Battle of Kings Mountain

The Battle of Kings Mountain, October 7, 1780, was an important rebel victory in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War. Rebel frontier militia overwhelmed the loyalist militia led by Major Patrick Ferguson. In The Winning of the West, Theodore Roosevelt wrote of Kings Mountain, "This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution."

From the American Patriot perspective, this might be called The Battle of the Colonels as there was no overall command structure. Colonels William Campbell, John Sevier, Joseph McDowell, Benjamin Cleveland, James Williams, and Isaac Shelby each appeared in command of parts of their militia units. Even some of lesser rank, such as Captain Joseph Winston, Edward Lacey, and Frederick Hambright commanded largely autonomous units.

Background

After the defeat of Horatio Gates's army at the Battle of Camden, British General Cornwallis was convinced that Georgia and South Carolina were under British control, and he began plans to move into North Carolina. However, a brutal civil war between rebel colonists and loyalists (Tories) continued to rage in South Carolina. The Whig frontiersmen, led by a group of self-proclaimed colonels of the rebellion—Isaac Shelby, Elijah Clark, and Charles McDowell—conducted hit-and-run raids on Loyalist outposts. To protect his western flank against the rebels, Cornwallis gave Major Patrick Ferguson command of the Loyalist militia.

Cornwallis invaded North Carolina on September 9, 1780 and reached Charlotte on September 26, 1780. Ferguson followed and established a base camp at Gilbertown 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." But the tough-talking words only outraged the Appalachian Mountains frontiersmen, who decided to bring the battle to Ferguson rather than wait for him to come to them.

Learning of the rebel approach from a deserter, Ferguson withdrew toward Charlotte but stopped at Kings Mountain, a rocky forested hill less than a mile south of the South Carolina border, to face his enemies.

Forces

With the exception of Major Patrick Ferguson and about 100 of his personally trained British troops, all of the participants of the battle were Americans. Ferguson commanded over 1,000 well-trained and -drilled Loyalist milita. The rebels, about 900 strong, were under the command of frontier colonels.

Description of the battle

The battle opened on October 7, 1780 when 900 rebel frontiersmen, including John Crockett, the father of Davy Crockett, approached the base of Kings Mountain at dawn. The rebels formed eight groups of 100 to 200 men. Two parties, led by Colonels John Sevier and William Campbell, assaulted the 'high heel' of the mountain, the smallest area but highest point, while the other six groups, led by Colonels Shelby, Williams, Cleveland, Chronicle, McDowell, and Winston, attacked the main loyalist position around the 'ball' base beside the 'heel' crest of the mountain.

The rebels crept up the hill Indian-fashion and fired on the scarlet-clad 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. But Campbell rallied his troops, returned to the base of the hill, and resumed firing. Two more times, Ferguson launched bayonet attacks against the rebels. During one of the charges, Colonel Williams was killed and Colonel McDowell wounded. But after each charge, the frontiersmen returned to the base of the hill and resumed shooting. It was hard for the loyalists to find a target as the rebels were constantly moving.

After several hours of combat, loyalist casualties were heavy. Ferguson rode back and forth across the hill, blowing a silver whistle he used to signal charges. Growing desperate, he slipped on a plaid shirt to cover his officer's coat. A 17 year-old soldier saw this and alerted his comrades immediately. At the crest, as the rebels overran the loyalist position, a dozen rifle balls struck Ferguson, and he fell dead from his saddle.

Seeing their leader fall, loyalists lost heart and began to raise their arms in surrender. Eager to avenge defeats at the Waxhaw Massacre and elsewhere, the rebels were in no mood to take prisoners. Rebels continued firing and shouted, "Give 'em Tarleton's Quarter!" But after a few more minutes of bloodletting, the rebel colonels asserted control and gave quarter to almost 700.

Aftermath

On the loyalist side, 157 were killed and 163 seriously wounded, and the remainder (698) successfully surrendered. The rebel casualties were 28 killed and 62 wounded. Loyalist prisoners well enough to walk were herded to camps several miles from the battlefield. The dead and wounded were left on the field. The rebels hanged as many as nine loyalists who had changed sides. Other accounts say that the Tories were tried before North Carolina judges for violation of that State's criminal laws. Those who were hanged were convicted of such crimes as arson, house breaking and murder of civilians.

Overmountain Man Joseph Greer of the Watauga Settlement (or Watauga Association in what is today the city of Elizabethton located in Carter County, Tennessee) undertook and completed a rapid month long expedition on foot through 600 miles hostile territory to notify the Continental Congress of the British defeat at the Battle of Kings Mountain, arriving in Philadelphia on November 7, 1780. Greer's report of the American Patroit victory at Kings Mountain "re-energized a downtrodden Continental Congress."[http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060704/NEWS01/607040352/-1/NLETTER01

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 over a quarter million visitors each year.

Background

Forces

Description of the battle

Aftermath

External links

Further reading

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Battle of Kings Mountain

Background

Forces

Description of the battle

Aftermath

External links

Further reading