The mountaineers did well in spite of being militia; but they would have done far better under another system.

The numerous failures of the militia as a whole must be balanced against the few successes of a portion of them.

If the States had possessed wisdom enough to back Washington with Continentals, or with volunteers such as those who fought in the Civil War, the Revolutionary contest would have been over in three years.

The trust in militia was a perfect curse.

Many of the backwoods leaders knew this.