en from Wilkes and Surry
counties. Upon the junction of these forces, the officers held a
council and as they were all of equal grade, it was agreed that a
messenger be dispatched immediately to head-quarters, supposed to be
between Charlotte and Salisbury to get General Sumner or Gen. Davidson
to assume the chief command. They were now in Col. Charles McDowell's
military district, and being the senior officer, the chief command
properly devolved upon him, unless his right, for the present, should
be waived, and by agreement, turned over to another. Col. Shelby
proposed, mainly through courtesy, that Col. William Campbell, who had
met them with the largest regiment from a sister State, should assume
the chief command until the arrival of some superior officer. This
proposition was readily assented to, and Col. Charles McDowell
volunteered his services to proceed to headquarters, and requested his
brother, Major Joseph McDowell, to take command of his regiment until
his return.

On the 4th of October the riflemen--the "mountain boys,"--advanced to
Gilberttown, unwilling that Ferguson should be at the trouble to
"cross the mountains and hang their leaders," as boastfully
promulgated only a few days before.

Ferguson's abrupt departure and retrograde movement from Gilberttown,
like that of Cornwallis from Charlotte two weeks later, clearly
betrayed his apprehensions of formidable opposition by the enraged
"hornets" of the mountains. Pursuit was immediately determined upon,
and the Whig forces reached the celebrated Cowpens on the 6th of
October, where they were joined by Col. James D. Williams, of South
Carolina, with nearly four hundred men, and about sixty men from
Lincoln county, under Lieut. Colonel Hambright. (Col. William Graham,
of the same regiment, on account of severe sickness in his family, was
not in the battle fought on the next day.) It is also known a company
was raised under Capt. Shannon, from the same county, but failed to
reach the battle-ground in time for the engagement.

On the evening of the 6th of October the Colonels in council
unanimously resolved that they would select all the men and horses fit
for service, and immediately pursue Ferguson until they should
overtake him, leaving the remaining troops to follow after them as
fast as possible. Accordingly, nine hundred and ten men a mounted
infantry, were selected, who set out about eight o'clock on the same
evening and marched all night, taking