Water　men　have　crossed　the　mountains：　McDowell；　Hampton；　Shelby；　and　Cleveland　are　at　their　head；　so　that　you　know　what　you　have　to　depend　upon。　If　you　choose　to　be　degraded　forever　and　ever　by　a　set　of　mongrels；　say　so　at　once；　and　let　your　women　turn　their　backs　upon　you；　and　look　out　for　real　men　to　protect　them。

〃Pat。　Ferguson；　Major　71st　Regiment。〃*

*　Draper；　〃King's　Mountain　and　its　Heroes；〃　p。　204。


Ferguson's　force　has　been　estimated　at　about　eleven　hundred　men；　but　it　is　likely　that　this　estimate　does　not　take　the　absentees　into　consideration。　In　the　diary　of　Lieutenant　Allaire；　one　of　his　officers；　the　number　is　given　as　only　eight　hundred。　Because　of　the　state　of　his　army；　chroniclers　have　found　Ferguson's　movements；　after　leaving　Gilbert　Town；　difficult　to　explain。　It　has　been　pointed　out　that　he　could　easily　have　escaped；　for　he　had　plenty　of　time；　and　Charlotte；　Cornwallis's　headquarters；　was　only　sixty　miles　distant。　We　have　seen　something　of　Ferguson's　quality；　however；　and　we　may　simply　take　it　that　he　did　not　want　to　escape。　He　had　been　planning　to　cross　the　high　hillsto　him；　the　Highlander；　no　barrier　but　a　challengeto　fight　these　men。　Now　that　they　had　taken　the　initiative　he　would　not　show　them　his　back。　He　craved　the　battle。　So　he　sent　out　runners　to　the　main　army　and　rode　on　along　the　eastern　base　of　the　mountains；　seeking　a　favorable　site　to　go　into　camp　and　wait　for　Cornwallis's　aid。　On　the　6th　of　October　he　reached　the　southern　end　of　the　King's　Mountain　ridge；　in　South　Carolina；　about　half　a　mile　south　of　the　northern　boundary。　Here　a　rocky；　semi…isolated　spur　juts　out　from　the　ridge；　its　summita　table…land　about　six　hundred　yards　long　and　one　hundred　and　twenty　wide　at　its　northern　endrising　not　more　than　sixty　feet　above　the　surrounding　country。　On　the　summit　Ferguson　pitched　his　camp。

The　hill　was　a　natural　fortress；　its　sides　forested；　its　bald　top　protected　by　rocks　and　bowlders。　All　the　approaches　led　through　dense　forest。　An　enemy　force；　passing　through　the　immediate；　wooded　territory；　might　easily　fail　to　discover　a　small　army　nesting　sixty　feet　above　the　shrouding　leafage。　Word　was　evidently　brought　to　Ferguson　here；　telling　him　the　now　augmented　number　of　his　foe；　for　he　dispatched　another　emissary　to　Cornwallis　with　a　letter　stating　the　number　of　his　own　troops　and　urging　full　and　immediate　assistance。

Meanwhile　the　frontiersmen　had　halted　at　the　Cowpens。　There　they　feasted　royally　off　roasted　cattle　and　corn　belonging　to　the　loyalist　who　owned　the　Cowpens。　It　is　said　that　they　mowed　his　fifty　acres　of　corn　in　an　hour。　And　here　one　of　their　spies；　in　the　assumed　role　of　a　Tory；　learned　Ferguson's　plans；　his　approximate　force；　his　route；　and　his　system　of　communication　with　Cornwallis。　The　officers　now　held　council　and　determined　to　take　a　detachment　of　the　hardiest　and　fleetest　horsemen　and　sweep　down　on　the　enemy　before　aid　could　reach　him。　About　nine　o'clock　that　evening；　according　to　Shelby's　report；　910　mounted　men　set　off　at　full　speed；　leaving　the　main　body　of　horse　and　foot　to　follow　after　at　their　best　pace。

Rain　poured　down　on　them　all　that　night　as　they　rode。　At　daybreak　they　crossed　the　Broad　at　Cherokee　Ford　and　dashed　on　in　the　drenching　rain　all　the　forenoon。　They　kept　their　firearms　and　powder　dry　by　wrapping　them　in　their　knapsacks；　blankets；　and　hunting　shirts。　The　downpour　had　so　churned　up　the　soil　that　many　of　the　horses　mired；　but　they　were　pulled　out　and　whipped　forward　again。　The　wild　horsemen　made　no　halt　for　food　or　rest。　Within　two　miles　of　King's　Mountain　they　captured　Ferguson's　messenger　with　the　letter　that　told　of　his　desperate　situation。　They　asked　this　man　how　they　should　know　Ferguson。　He　told　them　that　Ferguson　was　in　full　uniform　but　wore　a　checkered　shirt　or　dust　cloak　over　it。　This　was　not　the　only　messenger　of　Ferguson's　who　failed　to　carry　through。　The　men　he　had　sent　out　previously　had　been　follow