34 The Winning of the West 



entirely regained the use of his wounded right 

 while he made his presence known by the shrill, ear- 

 piercing notes of a silver whistle which he always 

 carried. Whenever the British and tories charged 

 with the bayonet, under Ferguson, De Peyster, or 

 some of their lieutenants, the mountaineers were 

 forced back down the hill; but the instant the red 

 lines halted and returned to the summit, the stub- 

 born riflemen followed close behind, and from every 

 tree and bowlder continued their irregular and de- 

 structive fire. The peculiar feature of the battle was 

 the success with which, after every retreat, Camp- 

 bell, Shelby, Sevier, and Cleavland rallied their fol- 

 lowers on the instant ; the great point was to prevent 

 the men from becoming panic-stricken when forced 

 to flee. The pealing volleys of musketry at short 

 intervals drowned the incessant clatter of the less 

 noisy but more deadly backwoods rifles. The wild 

 whoops of the mountain men, the cheering of the 

 loyalists, the shouts of the officers, and the cries of 

 the wounded mingled with the reports of the fire- 

 arms, and shrill above the din rose the calling of the 

 silver whistle. Wherever its notes were heard the 

 wavering British line came on, and the Americans 

 were forced back. Ferguson dashed from point to 

 point, to repel the attacks of his foes, which were 

 made with ever-increasing fury. Two horses were 

 killed under him; 59 but he continued to lead the 

 charging parties; slashing and hewing with his 

 sword until it was broken off at the hilt. At last, 



59 Ferguson's "Memoir," p. 32. 



