from The Road to Guilford Courthouse, by John Buchanan, ©1997, John Wiley & Sons, page 180:
- A courier service was established to keep everyone informed of Ferguson's movements–Captain David Vance of the North Carolina militia called them "news-bearers." James Jack and Archibald Nail were assigned to bear news "over the Yellow Mountain to Shelby," Joseph Dobson and James Mackay to Cleveland and Herndon, Robert Cleveland and Gideon Lewis from Benjamin Cleveland to Shelby. "Thus the news went the rounds as fast as horses could carry their riders."
