quished, and Shelby reached the mountains in safety with his prisoners.

The time of service of the men having expired, and there being no opportunity of doing any immediate active duty by a partisan corps, when they reached the road which led to Col. helby's residence, he and the men from his neighborhood returned home, the prisoners being left in charge of Col. Clarke. After going some distance, Col. Clarke in like manner returned home, giving the prisoners in charge to Col. Williams, who conducted them to Hillsborough. At this place Col. Williams met with Gov. Rutledge, who finding him in charge of the prisoners, supposed he had commanded the expedition in which they were taken, and as a reward for the gallant achievement, gave him a Brigadier General's commission. Without detracting from the merits of Col. Williams, who was a gallant officer, is it not right to say that this is an example too frequent in military history, where the rewards of a bold achievement fall on the wrong shoulders ?

Col. Shelby described the battle at Musgrove's Mill as the hardest and best fought action he ever was in. He attributed this to the great number of officers who were with him as volunteers. Considering the nature of the march, and the disparity of numbers, the action at Musgrove's Mill must be considered as one of the most brilliant affairs fought by any partisan corps during the Revolution.

BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.

In the early part of the year 1780, Col. Shelby was appointed Colonel of Sullivan county in North Carolina, with the authority of County Lieutenant. Col. Sevier held the same command in Washington county, N. C. These counties are situate west of the Alleghany mountains, and now constitute a part of Tennessse. Col. William Campbell at the same time commanded a regiment in Washington county, Virginia, but was not the County Lieu

tenant.

After the defeat of General Gates at Camden, on the 16th of August, 1780, the patriots were very much dispirited. Many who resided in the eastern portions |

of North and South Carolina, sought safe ty and liberty in the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, amidst the hardy patriotic mountaineers of those districts.

In September, 1780, Major Ferguson who was one of the best and most enterprising of the British officers in America, had succeeded in raising a large body of Tories, who, with his own corps of regulars, constituted an effective force of eleven hundred and twenty-five met With a view of cutting off Cobed Clarke, of North Carolina, who had recently made a demonstration against Augusta, which was then in the hands of the British, Ferguson had marched near the Be Ridge and had taken post at Gilbertstown, which is situated but a few miles from the mountains. Whilst there he discharged a patriot, who had been taken prisoner, on his parole, and directed him to tell Col Shelby, (who had become obnoxious to the British and tories from the affair at Musgrove's Mill,) that if Shelby did not surrender, he (Ferguson) would come over the mountains, and put him to death and burn his whole county.

It required no further taunt to rouse the patriotic indignation of Col. Shelby. He determined to make an effort to raise a force, in connection with other officers, which should surprise and defeat Ferga son. son. With this object in view, he went to a horse-race near where Jonesborough has since been built, to see Sevier and others. Shelby and Sevier there resolved, that if Col. Campbell would join them, they would raise all the force they could, and attack Ferguson; and if this was not practicable, they would co-operate with any corps of the army of the United States with which they might meet. If they failed, and the country was overrun and subdued by the British, they would then take water and go down to the Spaniards in Louisiana.

Col. Campbell was notified of their determination, and a place of rendezvous appointed in the mountains, east of Jonesborough, At the time appointed, September 25th, Campbell joined them, and their united force numbered about one thousand mounted riflemen. They crossed the mountains on the 27th, in a ravine, and fell in, accidentally, with Col. Cleveland of North Carolina, who had under his com mand about four hundred men.

was led to the attack in four columnsCol. Campbell commanded the right centre column, Col. Shelby the left centre, Col. Sevier the right flank column and Col. Cleveland the left flank. As they came to the foot of the mountain the right centre and right flank columns deployed to the right, and the left centre and left flank columns to the left, and thus surrounding the mountain they marched up, commencing the action on all sides.

Ferguson did all that an officer could do under the circumstances. His men too fought bravely. But his position, which he thought impregnable against any force the patriots could raise, was really a disadvantage to him. The summit was bare, whilst the sides of the mountain were covered with trees. Ferguson's men were drawn up in close column on the summit, and thus presented fair marks for the mountaineers who approached them under cover of the trees. As either column would approach the summit, Ferguson would order a charge with fixed bayonet, which was always successful, for the riflemen retreated before the charging column slowly, still firing as they retired. When Ferguson's men returned to regain their position on the mountain, the patriots would again rally and pursue them. In one of these charges Shelby's column was considerably broken; he rode back and rallied his men, and when the enemy retired to the summit, he pressed on his men and reached the summit whilst Ferguson was directing a charge against Cleveland. Col. Sevier reached the summit about the same time with Shelby. They united and drove back the enemy to one end of the ridge. Cleveland's and Campbell's columns were still pressing forward and firing as they came up. The slaughter of the enemy was great, and it was evident that further resistance would be unavailing; still Ferguson's proud heart could not think of surrender. He swore "he never would yield to such a dd banditti," and rushed out from his men sword in hand and cut away until he broke his sword and was shot down. His men, seeing their leader fall, immediately surrendered. The British loss in killed and prisoners was hundred and five. Ferguson's morntshowed a force of eleven hundred y-five. A more total defeat was

not practicable. Our loss was about forty killed. Amongst them we had to mourn the death of Col. Williams, a most gallant and efficient officer. The battle lasted one hour.

