Letters of Col.Wm.Christian, April 10, 1781; of Joseph Martin, March 1st; and of Arthur Campbell, March 28th.

The accounts vary slightly; for instance, Christian gives him one hundred and eighty, Campbell only one hundred and fifty men.

One account says he killed thirty, another twenty Indians.

Martin, by the way, speaks bitterly of the militia as men "who do duty at times as their inclination leads them." The incident, brilliant enough anyhow, of course grows a little under Ramsey and Haywood; and Mr.Kirke fairly surpasses himself when he comes to it.] The length of the journey, the absolutely untravelled nature of the country, which no white man, save perhaps an occasional wandering hunter, had ever before traversed, the extreme difficulty of the route over the wooded, cliff-scarred mountains, and the strength of the Cherokee towns that were to be attacked, all combined to render the feat most difficult.

For its successful performance there was need of courage, hardihood, woodcraft, good judgment, stealth, and great rapidity of motion.