Show celeb aale dolendi cl anon 1 4 a 4 K ma al ka kia ania r ra g W az K K I 1 ilk af V V mn M n K 1 I 1 amz aa IV 7 M t OLD ROAD ZD N 01 W 7 rov I 1 41 F k 0 w 0 o V 0 r w Z 61 70 POLO A Q ta 1 contour cantou intervals int 10 d F feet F ET 1 1 f 4 T rr X A cay monument ea B new monument C ferguson killed herb her df D f eru sons graple E E Mon awant BATTLE or of KINGS MOUNTAIN N OCTOBER 7 1780 17 SO anade in april 8 by LT 17 col co A 7 hi si finial seaton siami arnal war boll collece el 4 by ELMO SCOTT WATSON N OCTO october BUr 7 the attention of 0 the nation will be centered on a rocky hillside in the extreme northern part of south carolina where will 6 k be celebrated the sesquicentennial of a brilliant american victory in the war of independence the principal speaker at the commemorative exercises will be president tl Fl eibert Ilo hoover overt whose words will be heard by thousands of americans since his address is to be broadcast oer a nationwide hookup the bent which will thus be recalled Is the battle of kings mountain on october 7 when a force of some american frontiersmen tiers men surrounded an army of more than 1100 provincial troops and tory mil militia itla commanded by maj patrick ferguson a british regular killed and wounded and took the remainder nial prisoners while suffering a loss of only 28 killed 1111 eil and 02 wounded mounded the battle of kings mountain was one of the most dramatic dri inalie engagements in our struggle tor for liberty berty both as to the actors in it and the manner in which it was fought compared to other battles so far as the number of participants is concerned it was only a small affair but its results were so momentous as to make it one of tile the outstanding events of the whole seven years conflict tile victory came at a dark hour in the struggle tor for liberty in the north benedict Hen edict arnold had turned tr traitor altor raids through new york by the british and tories were a serious threat to the rear of 0 army some of his continentals Continent als worn down by hardships Ilic ll teemed evil led to come from congressional neglect were becoming mutinous in the south the british had virtually completed the subjugation of south car olina and georgia clinton had bud captured charles toll and tarleton had cut to pieces the forces of the noted partisan sumter Suu iter with only scattered bands of patriot forces in tile the field cornwallis proceeded with the invasion of north carolina As a part ot of ills his plan maj patrick ferguson had been sent toward the back country of the carolinas Caroll nas to crush any patriot opposition which nelch might develop but primarily to rally the tories ond and recruit them to his forces F ferguson erguson was bev v successful in ID ills his work ills his original force consisted of IZ picked oft leers and men i 1 from several regular battalions raised in r york and new jersey find and formed into a temporary provincial corps within a short time lime liu hil had bad ien been joined by nearly 1000 tory militia to whom lie gave a certain amount of training the part lots were making desperate efforts to col diaries charles mcdowell of ills his advance oppose burke county north cal carolina olina was on the broad carolina line when nhen lie he south river just over the lie ile sent a hasty ons heard of fergusons Fergus to john sevier mountains the call for help across P and isanc isaac shelby leaders of tile the pioneers who ullo had the Wa watauga Wati iuga tile tho ft the eltred elt led on french broad in what Is now und and tile the e eastern as tern tennessee full fighting the sevier evler had had his hands feS to SIc Mc Dowells aid but he sent men col pictures Conr Coart feny emT army I 1 on service e and shelby crossed over with a similar force from sullivan county there was mas a short period of guerilla fighting in which shelby won a minor success at I 1 mills then rame came the news of cornwallis crushing defeat of gates cates nt at camden shelby and Al cDowell McDo welI were forced to lee flee to the mountains closely pursued by ferguson to avoid being crushed between that officer and cornwallis ferguson next advanced to gilbert town and there made tile the big mistake ot of hii campaign ile he paroled a linsman of Shel shelbye bys and sent liim him home with a letter in which he informed the back water men as he called then them that if they did not desist from their opposition to british firms arms lie would march ills his army across the mountains liang hang the loaders leaders and lay the country waste with fire and sword the response to this threat was instantaneous if not what ferguson had expected these hardy frontiersmen were not the kind to be frightened easily when shelby received fergusons Fergus ons letter he rode posthaste to sevier for a conference the two leaders resolved to ni uster their forces and strike ferguson before lie he could secure enough reinforcements to carry out liis his threat to invade their country messengers were sent to col william am compbell on the clinch river in virginia for aid the call to arms was carried to every settlement est of the mountains sycamore shoals on tile the watauga was set as the rendezvous and there on september 26 20 gathered moie than 1000 frontiersmen armed with thelong the long rifle of deadly accuracy nearly all of them were mounted and as they swung into their saddles to ride against the invader their pastor rev samuel doak sped them on their way with this benediction with the sword of the lord and of gideon soon after they crossed the summit of the mountains they discovered that two to tories in their midst had slipped away to carry A a warning to ferguson there was more need now than before for speed sliced so they pushed on rapidly to quaker meadows where they were joined by colonel cleveland with the men from wilkes