He was born in
Ireland about 1731, and, emigrating to America, settled near Salisbury, North Caro-
lina. On the opening of the Revolutionary struggle he became a member of the
Provincial Congress and Council of Safety. In June, I77ti, he was commissioned a
brigadier-general in the American army, and a few months later led his celebrated
expedition against the Cherokee, as elsewhere narrated. He rendered other impor-
tant sen ice in the Revolution, in one battle being taken prisoner by the British and
held by them nearly a year, lie afterward served in the state senate of North Caro-
lina, and, subsequently removing to Tennessee, was for some time a member of its
territorial council. He died in Tennessee about 1800.
i 17' Rutherford's route l p. 49): The various North Carolina detachments
which combined to form Rutherford's expeditionagainst the Cherokee in the
autumn of 1770 organized at different points about the upper Catawba and probably
concentrated at Davidson's fort, now Old tort, in McDowell county. Thence,
advancing westward closely upon the line of the present Southern railroad and its
Western North Carolina branch, the army crossed the Blue ridge over the Swanna-
noa gap and went down the Swannanoa to its junction with the French Broad,
crossing the latter at the Warrior ford, below the present Asheville; thence up
Hominy creek and across the ridge to Pigeon river, crossing it a fewmiles below the
junction of the Ea^t and West forks; thence to Richland creek, crossing it just above
the present Waynesville; and over the dividing ridge between the present Hayw 1
and Jackson counties to the head of Scott's creek; thence down that creek