Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-15
CHAPTER LII.
sians Of q Gathering storm--Mu uster


brown,
They poured each hardy tenant down.
LADY OF THE LAKE.
In gathering up the ends Of our sto-
ry, as we draw towards conclusion
we are forced, after the fashion OF
stirring drama, to a frequent change
of scene. Accordingly, leaving Mildred
and her friends to pursue their own
way until we shall find leisure to look
after their footsteps, we must intro
duce our reader to some new acquaint-
ances, whose motions, 1t will be seen,
are destined greatly to influence the
interests Of this history.
The time was about the second OF
October when a considerable body or
troops were seen marching through
that district which is situated between
the Allegheny mountains and the head
waters OF Catawba, In North Carolina.
This force might have numbered per-
haps something over one thousand
men. It's organization and general as
pect were sufficiently striking to enti-
tie It to a particular description. It
consisted almost entirely Of cavalry;
and a spectator might have seen In the
rude weatherbeaten faces, and muscu-
lar forms Of the soldiers, as we'll as
in the simplicity Of their equipments,
a hastily-levied band Of mountaineers,
whose ordinary pursuits had been IA
miliar with the arduous tolls of Indian
warfare and the active labors OF the
chase. They were, almost without ex-
ception ,arrayed in the hunting shirt-a
dress so dear to the recollections Of the
revolution and which, 1t is much to be
regretted, the foppery of modern times
has. been allowed to displace. Their
weapons In but few instances were
other than the long rifle and it's ac-
companying hunting-knife.
It was to be observed that this little
army consisted of various corps, which
were In general designated either oy
the color Of the hunting-shirt, or by
that Of the fringe with which this
cheap and simple uniform was some-
what ostentatiously garnished. Some
few were clad in the plain, .home-spun
working-dress of the time; and, here
and there, an officer might be recog-
nized In the blue and bum cloth OF the
regular Continental army. The buck
tail, also, was an almost indispensable
ornament of the cap, or usual round
hat of the soldiers; and where this was
wanting, its place was not unfrequent-
ly supplied by sprigs Of green pine or
holly or other specimens Of the COM
mon foliage of the country.
The men were mounted on lean,
shaggy, and travel-worn horses OF
every variety of size, shape, and color;
and their baggage consisted OF nothing
more cumbersome than a light wallet
attached to the rear of their saddles,
or of a meagrely supplied pair OF sad
dle-bags. The small party on foot
were In no wise to be distinguished
from the mounted men, except In the
absence of horses, and In the mode OF
carrying their baggage, which was
contained In knapsacks OF deerskln
strapped to their shoulders. THESE
moved over the ground with, perhaps,
even more facility than the cavalry,
and appeared in no degree to regret the
toll of the march, which was so far the
lighter to them. as they were exempt
from the solicitude which their COM
panions suffered of providing forage
for their beasts,
The officers In command Of this par
ty were young men, in whose general
demeanor and bearing was TO be seen
that bold, enterprising, and hardy
character, which at that period even
more than at present, distinguished the
frontier population. The frequent ex-
petitions against the saVages, whieh
the times had rendered familiar to
them, as we'll as the service OF the
common war, in which they had all
partakep, had impressed upon their
exteriors the rugged lines of thought
ful soldiership,
The troops now associated, consisted
OF distinct bodies Of volunteers, VINO
had each assembled under their own
leaders, without the requisition OF the
government, entirely Independent OF
each other, and more resembling the
promiscious meeting of hunters than
regularly organized military corps,
They had convened, about week
before the period at which l have pre-
sented them to my reader at Wattau-
ga, on the border Of Tennessee IN
pursuance Of an invitation from Shell
by who was one Of the principal off,
GERS In command, He had himself en-
bodied a force of between two or three
hundred men, in his own district OF
The mountains; and Colonel Campbell
now also present. had repaired to the
rendezvous with four hundred soldiers
from the adjoining country In Virginia
These two had soon afterwards FORMED
4 junction with Colonels MDowell ana
Sewer of North Carolina, who had
thus augmented the joint force to the
number which haze already mention
ed as constituting the whole array
They had marched slowly and wearlly
from the mountains into the district OF
country which lay between the forks
NJ Catawba, somewhere near to the
present village Of Morgantown-and
might now be said to be rather hover
ing In the neighborhood of Ferguson
than advancing directly towards him
The force of the British partisan was
az vet, too formidable for the attack
of these allies, and he was still In po-
sition to make his way in safety to the
main army under Cornwallis--at TINS
time stationed at Charlotte, some sew
enty or eighty miles distant. 1t was
both to gain increase of force IRON
certain auxillaries who were yet eX-
SIpected to join them, as also' without
szxct&ng suspicion of their purpose u
S4itasn a position from which Ferguson
sn,ieht more certainly be cut OF IRON
|Cornwallis. that the mountain Leaders
fingered with such willy delay upor
their march.