Battle of Kings Mountain
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Kings Mountain was a decisive
battle between the Patriot
and Loyalist
militias in the Southern campaign
of the American Revolutionary War
. The actual battle took place on October 7 1780, nine miles south of the present-day town of Kings Mountain, North Carolina
in rural York County, South Carolina
, where the Patriot militia defeated the Loyalist forces commanded by British Major Patrick Ferguson
of the 71st Foot
.
Ferguson had arrived in North Carolina in early September 1780 with the purpose of recruiting for the Loyalist militia and protecting the flank of Lord Cornwallis
' main force. Ferguson issued a challenge to the rebel militias to lay down their arms or suffer the consequences; in response, the Patriot militias led by James Johnston
, William Campbell
, John Sevier
, Joseph McDowell and Isaac Shelby
rallied for an attack on Ferguson.
After receiving intelligence on the oncoming attack, Ferguson elected to retreat to the safety of Lord Cornwallis' host; however, the Patriots caught up with the Loyalists at Kings Mountain on the border with South Carolina
. Having achieved surprise on the Loyalists, the Patriots attacked and surrounded the Loyalists, inflicting heavy casualties. After an hour of battle, Ferguson was shot dead while trying to break the rebel ring, after which the Loyalists surrendered. Wanting to avenge the events of the Battle of Waxhaws, the Patriot soldiers gave no quarter
to the surrendering Loyalists until the rebel officers re-established control over their men. Although victorious, the Patriots had to quickly move from the area for fear of Cornwallis' advance.
The battle was a pivotal moment in the Southern campaign; the surprising victory over the Loyalist American militia came after a string of rebel defeats at the hands of Lord Cornwallis, and greatly raised morale among the Patriots. With Ferguson dead and his militia destroyed, Cornwallis was forced to abandon plans to invade North Carolina and retreated into South Carolina.
, raise and organize Loyalist units from the Tory population of the Carolina Backcountry
, and protect the left flank of Lord Cornwallis'
main body at Charlotte, North Carolina
. On September 2, he and what militia he had already recruited marched west, heading for the Appalachian Mountain
hill country along what is now the Tennessee
/North Carolina border. By September 10, he had established a base camp at Gilbert Town, North Carolina and issued a challenge to the Patriot leaders to lay down their arms or he would "lay waste to their country with fire and sword."
North Carolina Patriot militia leaders Isaac Shelby
and John Sevier
, from the Washington District
(now present day northeast Tennessee), met after receiving Ferguson's "fire and sword" message and agreed to lead their militia against him.
After the Patriot surrender at Charleston, South Carolina, the British Army under Lord Cornwallis made its way toward Charlotte, North Carolina, where it planned to put an end to the Patriot uprising in the Carolinas. Colonel Cleveland dispatched Martin Gambill with a request for help to the men living in the Holston Valley of Virginia. Gambill carried the message approximately one hundred miles on horseback across country dangerously infested with Tories.
Enroute, Captain Gambill stopped at Captain Enoch Osborne's homestead on New River to get a fresh horse. Legend relates "that Enoch took his horse loose from the plow and loaned it to him to go on with the message." On his return to the Yadkin Valley, Gambill found that Cleveland had been wounded, and that he had been selected to lead Cleveland's "Company of Men" into the developing conflict.
Patriot leaders also sent a message to Virginia
militia leader, William Campbell
, asking him to join them. Campbell, in turn, called on Benjamin Cleveland
to bring his South Carolina militia to join the rendezvous. The detachments of Shelby, Sevier and Campbell were joined by 160 North Carolina militiamen led by Charles McDowell and his brother Joseph. Campbell's cousin, Arthur, brought 200 more Virginians. Some 1,100 volunteers from southwest Virginia and present-day northeast Tennessee, known as the "Overmountain Men
" (so named because they had settled into the wilderness west of the Appalachian Mountains ridgeline), mustered at the rendezvous at Sycamore Shoals
near present day Elizabethton, Tennessee
on September 25, 1780. Their movement had been permitted by easing tensions with the Cherokee
, thanks to diplomacy by Benjamin Cleveland's brother-in-law, Indian agent Joseph Martin
. The Overmountain Men crossed over Roan Mountain
the next day, and proceeded in a southerly direction for about thirteen days in anticipation of encountering the British Loyalist force. By Sept. 30 they had reached Quaker Meadows, the Burke County, North Carolina
home of the McDowell brothers, where they were joined by Benjamin Cleveland and 350 men. Now 1400 strong, they marched south to South Mountain, North Carolina
, The five colonels leading the Patriot force (Shelby, Sevier, William Campbell, Joseph McDowell and Cleveland) then named Campbell the nominal commander but agreed that all five would act in council to command their pickup army.
