h up the mountain-side
being almost a precipice, the slaty rock cropping out into natural
breastworks along its sides and on its heights. And, so far as they
knew, no foe was within many miles.

The Americans dismounted; that craggy hill was impassable to horsemen.
Though less in number than their foes, and with a steep mountain to
climb, they did not hesitate. The gallant nine hundred were formed into
four columns, Campbell's regiment on the right centre and Shelby's on
the left, taking the post of greatest peril. Sevier, with a part of
Cleveland's men, led the right wing, and Williams, with the remainder of
Cleveland's men, the left, their orders being to pass the position of
Ferguson to right and left and climb the ridge in his rear, while the
centre columns attacked him in front.

So well was the surprise managed that the Westerners were within a
quarter of a mile of the enemy before they were discovered. Climbing
steadily upon their front, the two centre columns quickly began the
attack. Shelby, a hardy, resolute man, "stiff as iron," brave among the
bravest, led the way straight onward and upward, with but one thought in
his mind,--to do that for which he had come. Facing Campbell were the
British regulars, who sprang to their arms and charged his men with
fixed bayonets, forcing the riflemen, who had no bayonets, to recoil.
But they were soon rallied by their gallant leader, and returned eagerly
to the attack.

For ten or fifteen minutes a fierce and bloody battle was kept up at
this point, the sharp-shooting woodsmen making havoc in the ranks of the
foe. Then the right and left wings of the Americans closed in on the
flank and rear of the British and encircled them with a hot fire. For
nearly an hour the battle continued, with a heavy fire on both sides. At
length the right wing gained the summit of the cliff and poured such a
deadly fire on the foe from their point of vantage that it was
impossible to bear it.

Ferguson had been killed, and his men began to retreat along the top of
the ridge, but here they found themselves in the face of the American
left wing, and their leader, seeing that escape was impossible and
resistance hopeless, displayed a white flag. At once the firing ceased,
the enemy throwing down their arms and surrendering themselves prisoners
of war. More than a third of the British force lay dead, or badly
wounded; the remainder were prisoners; not more than twenty of the whole
were missin