seen lately assembled in arms. History has not yet conferred upon Clarke
and his companions their merited tribute of renown. Some future
chronicler will find in their exploits a captivating theme for his pen,
when he tells the tale of their constancy, even in the midst of the
nation's despair; until fortune, at length successfully wooed, rewarded
their vigilance, bravery, and skill, by enabling them to subdue and
destroy the Tory Ascendency in the south.

The enemy, swarming in all the strong places, elate with recent victory,
well provided with the muniments of war, high in hope and proud of
heart, hunted these scattered, destitute, and slender bands, with a
keenness of scent, swiftness of foot, and exasperation of temper, that
can only be compared to the avidity of the bloodhound. This eagerness of
pursuit was, for the present, directed against Clarke; and it is one of
the most fortunate circumstances that belong to the events I have been
relating, that this purpose of waylaying our gallant partisan so
completely absorbed the attention of Ferguson, as to cause him to
neglect the most ordinary precautions for securing himself against the
reverses of the war.

In this state of things, Shelby and his compatriots waited for the
moment when they might direct their march immediately to the attack of
the British soldier--their anxiety stimulated to a painful acuteness by
the apprehension that Clarke might be overpowered by his enemies, or
that Cornwallis might receive information of the gathering bands, and
make a timely movement to reinforce or protect his outpost. It was in
this moment of doubt and concern that we have chosen to present them in
the course of our narrative.

The troops had halted about the middle of the day, to take some
refreshment. The ground they had chosen for this purpose was a narrow
valley or glen, encompassed by steep hills, between which a transparent
rivulet wound its way over a rough, stony bed. The margin of the stream
was clothed with grass of the liveliest verdure, and a natural grove of
huge forest trees covered the whole level space of the valley. The
season was the most pleasant of the year, being at that period when, in
the southern highlands, the hoar frost is first seen to sparkle on the
spray at early dawn. The noon-tide sun, though not oppressively warm,
was still sufficiently fervid to render the shade of the grove, and the
cool mountain brook in the deep ravine, no unpleasant obje