f them.

"Now, my brave fellows," said Colonel Cleveland, "the redcoats are at
hand. We must up and at them. When the pinch comes, I shall be with
you."

"Everybody must be his own officer!" cried Colonel Shelby. "Give them
Indian play, boys; and now if a single man among you wants to go back
home, this is your chance; let him step three paces to the rear."

Not a man did so.

The pioneer army continued its march, picking up small bands of
refugees. When they reached Gilberttown the next night, they numbered
nearly fifteen hundred men. They hoped to find Ferguson at this
place, but the wily partisan had sharp eyes and quick ears. He had
been told by his Tory friends that the army of riflemen were after
him.

{98} The Briton sent posthaste to Cornwallis for more men; he called
upon the Tories to rally to his support; and he issued a
proclamation, in which he called the backwoodsmen "the dregs of
mankind," "a set of mongrels," and other bad names. "Something must
be done," he wrote to Cornwallis.

All this showed to the patriot riflemen that Ferguson was retreating
because he feared them. Doubtless he would have escaped easily enough
from ordinary soldiers; but his pursuers were made of different
stuff. They had hunted wild beasts and savages all their lives. Now
they were after the redcoats in the same way they would pursue a band
of Indians. They had come over the mountains to fight, and fight they
would.

Seven hundred and fifty men, mounted on the strongest horses, now
hurried forward, leaving the rest to follow.

At sunset, on October 6, they reached Cowpens, where three months
later Morgan was to defeat Tarleton. Here several hundred militia
under noted partisan leaders joined them. Seated round their blazing
camp fires, the hungry men roasted for supper the corn which they had
stripped from the field of a rich Tory.

The colonels decided in council to pick out about nine hundred men,
and with these to push on all night in pursuit of their hated foe.
Some were so eager to fight that they followed on foot, and actually
arrived in time for the battle.

{99} All this time Ferguson was working to keep out of the way of the
patriots. Several large bands of Tories were already on their way to
help him. He also expected help from Cornwallis. The one thing needed
was a day or two of time, and then he would be able to make a stand
against his pursuers.

[Illustration: A Map of the Military Operations in the C