Col. Cleaveland
commanded and were soon stopped by his brave men. Some of the
regiments suffered severely under the galling fire of the enemy,
before they were in a proper position to engage in the action. The men
led by Col. Shelby and Major McDowell were soon closely engaged and
the contest throughout was very severe, and hotly contested.

As Ferguson would advance towards Campbell, Sevier, Hambright and
Winston, he was quickly pursued by Shelby, Cleaveland, McDowell and
Williams. Thus Ferguson continued to struggle on, making charges with
the bayonet and then retreating to make a vigorous attack at some
other point; but, his men were rapidly falling before the fatal aim
and persistent bravery of the Whigs.

Even after Ferguson was severely wounded and had three horses shot
from under him, he continued to fight on, and animate his men by his
example and unyielding courage--"extricate himself, he could not, and
surrender, he would not," although requested to do so, near the close
of the action by Captain De Peyster, his second in command. At length
he received a fatal shot in the breast, which closed his earthly
career forever.

Captain De Peyster then look command, and immediately ordered a white
flag to be raised in token of surrender. The firing however did not
entirely cease until Cols. Shelby and Sevier went inside the lines and
ordered the men to desist. The Whigs were still greatly exasperated
when they called to remembrance Tarleton's cruelty at Buford's defeat,
where no quarter was given. The victory was complete, and reanimated
the Whigs throughout the whole country. The Tory element of western
Carolina, before strong and menacing, was broken up and greatly
humbled, and Cornwallis himself when he received intelligence of the
battle and its result, became so seriously alarmed at his perilous
situation in a land of _assailing hornets_, that he suddenly decamped
from Charlotte to safer quarters at Winnsboro, South Carolina.

According to the official statement furnished to Gen. Gates, encamped
at Hillsboro, and signed by Colonels Campbell, Shelby and Cleaveland,
the enemy sustained the following loss:

"Of the regulars, one major, one captain, two Lieutenants
and fifteen privates killed, thirty-five privates wounded
and left on the ground not able to march; two captains, four
lieutenants, three ensigns, one surgeon, five sergeants,
three corporals, one drummer and fifty-nine privat