Meanwhile, two deserters from the Patriot force reached Patrick Ferguson and informed him that a large body of militia was advancing towards him. After waiting three days for reasons that remain unclear, Ferguson elected to retreat back to Lord Cornwallis and the British main body in Charlotte, meanwhile sending a message to Cornwallis asking for reinforcements. The message did not reach Cornwallis until it was too late, one day after the battle. On October 1 Ferguson reached North Carolina's Broad River
, where he issued another pugnacious public letter, calling for local militia to join him lest they be "pissed upon by a set of mongrels" (the Overmountain Men).
The Patriot militia pursuing Ferguson reached his former camp at Gilbert Town on October 4, where thirty Georgian partisans joined their camp, looking for action. On October 6, they had reached Cowpens, South Carolina
(which was the site of the future Battle of Cowpens
), they received word from local sympathizers that Ferguson was east of them, heading towards Charlotte and Cornwallis. They would have to hurry to catch him. Rebel spies reported that Ferguson was making camp atop Kings Mountain with some 1500 men. The intelligence was accurate. Ferguson, rather than pushing on until he reached Charlotte and safety (just a day's march away), camped out at Kings Mountain and sent Cornwallis another letter asking for reinforcements (which was also received too late). Kings Mountain was one of many rocky forested hills in the upper Piedmont near the border between North and South Carolina. It is shaped like a footprint with the highest point at the heel, a narrow instep, and a broad rounded toe. The Loyalists were encamped on a ridge to the West of Kings Pinnacle, the highest point of Kings Mountain.
Needing to make haste, the Patriot militia put some 900 men on horseback and made for Kings Mountain. They set out immediately, marching through the night of the 6th and morning of the 7th. It rained all night and through the morning. By sunrise on the 7th, they were fording the Broad River, fifteen miles from Kings Mountain. By early afternoon they had reached their goal, whereupon they surrounded the ridge where the Loyalists were encamped and attacked.
), approached the steep base of the Western ridge of Kings Mountain. The rebels formed eight groups of 100 to 200 men. Ferguson, completely unaware that the rebels had caught up to him, was at the top of the ridge with some 1,100 men. Ferguson was the only Briton in his command, which consisted entirely of Loyalist militia, save for around 100 red-uniformed Loyalist soldiers from New York state. Most of the Loyalists were of both Carolinas' origin. He had not built any fortifications on his position. As the screaming Patriots charged up the hill, Captain DePeyster turned to Ferguson and said "These things are ominous—these are the damned yelling boys!". Two parties, led by Colonels John Sevier
and William Campbell
, assaulted the "high heel" of the wooded mountain, the smallest area but highest point, while the other seven groups, led by Colonels Shelby, Williams, Lacey, Cleveland, Hambright, Winston and McDowell attacked the main Loyalist position by surrounding the "ball" base beside the "heel" crest of the mountain. They caught the Loyalists by surprise; Tory officer Alexander Chesney admitted that he didn't know the Patriots were in the vicinity until the shooting started.
No one amongst the Patriot army was in command once the fighting commenced; each group fought independently in accordance with the plan to surround and destroy the Loyalists. The Patriots crept up the hill and fired on the Loyalists from behind rocks and trees. Ferguson rallied his troops and launched a bayonet
charge against Campbell and Sevier's men. With no bayonets of their own, the rebels retreated down the hill and into the woods. Campbell rallied his troops, returned to the base of the hill, and resumed firing. Ferguson launched two more bayonet charges during the course of the battle. This became the pattern of the battle all around the Loyalist position; when the Patriots would charge up the hill, the Tories would form and charge down the hill with fixed bayonets, driving whatever Patriots they found down the hill and into the woods. Whereupon the Tories would withdraw when the charge was spent, and the scattered Patriots would reform in the woods, return to the base of the hill, and charge back up the hill again. During one of the charges, Colonel Williams was killed and Colonel McDowell was wounded. It was hard for the Loyalists to find a target because the Patriots were constantly moving and using cover
and concealment. Additionally, the downhill angle of the hill caused the Loyalists to overshoot.
