The War in the Northwest 303 



divided into companies and regiments, and taught 

 the rudiments of discipline by himself and his sub- 

 alterns. He soon had a large but fluctuating force 

 under him, in part composed of good men, loyal 

 adherents of the king (these being very frequently 

 recent arrivals from England, or else Scotch high- 

 landers), in part also of cut-throats, horse-thieves, 

 and desperadoes of all kinds who wished for re- 

 venge on the whigs and were eager to plunder them. 

 His own regular force was also mainly composed 

 of Americans, although it contained many English- 

 men. His chief subordinates were Lieutenant-Col- 

 onels De Peyster 9 and Cruger ; the former usually 

 serving under him, the latter commanding at Ninety- 

 Six. They were both New York loyalists, members 

 of old Knickerbocker families; for in New York 

 many of the gentry and merchants stood by the 

 king. 



Ferguson moved rapidly from place to place, 

 breaking up the bodies of armed whigs; and the 

 latter now and then skirmished fiercely with similar 

 bands of tories, sometimes one side winning, some- 

 times the other. Having reduced South Carolina to 

 submission the British commander then threatened 

 North Carolina ; and Col. McDowell, the command- 

 er of the whig militia in that district, sent across 

 the mountains to the Holston men praying that they 

 would come to his help. Though suffering con- 

 tinually from Indian ravages, and momentarily ex- 

 pecting a formidable inroad, they responded nobly 



A relative of the Detroit commander. 



