in August, 1781, as a
substitute for James Withers, under Captain James Little, at the Eutaw
Springs, where he was detailed with a few others, to guard the baggage
wagons during the battle. He again volunteered under Captain Thomas
Loftin and Lieut. Thomas McGee and was actively engaged in the "horse
service," in several scouting expeditions until the close of the war.

After the war, he was for a long time known as "old Constable
Withers," was highly respected, and died at a good old age.

CHAPTER VII.

CLEAVELAND COUNTY.

Cleaveland county was formed in 1841, from Lincoln and Rutherford
counties and derives its name from Col. Benjamin Cleaveland, of Wilkes
county, who, with a detachment of men from that county and Surry,
under the commands of himself, and Major Joseph Winston, performed a
magnanimous part in the battle of King's Mountain. Shelby, the capital
of this county, derives its name from Col. Isaac Shelby, a sketch of
whose services with those of Colonels Campbell, Graham, Hambright and
Williams will appear in the present chapter.

BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.

"O'er the proud heads of free men, our star banner waves;
Men firm as their mountains, and still as their graves,
To-morrow shall pour out their life-blood like rain;
We come back in triumph, or come not again."

After the defeat of General Gates at Camden, on the 16th of August,
1780, and the surprise and defeat of Gen. Sumter, two days after at
Fishing Creek, by Col. Tarleton, the South was almost entirely
abandoned to the enemy. It was one of the darkest periods of our
Revolutionary history. While Cornwallis remained at Camden, he was
busily employed in sending off his prisoners to Charleston and
Orangeburg; in ascertaining the condition of his distant posts at
ninety-six and Augusta, and in establishing civil government in South
Carolina. Yet his success did not impair his vigilance in concerting
measures for its continuance. West of the Catawba river, were bands of
active Whigs, and parties of those who were defeated at Camden, were
harrassing their enemies and defending on every available occasion,
the suffering inhabitants of the upper country. Cornwallis, becoming
apprised of this rebellious spirit of upper Carolina, detached Col.
Patrick Ferguson, one of his most favorite officers, with one hundred
and ten regulars and about the same number of Tories, under captain
Depeyster, a loyalist, with an ample supply o