The War in the Northwest 347 



triots throughout the Union. The loyalists of the 

 Carolinas were utterly cast down, and never re- 

 covered from the blow; and its immediate effect 

 was to cause Cornwallis to retreat from North 

 Carolina, abandoning his first invasion of that 

 State. 70 



The expedition offered a striking example of the 

 individual initiative so characteristic of the back- 

 woodsmen. It was not ordered by any one author- 

 ity; it was not even sanctioned by the central or 

 State governments. Shelby and Sevier were the 

 two prime movers in getting it up; Campbell exer- 

 cised the chief command ; and the various other lead- 

 ers, with their men, simply joined the mountaineers, 

 as they happened to hear of them and come across 

 their path. The ties of discipline were of the slight- 

 est. The commanders elected their own chief with- 

 out regard to rank or seniority ; in fact, the officer 71 

 who was by rank entitled to the place was hardly 

 given any share in the conduct of the campaign. 

 The authority of the commandant over the other offi- 

 cers, and of the various colonels over their troops, 

 resembled rather the control exercised by Indian 

 chiefs over their warriors than the discipline obtain- 

 ing in a regular army. But the men were splendid 

 individual fighters, who liked and trusted their lead- 

 ers ; and the latter were bold, resolute, energetic, and 

 intelligent. 



Cornwallis feared that the mountain men would 

 push on and attack his flank ; but there was no such 



TO "Tarleton's Campaigns," p. 166. 71 Williams. 



