Thewarriors’equipmentincludedriflesandammunition，tomahawks，knives，shotpouches，aknapsack，andablanketforeachman。Theiruniformswereleggings，breeches，andlonglooseshirtsofgaylyfringeddeerskin，orofthelinsey-woolseyspunbytheirwomen。Theirhuntingshirtswereboundinatthewaistbybright-coloredlinseysashestiedbehindinabow。Theyworemoccasinsforfootgear，andontheirheadshighfurordeerskincapstrimmedwithcoloredbandsofraveledcloth。Aroundtheirneckshungtheirpowderhornsornamentedwiththeirownrudecarvings。
Onthefirstdaytheydrovealongwiththemanumberofbeevesbut，findingthatthecattleimpededthemarch，theyleftthembehindonthemountainside。Theirprovisionsthereafterwerewildgameandthesmallsupplyeachmancarriedofmixedcornmealandmaplesugar。Fordrink，theyhadthehillstreams。
TheypassedupwardbetweenRoanandYellowmountainstothetopoftherange。Here，onthebaldsummit，wheretheloosesnowlaytotheirankles，theyhaltedfordrillandriflepractice。WhenSeviercalleduphismen，hediscoveredthattwoweremissing。HesuspectedatoncethattheyhadslippedawaytocarrywarningtoFerguson，forWataugawasknowntobeinfestedwithTories。Twoproblemsnowconfrontedthemountaineers。Theymustincreasethespeedoftheirmarch，sothatFergusonshouldnothavetimetogetreinforcementsfromCornwallis；andtheymustmakethatextraspeedbyanothertrailthantheyhadintendedtakingsothattheythemselvescouldnotbeinterceptedbeforetheyhadpickeduptheBackCountrymilitiaunderColonelsCleveland，Hampbright，Chronicle，andWilliams，whoweremovingtojointhem。Wearenottoldwhotooktheleadwhentheylefttheknowntrail，butwemaysupposeitwasSevierandhisWataugans，forthemakingofnewwarpathsandwildridingweretwoofthethingswhichdistinguishedNolichuckyJack’sleadership。Downthesteepsideofthemountain，findingtheirwayastheyplunged，wenttheoverhillmen。TheycrossedtheBlueRidgeatGillespie’sGapandpushedontoQuakerMeadows，whereColonelClevelandwith350menswungintotheircolumn。Alongtheirroute，theBackCountryPatriotswiththeirriflescameoutfromthelittlehamletsandthefarmsandjoinedthem。
Theynowhadanarmyofperhapsfifteenhundredmenbutnocommandingofficer。Thusfar，onthemarch，thefourcolonelshadconferredtogetherandagreedastoprocedure；or，inreality，theinfluenceofSevierandShelby，whohadplannedtheenterpriseandwhoseemalwaystohaveactedinunison，hadswayedtheothers。Itwouldbe，however，manifestlyimpropertogointobattlewithoutarealgeneral。Somethingmustbedone。
McDowellvolunteeredtocarryaletterexplainingtheirneedtoGeneralGates，whohadescapedwithsomeofhisstaffintoNorthCarolinaandwasnotfaroff。ItthenoccurredtoSevierandShelby，evidentlyforthefirsttime，thatGates，onreceivingsucharequest，mightwellaskwhytheGovernorofNorthCarolina，asthemilitaryheadoftheState，hadnotprovidedacommander。ThetruthisthatSevierandShelbyhadbeensobusydrummingupthemilitiaandplanningtheircampaignthattheyhadfoundnotimetoconsulttheGovernor。Moreover，themeanswherebytheexpeditionhadbeenfinancedmightnothaveappealedtothechiefexecutive。Afterfindingitimpossibletoraisesufficientfundsonhispersonalcredit，Sevierhadappropriatedtheentrymoneyinthegovernmentlandofficetothebusinessinhand——withthegoodwilloftheentrytaker，whowasapatrioticman，although，ashehadpointedout，hecouldnot，OFFICIALLY，handoverthemoney。Thingsbeingastheywere，nodoubtNolichuckyJackfeltthataninterviewwiththeGovernorhadbetterbedeferreduntilafterthecaptureofFerguson。HencethetenorofthiscommunicationtoGeneralGates：