62 The Winning of the West 



one controlling spirit; it was essentially the move 

 ment of a whole free people, not of a single master 

 mind. There were strong and able leaders, who 

 showed themselves fearless soldiers and just law 

 givers, undaunted by danger, resolute to persevere 

 in the teetji of disaster; but even these leaders are 

 most deeply interesting because they stand fore 

 most among a host of others like them. There 

 were hundreds of hunters and Indian fighters like 

 Mansker, Wetzel, Kenton, and Brady; there were 

 scores of commonwealth founders like Logan, 

 Todd, Floyd, and Harrod; there were many 

 adventurous land speculators like Henderson; there 

 were even plenty of commanders like Shelby and 

 Campbell. These were all men of mark; some of 

 them exercised a powerful and honorable influence 

 on the course of events in the West. Above them 

 rise four greater figures, fit to be called not merely 

 State or local, but national heroes. Clark, Sevier, 

 Robertson, and Boone are emphatically American 

 worthies. They were men of might in their day, 

 born to sway the minds of others, helpful in shap 

 ing the destiny of the continent. Yet of Clark 

 alone can it be said that he did a particular piece 

 of work which without him would have remained 

 undone. Sevier, Robertson, and Boone only hast 

 ened, and did more perfectly, a work which would 

 have been done by others had they themselves fallen 

 by the wayside. 10 Important though they are for 



10 Sevier's place would certainly have been taken by some 

 such man as his chief rival, Tipton. Robertson led his col- 