After an hour of combat, Loyalist casualties were heavy. Ferguson rode back and forth across the hill, blowing a silver whistle he used to signal charges. Shelby, Sevier and Campbell reached the top of the hill behind the Loyalist position and attacked Ferguson's rear. The Loyalists were driven back into their camp at the toe of the hill, where they began to surrender. Ferguson drew his sword and hacked down the white flags that he saw popping up, but he apparently knew that the end was near. In an attempt to rally his faltering men, Ferguson shouted out "Hurrah, brave boys, the day is ours!", gathered a few officers together and attempted to cut through the Patriot ring, but Sevier's men fired a volley and Ferguson was shot dead from his horse. When the rebels found his corpse they counted seven bullet wounds.
Seeing their leader fall, the Loyalists began to surrender. Captain Abraham DePeyster, in command after Ferguson was killed, asked for quarter. Eager to avenge the Waxhaw Massacre
, where Banastre Tarleton's
men had killed a sizeable amount of Abraham Buford's
Continental
soldiers after the latter had surrendered, some rebels did not initially want to take prisoners while others were unaware that the Loyalists had surrendered. The Patriots rejected DePeyster's white flag and continued firing, many of them shouting, "Give 'em Tarleton's Quarter!" and "Give them Buford's play!". After a few more minutes of bloodletting in which a significant amount of the surrendering Loyalists were killed, DePeyster sent out a second white flag and a few rebel officers, including Campbell and Sevier, ran forward and took control by ordering their men to cease fire, giving quarter to around 700 Loyalists.
The Battle of Kings Mountain lasted 65 minutes. The Loyalists suffered 244 killed, 163 wounded, and 668 taken prisoner. The Patriot militia suffered 29 killed and 58 wounded. The Patriots had to move out quickly for fear that Cornwallis would advance to meet them. Loyalist prisoners well enough to walk were herded to camps several miles from the battlefield. The dead were buried in shallow graves and wounded were left on the field. Ferguson's corpse was later reported to have been mangled and wrapped in oxhide before burial. Both victors and vanquished came near to starvation on the march due to a lack of supplies in the hastily organized Patriot army.
On October 14, the retreating Patriot force held drumhead courtmartials of various Loyalists on various charges (treason, desertion from Patriot militias, incitement of Indian rebellion), mostly due to a desire for revenge. Passing through the Sunshine community in what is now Rutherford County, N.C., the retreat halted, perhaps not coincidentally on the property of the Biggerstaff family. Aaron Biggerstaff, a Loyalist, had fought in the battle and been mortally wounded. His brother Benjamin was a Patriot and was being held as a prisoner of war on a British ship docked at Charleston, S.C. Their cousin John Moore was the Loyalist commander at the earlier Battle of Ramsour's Mill (modern Lincolnton, N.C.), in which many of the same troops had participated on both sides. While stopped on the Biggerstaff land, 36 Loyalist prisoners, many of whom were recognized by several Patriots whom previously fought alongside and later changed sides, were convicted and nine were hanged before Isaac Shelby brought an end to the proceedings. His decision to halt the proceedings came after an impassioned plea for mercy from one of the Biggerstaff women, although accounts vary as to whether it was Martha Biggerstaff, Aaron's wife, or Mary Van Zant Biggerstaff, Benjamin's wife. As the Patriot army dispersed, all but 130 Loyalist prisoners escaped over the next few days before the column finally reached camp at Salem, North Carolina
; they were able to escape having been moved through wooded areas in a single line.
Kings Mountain was a pivotal moment in the history of the American Revolution. Coming after a series of disasters and humiliations in the Carolinas—the fall of Charleston
and capture of the American army there, the destruction of another American army at the Battle of Camden
, the Waxhaws Massacre—the surprising, decisive victory at Kings Mountain was a great boost to Patriot morale. The Tories of the Carolina Back Country were broken as a military force. Additionally, the destruction of Ferguson's command and the looming threat of Patriot militia in the mountains caused Lord Cornwallis to cancel his plans to invade North Carolina; he instead evacuated Charlotte and retreated to South Carolina. He would not return to North Carolina until early 1781, when he was chasing Nathanael Greene
after the Americans had dealt British arms another devastating defeat at the Battle of Cowpens
.
