Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-02

idle boaster. No sooner had Samue
: Phillips delivered his message, than tn
horrors Of past generations loomed VI
before the eyes Of the patriots Of Wa
tauga and Nollichucky. The blood O
John Sewer and Isaac Shelby was stir
red Sewer was eloquent under thu
impulse of holy resentment, and th'
brow Of Shelby was knit with indigna
ton, and his whole countenance indi'
lcated stern defiance. These noble mer
at once concluded that they wo1lt
thwart Ferguson in his bloody pur.
pose, and IL there was any hanging t.
be done, they would do it.
The plan for raising a sufficient num-
ber Of men to accomplish their purpose
was soon devised. To Sewer was as.
signed the duty Of communicating will
Mcdowell and the other officers whc
were then in voluntary exile beyond
the mountains. Shelby assumed, a.
his part Of the work, the writing Of 6
letter to Col. William Campbell o.
Washington county, Virginia. The let
son was stated, and the plan for his
destruction revealed. In his lettel
Campbell was earnestly requested t
o-operate. This letter was placed ir
the hands Of Moses Shelby, brother
Of Isaac, and duly delivered. Colone
Campbell declined to render his assist
ance. stating that his intentions were
to assist in preventing CORVALLIS from
reaching Virginia. This message was
returned by Moses Shelby. Colone
Shelby Immediately wrote another let
ter to Col. Campbell, in which he urged
him, more strongly, to lend his assist
ance. Although Campbell was as firm
and unyielding as a mountain, still he
was not blind to reason or deaf to the
call of duty. He sent Shelby word thai
he would come and bring his whole
command. This was more than was
expected. The place Of general rendez-
vous was Sycamore Shoals on the Wa
tauga; the time, the twenty-fifth OF
September.
At the appointed time, the entire in
habitants of the back mountain region
assembled at Sycamore Shoals, and
Campbell, with his Virginians, was
there. Everybody was in earnest
There were no gay uniforms; no costly
plumes; no long trains Of baggage wa
gons; no ambulances; no surgeon; nc
chaplain. Officers and men were clad
in suits made by their wives, mothers
and sisters, and each man intended fol
the expedition was armed with faith
full Deckhard rifle. ~.
All assembled; but all dare not leave
the settlement. The Cherokee Indians
were on the borders, watching an OPP
portunity to descend with the torch and
tomahawk upon the neighborhood. On
the morning Of the 26th Of September
preparations were made for the ad-
vance. To victory or to death, was the
feeling of every breast. They were
rough men externally, but they had
brave and tender hearts. Charles Nc
Dowell moved amongst the multitude
with all the grace and ease of nobility
John Sewer was full Of impulse and an
energy which never tired. Isaac Shell
by had little to say. His knit brow
meant speedy action. William Camp
bell showed, by his stern dignity, that
he was born to be free. The officers
proposed, before they set out, that the
company be called together and the d.
vine blessing be asked. A prayer. SOL
emn and appropriate. being offered up
the party designed for the expedition
mounted their horses, and the rest re-
turned to their homes. With anxious
hearts did these wait until the result
was heard.
The troops left Sycamore Shoal on
the twenty sixth. They were all
mounted and unencumbered by bag
gage of any kind whatever. They ex-
pected to support themselves, on the
way, by their rifles. or by. forcing the
Tories to feed them and their horses
The force consisted of one thousand
and forty men, as follows: From
Burke and Rutherford counties, North
Carolina, Colonel Mcdowell, 100 men
From Washington county, North Car
olina, (now Tennessee( Col. John Sc
vier. 240 men. From Sullivan county
North Carolina, (now Tennesse) Col
Isaac Shelby, 24O men. From Wash
ington county, Virginia, Col. William
Campbell, 400 men.
The Sycamore Shoal is near the head
Of the Watauga. From this point, they
pursued nearly an eastern direction
across the Yellow Mountain; afterward
their course was nearly south. The first
night they spent at Matthew Tolbots
mill. The second day, two Of their mer
deserted and went ahead to the enemy
On the goth Of September they reached
the foot Of the mountain on the east
side. Here they were Joined by three
hundred and fifty men from Wilkes an6
Surry counties, under the command o!
Colonel Benjamin Cleveland and Major
Joseph Winston. Cleveland and Wins
ton were keeping themselves concealed
that they might join In with any party
| going against the enemy. The first o1
October-the second day after the
junction with Cleveland-was so wei
that it was thought advisable not tc
move. Ferguson was thought to be a.
Gilbert Town, and as the guns in those
days were all flint and steel locks. i
was indiscreet to approach an enemy
with wet guns.
i Up to this time there was no com
manding officer. Shelby perceived tina
there was a great defect. in their or
ganization, and. during the rain, called
a council Of the officers. They were
now in Colonel Charles McDowelrs
region, and advancing against an enc
my with which ne had lately been con
tending. He was, moreover, the senio
officer, and it was natural that N
would be expected to take the com
mand of the whole. No one doubted
Charles McDowells patriotism on brav
cry; but it was thought that he wa
not the man to command a partisan
corps on an enterprise like that II
which they were at that time engaged