f arms and other military
stores. He was ordered to embody the loyalists beyond the Catawba (or
Wateree as the same river is called opposite Camden) and the Broad
rivers; intercept the "mountain men", who were retreating from Camden,
and also, the Americans under Col. Clarke, of Georgia, falling back
from an unsuccessful attack upon Augusta. Ferguson's special orders
were to crush the spirit of rebellion still too rife and menacing; and
after scouring the upper part of South Carolina, toward the mountains
of North Carolina, to join his Lordship at Charlotte. He at first made
rapid marches to overtake the mountain men--the "Hornets," from the
"Switzerland of America," and cut off Col. Clarke's forces. Failing in
this, he afterward moved more slowly and frequently halted to collect
all the Tories he could persuade to join him. He crossed Broad river,
ravaging the country through which he marched. About the last of
September he encamped at Gilberttown, near the present town of
Rutherfordton. la his march to this point, his force-increased to
upwards of one thousand men. All of his Tory recruits were furnished
with arms, most of them with rifles, and a smaller portion with
muskets, to the muzzles of which they fixed the large knives they
usually carried with them to be used as bayonets, if occasion should
require.

Although Ferguson failed to overtake the detachment of "mountain men,"
previously alluded to, he took two of them prisoners who had become
separated from their command. These he paroled and sent off, enjoining
them to tell the officers on the western waters that if they did not
desist from their opposition to the British arms, and take protection
under the royal standard, he would march his army over the mountains
and lay waste their country with fire and sword. This was no idle
threat, and its execution would have been attempted had not a brief
stay in Gilberttown satisfied him from the reports of his spies that a
storm of patriotic indignation was brewing among and beyond the
mountains that was destined soon to descend in all its fury upon his
own army. He knew that most of the inhabitants were of Scotch-Irish
and Huguenot descent, mingled with many Germans, whose long residence
in the wilds of America had greatly tended to increase their love of
liberty.

As soon as General McDowell heard that Gates was defeated, he broke up
his camp at Smith's Ford on Broad River, and passed beyond the
mountains, accompani