Field grew jealous of his commander and decided to march his little company alone.

The Indians were hovering around the camp, and occasionally shot at and wounded stragglers, or attempted to drive off the pack-horses.
The army started in three divisions.

The bulk, consisting of Augusta men, under Col.

Charles Lewis, marched on September 8th, closely followed by the Botetourt troops under Andrew Lewis himself.[13] Field, with his small company, started off on his own account; but after being out a couple of days, two of his scouts met two Indians, with the result that a man was killed on each side; after which, profiting by the loss, he swallowed his pride and made haste to join the first division.
The Fincastle troops were delayed so long that most of them, with their commander, were still fifteen miles from the main body the day the battle was fought; but Captains Shelby and Russell, with parts of their companies, went on ahead of the others, and, as will be seen, joined Lewis in time to do their full share of the fighting.Col.

Christian himself only reached the Levels on the afternoon of the day the Augusta men had marched.