In The Winning of the West, Theodore Roosevelt
wrote of Kings Mountain, "This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution." Thomas Jefferson
called it, "The turn of the tide of success." Herbert Hoover
's address at Kings Mountain said, "This is a place of inspiring memories. Here less than a thousand men, inspired by the urge of freedom, defeated a superior force intrenched in this strategic position. This small band of Patriots turned back a dangerous invasion well designed to separate and dismember the united Colonies. It was a little army and a little battle, but it was of mighty portent. History has done scant justice to its significance, which rightly should place it beside Lexington, Bunker Hill
, Trenton
and Yorktown
." In 1931, the Congress of the United States created the Kings Mountain National Military Park
on the site of the battle. The park headquarters is in Blacksburg, South Carolina
, and hosts hundreds of thousands of people each year.
Decisive victory
A decisive victory is an indisputable military victory of a battle that determines or significantly influences the ultimate result of a conflict. It does not always coincide with the end of combat...
battle between the Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
and Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
militias in the Southern campaign
Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War
The Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War was the central area of operations in North America in the second half of the American Revolutionary War. During the first three years of the conflict, the primary military encounters had been in the north, focused on campaigns around the...
of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The actual battle took place on October 7 1780, nine miles south of the present-day town of Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Kings Mountain is a small suburban city of Gastonia and Charlotte in Cleveland and Gaston counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,693 at the 2000 census....
in rural York County, South Carolina
York County, South Carolina
York County is a county located in the north-central section of the U.S. state of South Carolina. According to the 2010 census, the county's population was 226,073. It is the second largest county in the Charlotte metropolitan area...
, where the Patriot militia defeated the Loyalist forces commanded by British Major Patrick Ferguson
Patrick Ferguson
Major Patrick Ferguson was a Scottish officer in the British Army, early advocate of light infantry and designer of the Ferguson rifle. He is best known for his service in the 1780 military campaign of Charles Cornwallis, in which he aggressively recruited Loyalists and harshly treated Patriot...
of the 71st Foot
71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders
The 71st Regiment of Foot was a regiment of infantry raised in 1775, during the American Revolution. The unit served in both the Northern and Southern Campaigns, and participated in many major battles including the Battle of Long Island , the Battle of Brandywine , Savannah , Briar Creek , the...
.
Ferguson had arrived in North Carolina in early September 1780 with the purpose of recruiting for the Loyalist militia and protecting the flank of Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
' main force. Ferguson issued a challenge to the rebel militias to lay down their arms or suffer the consequences; in response, the Patriot militias led by James Johnston
James Johnston (Colonel)
James Johnston was an American soldier and a member of the North Carolina Provincial Congress.-Biography:Colonel James Johnston was born in North Carolina. He was the son of Henry Johnston of Scottish descent. He was married to Jane Ewart, the daughter of Robert Ewart...
, William Campbell
William Campbell (general)
William Campbell was a Virginia farmer, pioneer, and soldier. One of the thirteen signers of the earliest statement of armed resistance to the British Crown in the American Colonies, the Fincastle Resolutions, Campbell represented Hanover County in the Virginia House of Delegates...
, John Sevier
John Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
, Joseph McDowell and Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
rallied for an attack on Ferguson.
After receiving intelligence on the oncoming attack, Ferguson elected to retreat to the safety of Lord Cornwallis' host; however, the Patriots caught up with the Loyalists at Kings Mountain on the border with South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Having achieved surprise on the Loyalists, the Patriots attacked and surrounded the Loyalists, inflicting heavy casualties. After an hour of battle, Ferguson was shot dead while trying to break the rebel ring, after which the Loyalists surrendered. Wanting to avenge the events of the Battle of Waxhaws, the Patriot soldiers gave no quarter
No quarter
A victor gives no quarter when the victor shows no clemency or mercy and refuses to spare the life in return for the surrender at discretion of a vanquished opponent....
to the surrendering Loyalists until the rebel officers re-established control over their men. Although victorious, the Patriots had to quickly move from the area for fear of Cornwallis' advance.