county north carolina and by major winston with tile the men from surrey some in all meanwhile the tio deserters had reached ferguson and when he heard of the force that was coming against him he realized ahat a hornets nest he had stirred up by ills his letter from gilbert town so lie left that place and started to retreat south and east toward charlotte town where cornwallis had arrived on oil september 22 by october G he had reached kings mountain on tills this same late date october C 0 the mountain men readied reached coppens cowpens where they were joined by col james williams of south carolina with men who had bad been in pursuit of r ferguson erguson this detachment tach ment was made up of g groups of Sum mev men from south carolina under colonels hill 1111 and lacey laccy ot of men flora lincoln county under graham and chronicle upon being informed or of fergusons Fergus ons position the americas AmerICa 2 leaders decided that a quick flash dash was necessary 1 if they were to catch ferguson before lie he join joined ed Cornwa cornwallis ills accordingly they selected of tile the best horsemen and at eight that night they stained on their march rain poured down doin upon them but they pressed steadily on and about no noon oil the next day the weather cleared anti and tile the sun came out to shine upon their splendid exploit karly barly in the afternoon they discovered the ell enemy c on kings mountain it was a table land about WO COO yards long CO 60 to feet apet wide rising some GO CO feet above its immediate surroundings a natural fortress its sides covered with nith trees and its top protected by huge rocks the moua tain lain men dismounted nt at the toot foot of the mountain tied their horses under the trees and prepared for the attack attach the plan agreed upon was to surround the hill find and trap the defenders with a ring of fire as the over ever tightening circle of riflemen ascended the slope about three the battle began As fer guions outposts discovered the americans he sprang to ills his horse blowing his whistle to call his men to arms uis ills riflemen opened fire re but with little effect upon the mountain men who were gliding from tree to tree indian fashion and firing whenever they caught tile the slightest sll latest glimpse of the enemy fergusons Fergus ons men firing down hill were overshooting their targets constantly while the mountain men accustomed to shooting squirrels out of the tallest trees were handling their their long rifles with deadly effectiveness ferguson next tile died bayonet charges but the frontiersmen simply gave way may until the cabarga had spent its force then returned taking their toll as the british retired ferguson was nas everywhere here bloN blowing ving ills his whistle to encourage his rnea men and lus ills voice could be plainly heard above thi sharp crack of the rifles and the indian like war whoops of the mountain men captain de peyster fergusons Fergus ons second in command had fought such men as these at mills and at the sound of the americans voices ile he Is said to hive have remarked to ferguson these things ire are ominous these ire are the d d nelling boys there were others in ills his command who ariew that the light fight would soon be lost two white handkerchiefs affixed to bayonets were raised aloft but ferguson angrily slashed theal down with his sword two horses were shot under the british leader but lie he mounted another and alid continued ills his efforts to rally liis ills men finally as a last effort to snatch victory from defeat ho he with several of ills his officers turned their horses doii donai hill aud and tried to cut their way through tile americans ferguson was shot from his horse and instantly hilled kill cil de peyster then advanced with a flag flae and surrendered ills his sword to campbell kings mountain lias ilas become something of a legend in our history with all the inaccuracy and misinformation which that implies for instance some tt taking their cue from local tradition which has done one so much to preserve those inaccuracies have called it the Tur turning u point of tile the revolution thus appropriating fo tor r this single battle in the south the distinction accorded by most historians to a whole campaign the series of engagements in new york la in I 1 1777 which culminated in the surrender of burgoyne fortunately however for a better understanding of the significance of kings mountain and the details of 0 the battle which have become soured by historians writing on hearsay evidence there has appeared in recent months a hist history ry of f the fight written from the military point of view lew which corrects many of these errors and places this battle in its proper perspective it Is the work of eliout col 11 II L landers of the united states army war college who wha as the result ot of congressional action looking forward to making this battleground it national military park was directed to prepare a historical statement concerning tile battle for the war department the alie findings of 0 tills army historian apparently do not justify the turning point of the revolution characterization of the battle of kings mountain hut but lie he does say this the battle of kings mountain was the outstanding victory of the americans americana in 1780 following it cornwallis was vas compelled to bandon north carolina and for a time to assume the defensive it put an end to the possibility of an eventual peace with england under such terms rig as might have live resulted in the retention of the southern provinces under british rule it la Is an exempt exemplification ill cation ot of amerl american a aspirations spi rations for self government and a display of romantic hardihood anti and bravery well worthy of the careful study of american yo youth uth ua LZ by wea terr err T now union |