arolinas]

On the same night of October 6, Ferguson halted at King's Mountain,
about a day's march from the riflemen at Cowpens, and thirty-five
miles from the camp of Cornwallis. The ridge on which he pitched his
camp was nearly half a mile long, and about sixty feet above the
level of the valley. Its steep sides were covered with timber.

The next day the British did not move. The heavy baggage wagons were
massed along the northeast part of the ridge, while the soldiers
camped on the south side.

{100} In his pride, the haughty young Briton declared that he could
defend the hill against any rebel force, and "that God Almighty
Himself could not drive him from it."

Through that dark and rainy night the mountaineers marched. It rained
hard all the next forenoon, but the men wrapped their blankets and
the skirts of their hunting shirts round their gunlocks, and hurried
on after Ferguson. A few of Shelby's men stopped at a Tory's house.

"How many are there of you?" asked a young girl.

"Enough," said one of the riflemen, "to whip Ferguson, if we can
catch him."

"He is on that hill yonder," replied the girl, pointing to the high
range about three miles away.

Shelby had sent out Enoch Gilmer as a spy. He came back, saying that
he had met a young woman who had been at the enemy's camp to sell
chickens, and that Ferguson was encamped on the spot where some
hunters had been the year before. These same hunters were with
Shelby, and at once said they knew every inch of the way. Two
captured Tories were compelled to tell how the British leader was
dressed.

It was now three o'clock. It had stopped raining, and the sun was
shining. All was hurry and bustle. The plan was to surround the hill,
to give the men a better chance to fire upward, without firing into
each other.

When the patriots came within about a mile of the ridge, they
dismounted and tied their horses. The {101} watchword was "Buford,"
the name of the brave officer whose troops had been massacred by
Tarleton after their surrender. Each man was ordered to fight for
himself. He might retreat before the British bayonets, but he must
rally at once to the fight, and let the redcoats have "Indian play."

Sevier led the right wing. Some of his men by hard riding got to the
rear of Ferguson's army, and cut off the only chance for retreat.
Cleveland had charge of the left wing, while Campbell and Shelby were
to attack in front. So swiftly did the different de