The battle was a pivotal moment in the Southern campaign; the surprising victory over the Loyalist American militia came after a string of rebel defeats at the hands of Lord Cornwallis, and greatly raised morale among the Patriots. With Ferguson dead and his militia destroyed, Cornwallis was forced to abandon plans to invade North Carolina and retreated into South Carolina.
Prelude to battle
Major Ferguson was appointed Inspector of Militia on May 22, 1780. His tasking was to march to Tryon County, North CarolinaTryon County, North Carolina
Tryon County is a former county which was located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It was formed in 1768 from the part of Mecklenburg County west of the Catawba River, although the legislative act that created it did not become effective until April 10, 1769. Due to inaccurate and delayed...
, raise and organize Loyalist units from the Tory population of the Carolina Backcountry
Backcountry
A backcountry area in general terms is a geographical region that is:* isolated* remote* undeveloped* difficult to accessThe term may apply to various regions that are reasonably close to urban areas but are:* not immediately accessible by car...
, and protect the left flank of Lord Cornwallis'
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
main body at Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. On September 2, he and what militia he had already recruited marched west, heading for the Appalachian Mountain
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
hill country along what is now the Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
/North Carolina border. By September 10, he had established a base camp at Gilbert Town, North Carolina and issued a challenge to the Patriot leaders to lay down their arms or he would "lay waste to their country with fire and sword."
North Carolina Patriot militia leaders Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
and John Sevier
John Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
, from the Washington District
Washington District, North Carolina
The Washington District of North Carolina was in a remote area west of the Appalachian Mountains, officially existing for only a short period of time , although it had been self-proclaimed and functioning as an independent governing entity since the spring of 1775...
(now present day northeast Tennessee), met after receiving Ferguson's "fire and sword" message and agreed to lead their militia against him.
After the Patriot surrender at Charleston, South Carolina, the British Army under Lord Cornwallis made its way toward Charlotte, North Carolina, where it planned to put an end to the Patriot uprising in the Carolinas. Colonel Cleveland dispatched Martin Gambill with a request for help to the men living in the Holston Valley of Virginia. Gambill carried the message approximately one hundred miles on horseback across country dangerously infested with Tories.
Enroute, Captain Gambill stopped at Captain Enoch Osborne's homestead on New River to get a fresh horse. Legend relates "that Enoch took his horse loose from the plow and loaned it to him to go on with the message." On his return to the Yadkin Valley, Gambill found that Cleveland had been wounded, and that he had been selected to lead Cleveland's "Company of Men" into the developing conflict.
Patriot leaders also sent a message to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
militia leader, William Campbell
William Campbell (general)
William Campbell was a Virginia farmer, pioneer, and soldier. One of the thirteen signers of the earliest statement of armed resistance to the British Crown in the American Colonies, the Fincastle Resolutions, Campbell represented Hanover County in the Virginia House of Delegates...
, asking him to join them. Campbell, in turn, called on Benjamin Cleveland
Benjamin Cleveland
Benjamin Cleveland was an American pioneer and soldier in North Carolina. He is best remembered for his service as a colonel in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War, and in particular for his role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.-Early...
to bring his South Carolina militia to join the rendezvous. The detachments of Shelby, Sevier and Campbell were joined by 160 North Carolina militiamen led by Charles McDowell and his brother Joseph. Campbell's cousin, Arthur, brought 200 more Virginians. Some 1,100 volunteers from southwest Virginia and present-day northeast Tennessee, known as the "Overmountain Men
Overmountain Men
The Overmountain Men were American frontiersmen from west of the Appalachian Mountains who took part in the American Revolutionary War. While they were present at multiple engagements in the war's southern campaign, they are best known for their role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings...
" (so named because they had settled into the wilderness west of the Appalachian Mountains ridgeline), mustered at the rendezvous at Sycamore Shoals
Sycamore Shoals
The Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River, usually shortened to Sycamore Shoals, is a rocky stretch of river rapids along the Watauga River in Elizabethton, in the U.S. state of Tennessee...
near present day Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...
on September 25, 1780. Their movement had been permitted by easing tensions with the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, thanks to diplomacy by Benjamin Cleveland's brother-in-law, Indian agent Joseph Martin
Joseph Martin (general)
Joseph Martin was a brigadier general in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War, in which Martin's frontier diplomacy with the Cherokee people is credited with averting Indian attacks on the Scotch-Irish settlers who helped win the battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens...
