In early life, General Morgan was dissipated; yet the teachings of a pious mother always made him reverential when his thoughts turned toward the Deity.  In his latter years he professed religion and became a member of the Presbyterian Church in Winchester.  “Ah!” he would often exclaim when talking of the past, “people said old Morgan never feared—­they thought old Morgan never prayed—­they did not know old Morgan was miserably afraid.”  He said he trembled at Quebec, and in the gloom of early morning, when approaching the battery at Cape Diamond, he knelt in the snow and prayed; and before the battle at the Cowpens, he went into the woods, ascended a tree, and there poured out his soul in prayer to the Almighty Ruler of the Universe for protection.

COLONEL CHARLES M’DOWELL AND BROTHERS.

(Condensed from Wheeler’s “Historical Sketches.”)

Colonel Charles McDowell and his brothers, Joseph and William, were sons of Joseph McDowell and Margaret O’Neal, who emigrated from Ireland and settled in Winchester, Va.  Here, Charles and Joseph were born, the former in 1743.  Soon afterward, Joseph McDowell, Sr., moved to Burke county, N.C.

In June, 1780, Colonel Charles McDowell being joined by Colonels Isaac Shelby and John Sevier from Tennessee, and by Colonel Clarke, of Georgia, near the Cherokee Ford on Broad river, in South Carolina, he determined to attack a post held by the enemy on Pacolet river, in Spartanburg county.  The position was strongly fortified under the command of Captain Patrick Moore, a distinguished loyalist.  On being surrounded, the enemy, after some parley as to terms, surrendered as prisoners of war.  One British Sergeant Major, ninety-three loyalists, two hundred and fifty fire-arms and other munitions of war were the fruits of this victory.  Soon afterward Col.  McDowell detached Shelby to watch the movements of Ferguson, and attack him.  On the 1st of August, 1780, Shelby met the advance guard of Ferguson at Cedar Spring, about six hundred strong, when a spirited contest commenced; but on the enemy being reinforced, Shelby made good his retreat, carrying off from the field twenty prisoners, including two British officers.

On learning that a body of five hundred Tories had assembled on the south side of Enoree river, near Musgrove’s Mill, Colonel McDowell detached Colonels Shelby, Williams and Clarke to attack them.  Colonel Ferguson, with his whole force, lay encamped between them.  They left the camp on the 18th of August at Smith’s Ford on Broad river, and taking a circuitous route through the woods, avoided Ferguson’s forces.  They rode hard all night, and at daybreak encountered a strong patrol party of the enemy.  A skirmish immediately ensued and the Tories retreated.  They then advanced on the main body of the Tories.  At this juncture a countryman living near, a friend of liberty, came to Shelby and informed him that the enemy had been reinforced the evening before, by six