3i 8 The Winning of the West 



would close in with Ferguson. They were in Col. 

 Charles McDowell's district, and he was the senior 

 officer; but the others distrusted his activity and 

 judgment, and were not willing that he should 

 command. To solve the difficulty Shelby proposed 

 that supreme command should be given to Col. 

 Campbell, who had brought the largest body of men 

 with him, and who was a Virginian, whereas the 

 other four colonels were North Carolinians. 29 

 Meanwhile McDowell should go to Gates' army to 

 get a general to command them, leaving his men 

 under the charge of his brother Joseph, who was a 

 major. This proposition was at once agreed to; 

 and its adoption did much to ensure the subsequent 

 success. Shelby not only acted wisely, but magnan- 

 imously; for he was himself of superior rank to 

 Campbell, and moreover was a proud, ambitious 

 man, desirous of military glory. 



The army had been joined by two or three squads 

 of partisans, including some refugee Georgians. 

 They were about to receive a larger reinforcement; 

 for at this time several small guerilla bands of 

 North and South Carolina whigs were encamped 

 at Flint Hill, some distance west of the encampment 

 of the mountain men. These Flint Hill bands 

 numbered about four hundred men all told, under 



19 Though by birth three were Virginians, and one, Shelby, 

 a Marylander. All were Presbyterians. McDowell, like 

 Campbell, was of Irish descent; Clea viand of English, 

 Shelby of Welsh, and Sevier of French Huguenot. The 

 families of the first two had originally settled in Penn- 

 sylvania. 