. The Overmountain Men crossed over Roan Mountain
Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)
Roan Mountain is the highpoint of the Roan-Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. The mountain is clad in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, and includes the world's largest natural rhododendron garden, and the longest...
the next day, and proceeded in a southerly direction for about thirteen days in anticipation of encountering the British Loyalist force. By Sept. 30 they had reached Quaker Meadows, the Burke County, North Carolina
Burke County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 89,148 people, 34,528 households, and 24,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 37,427 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
home of the McDowell brothers, where they were joined by Benjamin Cleveland and 350 men. Now 1400 strong, they marched south to South Mountain, North Carolina
South Mountains (North Carolina)
The South Mountains are an ancient and deeply eroded mountain range in western North Carolina. They are an isolated remnant of the much larger Appalachian Mountains to the west, and are separated from the Appalachians by the Catawba River valley. The range covers approximately 100,000 acres in...
, The five colonels leading the Patriot force (Shelby, Sevier, William Campbell, Joseph McDowell and Cleveland) then named Campbell the nominal commander but agreed that all five would act in council to command their pickup army.
Meanwhile, two deserters from the Patriot force reached Patrick Ferguson and informed him that a large body of militia was advancing towards him. After waiting three days for reasons that remain unclear, Ferguson elected to retreat back to Lord Cornwallis and the British main body in Charlotte, meanwhile sending a message to Cornwallis asking for reinforcements. The message did not reach Cornwallis until it was too late, one day after the battle. On October 1 Ferguson reached North Carolina's Broad River
Broad River (Carolinas)
The Broad River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 150 miles long, in western North Carolina and northern South Carolina in the United States. Via the Congaree, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
, where he issued another pugnacious public letter, calling for local militia to join him lest they be "pissed upon by a set of mongrels" (the Overmountain Men).
The Patriot militia pursuing Ferguson reached his former camp at Gilbert Town on October 4, where thirty Georgian partisans joined their camp, looking for action. On October 6, they had reached Cowpens, South Carolina
Cowpens, South Carolina
Cowpens is a town in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,162 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cowpens is located at ....
(which was the site of the future Battle of Cowpens
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory by Patriot Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War...
), they received word from local sympathizers that Ferguson was east of them, heading towards Charlotte and Cornwallis. They would have to hurry to catch him. Rebel spies reported that Ferguson was making camp atop Kings Mountain with some 1500 men. The intelligence was accurate. Ferguson, rather than pushing on until he reached Charlotte and safety (just a day's march away), camped out at Kings Mountain and sent Cornwallis another letter asking for reinforcements (which was also received too late). Kings Mountain was one of many rocky forested hills in the upper Piedmont near the border between North and South Carolina. It is shaped like a footprint with the highest point at the heel, a narrow instep, and a broad rounded toe. The Loyalists were encamped on a ridge to the West of Kings Pinnacle, the highest point of Kings Mountain.
Needing to make haste, the Patriot militia put some 900 men on horseback and made for Kings Mountain. They set out immediately, marching through the night of the 6th and morning of the 7th. It rained all night and through the morning. By sunrise on the 7th, they were fording the Broad River, fifteen miles from Kings Mountain. By early afternoon they had reached their goal, whereupon they surrounded the ridge where the Loyalists were encamped and attacked.
Battle
The battle opened on October 7, 1780, around 3 p.m. when 900 Patriots (including John Crockett, the father of Davy CrockettDavy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
), approached the steep base of the Western ridge of Kings Mountain. The rebels formed eight groups of 100 to 200 men. Ferguson, completely unaware that the rebels had caught up to him, was at the top of the ridge with some 1,100 men. Ferguson was the only Briton in his command, which consisted entirely of Loyalist militia, save for around 100 red-uniformed Loyalist soldiers from New York state. Most of the Loyalists were of both Carolinas' origin. He had not built any fortifications on his position. As the screaming Patriots charged up the hill, Captain DePeyster turned to Ferguson and said "These things are ominous—these are the damned yelling boys!". Two parties, led by Colonels John Sevier
John Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
and William Campbell
William Campbell (general)
William Campbell was a Virginia farmer, pioneer, and soldier. One of the thirteen signers of the earliest statement of armed resistance to the British Crown in the American Colonies, the Fincastle Resolutions, Campbell represented Hanover County in the Virginia House of Delegates...