The victors encamped on the mountain that night, and the next morning took up their line of march for the mountains under a bright sun, the first they had seen for many days. They made the prisoners carry their own arms, as they could not have carried them in any other way. Amongst the prisoners Shelby found some officers who had fought under him a few weeks previously at Musgrove's Mill. They said they had been compelled to join Ferguson, and when they had been examined and their account found to be correct. they were well treated.

Owing to the number of wounded and the destitution of the army of all conveyances, they travelled slowly, and in one week had only marched about forty miles When they reached Gilbertstown a week after the battle, they were informed by s paroled officer, that he had seen elever | patriots hung at Ninety-six a few days be fore, for being rebels. Šimilar cruel and an justifiable acts had been committed before In the opinion of the patriots it required retaliatory measures to put a stop to these atrocities. A copy of the law of North Carolina was obtained, which authorized two magistrates to summon a jury,and forthwith to try, and if found guilty, to exerat persons who had violated its precepts. Under this law thirty-six men were trad and found guilty of breaking open houses killing the men, turning the women int children out of doors and burning the houses. The trial was concluded lie al night. The execution of the law was as summary as the trial. Three men wet hung at a time, until nine were g Three more were tied ready to be swung d Shelby interfered and proposed to stop The other officers agreed, and the te men, who supposed they had seen the last hour, were untied. One of them saut to Shelby, "You have saved my l I will tell you a secret. Tarleton wi here in the morning. A woman brought the news."

E

It was then two o'clock at night, but ra time was to be lost; the camp was instan ly aroused, everything packed up. 1 wounded sent into secret hiding plass?

THOUGH much may be invidiously said, by those who are disposed to look only at the dark side of human affairs, in relation to the failures of man in his efforts at moral and political improvement, the present must at least be admitted to be a period of movement, if not of progress; and cer

*NOTE BY THE EDITOR.-The Editor submits this article to his readers, with the caution, first, that as it is held a part of wisdom not to strike until we are struck, he enters personally into no controversy, nor throws out any challenge to the periodical press. And second, that having observed, in certain monthly periodicals, both in this country and in England, attacks upon the personal characters of respectable public men, of the grossest and falsest character, calculated to gratify the spleen of literary, political, or religious zealots, it seems to him a defect in the above article, that it rather invidiously confines its satire to newspapers,when the same observations apply, though in a more general acceptation, to monthly reviews. It is to be taken, of course, as a general satire; "let the galled jade wince," &c. Great powers are subject to great vices; we may estimate the importance of a profession by the importance of its abuses. It is à consolation, too, to reflect, that the rogues, cowards, and slanderers in a profession, serve in their degree to distinguish and elevate its respectable

members.

The writer of the inclosed essay, in offering it to the Editor, takes the liberty of accompanying it with the remark, that national satires, however severe they may be, are always tolerated, and even taken in good part by the people who feel too much above the reach of the individual censor, and too secure in their impassibility and intrinsic power and dignity, to wince from the scourge, however hardly it may be laid on; though they may condescend occasionally to take hints, or learn a lesson from the fault-finding traveller and the unsparing satirist. This was sufficiently evinced in the toleration, and even good humor with which the Athenians, otherwise so jealous of their dignity, and vain of their accomplishments and achievements, received the acted ridicule, and species of surgical satire, (as it may well be termed,) with which Aristophanes attacked and cut so deeply into their corruptions, and the defective parts of their political institutions and moral character; though these scourgin e from the hand of an avowed and scornt, who belonged to one of the noble-t ustrious families of the State. It is

tainly, as far as the spirit of adventure and speculation, and the development of the industrial arts, are concerned, exhibits a stirring and go-ahead character, that may well delight and fully satisfy even the utilitarian; who, with such happy selfcomplacency, considers every addition

well known that the "Love Alamode" of Macklin, in which such brilliant and scathing satires on the Scottish character occur-satires which are edged with such exquisite ridicule in the part of Sir Pertinax McSycophant-is quite as de represented in Scotland as in England; and has always been as well received by an Edinburgh, as by a London audience. We have ourselves seen "the Merchant of Venice" nearly as numery attended by Jews, as by other auditors; and ove John Bull, irritable and morose as he is, is ever quite as ready to laugh as others at the satires upon his foibles, and caricatures of his pecun ties, poured forth from his own and the contine tal press, and that daily garnish the shop dows of his capital. The ridicule of political editors, in the essay, has, as will be seen no per sonal direction in any instance, but is altoge general, and, as must be perceived, is mee? intended to amuse, and will doubtless be xu ze ceived by the public, should you give to da place in your pages. The periodicals of tas country, the writer may be permitted to serve, are far less often enlivened by pieces light and amusing character, as this is interesa be, than those of England, and the contin Europe; though they frequently excel the a in the more didactic and serious discuss, es which they chiefly deal. The remark of Mrs. Tocqueville, that opinion is less free in this o♬ try than in England or Europe, has been rear mently and indignantly denied on our part and been treated as the erroneous dictum of a r eigner, who has been too short a time an to give or form a correct opinion on this st We therefore do not suppose that a piece of si of this character, directed in a playful, rather than a serious vein, against a class an ad against individuals, will be deemed une the pages of the American Whiz Re work, whose course thus far has been ‚å state ized by uniform independence, and a bill and fearless censure of wrong-doers in high van however eminent their position, or be wove cious and imposing their character or repet

ATRAN