338 The Winning of the West 



ring. 55 They then rushed upward and began to 

 fire, each on his own account; while their war cries 

 echoed along the hillside. Ferguson's men on the 

 summit responded with heavy volley firing, and then 

 charged, cheering lustily. The mountain was cov- 

 ered with smoke and flame, and seemed to thunder. 56 

 Ferguson's troops advanced steadily, their officers 

 riding at their head, with their swords flashing; 

 and the mountaineers, who had no bayonets, could 

 not withstand the shock. They fled down the hill- 

 side, and being sinewy, nimble .men, swift of foot, 

 they were not overtaken, save a few of sullen temper, 

 who would not retreat and were bayoneted. One 

 of their officers, a tall backwoodsman, six feet in 

 height, was cut down by Lieutenant Allaire, a New 

 York loyalist, as the latter rode at the head of his 

 platoon. No sooner had the British charge spent it- 

 self than Campbell, who was riding midway be- 

 tween the enemy and his own men, called out to the 

 latter in a voice of thunder to rally and return to 

 the fight, and in a minute or two they were all climb- 

 ing the hill again, going from tree to tree, and 

 shooting at the soldiers on the summit. Campbell's 



55 "Richmond Enquirer" (Nov. 12, 1822 and May 9, 1823) 

 certificates of King's Mountain survivors of James Crow, 

 May 6, 1813; David Beattie, May 4, 1813, etc., etc. All the 

 different commanders claimed the honor of beginning the 

 battle in after-life ; the official report decides it in favor of 

 Campbell and Shelby, the former being the first actually en- 

 gaged, as is acknowledged by Shelby in his letter to Arthur 

 Campbell on October 12, 1780. 



56 Hay wood, 71 ; doubtless he uses the language of one of 

 the actors. 