, assaulted the "high heel" of the wooded mountain, the smallest area but highest point, while the other seven groups, led by Colonels Shelby, Williams, Lacey, Cleveland, Hambright, Winston and McDowell attacked the main Loyalist position by surrounding the "ball" base beside the "heel" crest of the mountain. They caught the Loyalists by surprise; Tory officer Alexander Chesney admitted that he didn't know the Patriots were in the vicinity until the shooting started.
No one amongst the Patriot army was in command once the fighting commenced; each group fought independently in accordance with the plan to surround and destroy the Loyalists. The Patriots crept up the hill and fired on the Loyalists from behind rocks and trees. Ferguson rallied his troops and launched a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
charge against Campbell and Sevier's men. With no bayonets of their own, the rebels retreated down the hill and into the woods. Campbell rallied his troops, returned to the base of the hill, and resumed firing. Ferguson launched two more bayonet charges during the course of the battle. This became the pattern of the battle all around the Loyalist position; when the Patriots would charge up the hill, the Tories would form and charge down the hill with fixed bayonets, driving whatever Patriots they found down the hill and into the woods. Whereupon the Tories would withdraw when the charge was spent, and the scattered Patriots would reform in the woods, return to the base of the hill, and charge back up the hill again. During one of the charges, Colonel Williams was killed and Colonel McDowell was wounded. It was hard for the Loyalists to find a target because the Patriots were constantly moving and using cover
Cover (military)
In military combat, the concept of cover refers to anything which is capable of physically protecting an individual from enemy fire. This differentiates it from the similar concept of concealment, in that an object or area of concealment only affords the benefit of stealth, not actual protection...
and concealment. Additionally, the downhill angle of the hill caused the Loyalists to overshoot.
After an hour of combat, Loyalist casualties were heavy. Ferguson rode back and forth across the hill, blowing a silver whistle he used to signal charges. Shelby, Sevier and Campbell reached the top of the hill behind the Loyalist position and attacked Ferguson's rear. The Loyalists were driven back into their camp at the toe of the hill, where they began to surrender. Ferguson drew his sword and hacked down the white flags that he saw popping up, but he apparently knew that the end was near. In an attempt to rally his faltering men, Ferguson shouted out "Hurrah, brave boys, the day is ours!", gathered a few officers together and attempted to cut through the Patriot ring, but Sevier's men fired a volley and Ferguson was shot dead from his horse. When the rebels found his corpse they counted seven bullet wounds.
Seeing their leader fall, the Loyalists began to surrender. Captain Abraham DePeyster, in command after Ferguson was killed, asked for quarter. Eager to avenge the Waxhaw Massacre
Waxhaw massacre
The Battle of Waxhaws took place during the American Revolution on May 29, 1780, near Lancaster, South Carolina, between a Continental Army force led by Abraham Buford and a mainly Loyalist force led by Banastre Tarleton...
, where Banastre Tarleton's
Banastre Tarleton
General Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British soldier and politician.He is today probably best remembered for his military service during the American War of Independence. He became the focal point of a propaganda campaign claiming that he had fired upon surrendering Continental...
men had killed a sizeable amount of Abraham Buford's
Abraham Buford
Abraham Buford was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War, best known as the commanding officer of the American forces at the Battle of Waxhaws.-Biography:...
Continental
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
soldiers after the latter had surrendered, some rebels did not initially want to take prisoners while others were unaware that the Loyalists had surrendered. The Patriots rejected DePeyster's white flag and continued firing, many of them shouting, "Give 'em Tarleton's Quarter!" and "Give them Buford's play!". After a few more minutes of bloodletting in which a significant amount of the surrendering Loyalists were killed, DePeyster sent out a second white flag and a few rebel officers, including Campbell and Sevier, ran forward and took control by ordering their men to cease fire, giving quarter to around 700 Loyalists.
Aftermath
On October 14, the retreating Patriot force held drumhead courtmartials of various Loyalists on various charges (treason, desertion from Patriot militias, incitement of Indian rebellion), mostly due to a desire for revenge. Passing through the Sunshine community in what is now Rutherford County, N.C., the retreat halted, perhaps not coincidentally on the property of the Biggerstaff family. Aaron Biggerstaff, a Loyalist, had fought in the battle and been mortally wounded. His brother Benjamin was a Patriot and was being held as a prisoner of war on a British ship docked at Charleston, S.C. Their cousin John Moore was the Loyalist commander at the earlier Battle of Ramsour's Mill (modern Lincolnton, N.C.), in which many of the same troops had participated on both sides. While stopped on the Biggerstaff land, 36 Loyalist prisoners, many of whom were recognized by several Patriots whom previously fought alongside and later changed sides, were convicted and nine were hanged before Isaac Shelby brought an end to the proceedings. His decision to halt the proceedings came after an impassioned plea for mercy from one of the Biggerstaff women, although accounts vary as to whether it was Martha Biggerstaff, Aaron's wife, or Mary Van Zant Biggerstaff, Benjamin's wife. As the Patriot army dispersed, all but 130 Loyalist prisoners escaped over the next few days before the column finally reached camp at Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
; they were able to escape having been moved through wooded areas in a single line.
Kings Mountain was a pivotal moment in the history of the American Revolution. Coming after a series of disasters and humiliations in the Carolinas—the fall of Charleston
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln...
and capture of the American army there, the destruction of another American army at the Battle of Camden
Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a major victory for the British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War...
, the Waxhaws Massacre—the surprising, decisive victory at Kings Mountain was a great boost to Patriot morale. The Tories of the Carolina Back Country were broken as a military force. Additionally, the destruction of Ferguson's command and the looming threat of Patriot militia in the mountains caused Lord Cornwallis to cancel his plans to invade North Carolina; he instead evacuated Charlotte and retreated to South Carolina. He would not return to North Carolina until early 1781, when he was chasing Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
after the Americans had dealt British arms another devastating defeat at the Battle of Cowpens
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory by Patriot Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War...
.
In The Winning of the West, Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
wrote of Kings Mountain, "This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution." Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
called it, "The turn of the tide of success." Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's address at Kings Mountain said, "This is a place of inspiring memories. Here less than a thousand men, inspired by the urge of freedom, defeated a superior force intrenched in this strategic position. This small band of Patriots turned back a dangerous invasion well designed to separate and dismember the united Colonies. It was a little army and a little battle, but it was of mighty portent. History has done scant justice to its significance, which rightly should place it beside Lexington, Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
and Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
." In 1931, the Congress of the United States created the Kings Mountain National Military Park
Kings Mountain National Military Park
Kings Mountain National Military Park is a National Military Park near Blacksburg, South Carolina, along the North Carolina/South Carolina border...
on the site of the battle. The park headquarters is in Blacksburg, South Carolina
Blacksburg, South Carolina
Blacksburg is a town in Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,848 at the 2010 census. The communities of Cherokee Falls, Kings Creek, Cashion Crossroads, Buffalo, and Mt...
, and hosts hundreds of thousands of people each year.
Further reading
External links
- http://books.google.com/books?id=uXkFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22king's+mountain+and+its+heroes%22+lyman+copeland+draper&source=bl&ots=jbqJz_LoN_&sig=QeITbwGWcGlqdAUHLZM6upsMdWE&hl=en&ei=TA7JS9vKHoScsgOejaz1BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=falseKing's Mountain and Its Heroes: History of the Battle of King's Mountain, Lyman Copeland Draper, Peter G. Thompson, Publisher, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1881]
- Roan Mountain (Tennessee) Citizens Club – Overmountain Men Celebration
- Georgia Participants at Kings Mountain (offered by Georgia Society, Sons of the American Revolution)
- Lord Cornwallis and Major Ferguson NC state signs (offered by the American Revolutionary War Living History Center) with annual events held by the Town of Grover where Major Ferguson is celebrated as having camped and a NC state historical marker exists for such
- Every Insult and Indignity: The Life, Genius and Legacy of Major Patrick Ferguson