The Battle of King's Mountain was a fight in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, fought on October 7, 1780. American militia forces overwhelmed the loyalist militia, led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Theodore Roosevelt in his history The Winning of the West described King's Mountain, saying, "This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution." The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. ... Patrick Ferguson (1744–1780), British Army officer. ... Order: 26th President Vice President: Charles Warren Fairbanks Term of office: September 14, 1901 – March 3, 1909 Preceded by: William McKinley Succeeded by: William Howard Taft Date of birth: October 27, 1858 Place of birth: New York City Date of death: January 6, 1919 Place of death: Oyster Bay, New...

From the American perspective, this might be called The Battle of the Colonels. 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. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... This is a list of military actions in the American Revolutionary War: THE BRITISH WON THE WAR!!! SUCKERSSS Major campaigns and expeditions of the war Siege of Boston (1775-76) Invasion of Canada (1775) New York Campaign (1776) Saratoga Campaign (1776) Sullivan Expedition (1779) Important battles (in chronological order) Battle... The Battle of Camden was an important battle in the southern theatre of the American Revolutionary War. ... The Battle of Cowpens (1781) was an overwhelming victory by American revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Blacksburg is a town located in Cherokee County, South Carolina. ... Kings Mountain is a city located in North Carolina. ... This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. ... Wikiquote has quotations related to United States. ... Patrick Ferguson (1744–1780), British Army officer. ... William Shears Campbell is a fictional Paul McCartney look-alike whose purported existence arose from the fevered efforts of conspiracy theorists to find significance in album photos and hidden musical messages during the Paul is Dead hoax in the late 1960s. ... John Sevier in bronze by Belle Kinney Scholz and Leopold F. Scholz; located in National Statuary Hall. ... Joseph McDowell is the name of two prominent cousins, both of whom served in the United States House of Representatives for North Carolina: Joseph McDowell (1756 – 1801), served in Fifth Congress Joseph McDowell (1758 – 1799), served in Third Congress This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Benjamin Cleveland (1738-1806) was an American pioneer and soldier in North Carolina. ... James Williams is the name of several notable people: James Williams (1740-1780), U.S. Revolution, Colonel from South Carolina James Williams (1825-1899), U.S. Congressman from Delaware James Williams (1951-2004), Jazz Pianist This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Isaac Shelby Isaac Shelby (December 11, 1750-July 18, 1826) was an officer in the American Revolutionary War and the first Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1792 to 1796 and from 1812 to 1816. ... William Shears Campbell is a fictional Paul McCartney look-alike whose purported existence arose from the fevered efforts of conspiracy theorists to find significance in album photos and hidden musical messages during the Paul is Dead hoax in the late 1960s. ... John Sevier in bronze by Belle Kinney Scholz and Leopold F. Scholz; located in National Statuary Hall. ... Joseph McDowell (1756–1801) was an American planter, soldier, and statesman from Winchester, Virginia. ... Benjamin Cleveland (1738-1806) was an American pioneer and soldier in North Carolina. ... James Williams (1740–1780) was an American pioneer, farmer, and miller from the Ninety-Six district in South Carolina. ... Isaac Shelby Isaac Shelby (December 11, 1750-July 18, 1826) was an officer in the American Revolutionary War and the first Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1792 to 1796 and from 1812 to 1816. ... Joseph Winston (1746 – April 21, 1815) was an American pioneer and farmer from North Carolina. ...

Background

After the defeat of Gates' army at the Battle of Camden, British General Cornwallis was convinced that Georgia and South Carolina were brought back under British control, and he began working on plans to move into North Carolina. However, a brutal civil war between the rebel colonists and loyalists (known as Tories), continued to rage all over 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 rebel American colonists, Cornwallis employed Major Patrick Ferguson to command the Loyalist militia. The Battle of Camden was an important battle in the southern theatre of the American Revolutionary War. ... Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (December 31, 1738-October 5, British general and colonial governor. ... The South Carolina Colony was originally part of the Province of Carolina, which was chartered in 1663. ... The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina, which was charted by eight Lords Proprietors. ... This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. ... The term Tory derives from the Tory Party, the ancestor of the modern UK Conservative Party. ... This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. ...

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 frontiersmen of the Appalachian Mountains whom decided to bring battle to Ferguson himself rather than wait for him to come to them. September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

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

Forces

With the exception of Major Patrick Ferguson, all of the participants of the battle were Americans. Ferguson commanded over 1,000 Loyalist well trained and drilled milita, while the rebel Patriots, about 900 strong, were under the command of a group of frontiersmen colonels.

Description of the battle

The battle opened on October 7, 1780 where 900 Colonial frontiersmen approached the base of Kings Mountain in the early dawn hours. The rebel army split up in eight groups of 100 to 200 men intended to surround the mountain and destroy Ferguson's Loyalists in detail. Two storming parties, led by Colonels John Sevier and William Campbell, would assault the 'high heel' of the mountain, the smallest area but highest point, while six additional storming groups, led by Colonels Shelby, Williams, Cleveland, Chronicle, McDowell and Winston, would attack the main Loyalist group around the 'ball' base beside the 'heel' crest of the mountain. October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The frontiersmen crept up the hill in Indian-fashion and opened fire on the scarlet-red clad Loyalists from cover of the rocks and trees. Ferguson rallied his troops together and launched a bayonet charge against the attacking frontiersmen being led by Campbell and Sevier. With no bayonets of their own, the frontiersmen were forced to retreat down the hill and back into the woods. But Campbell rallied his troops as soon as the Loyalist charge spend itself and returned to the base of the hill to open fire again against the Loyalists. Two more times, Ferguson launched bayonet attacks against the attacking rebel colonists advancing up the hill. During one of the charges, Colonel Williams was killed, and Colonel McDowell was wounded. But each time, the frontiersmen retreated deep into the woods, and returned to the base of the hill once the Loyalist counter-assaults were spent.

By this time, Loyalist casualties were increasing and the situation was becoming increasingly grim for Ferguson. As the frontiersmen began to over run the positions, Ferguson rode back and forth across the hill trying to rally his men to stand and fight by yelling orders and blowing his silver whistle used to signal charges. But at the crest as the frontiersmen began over running the Loyalists positions, Ferguson was struck by about a dozen musket balls fired by the frontiersmen and fell dead off his horse.

After seeing their leader fall, most of the Loyalists lost heart and began to raise their arms signaling their surrender. But this time, it was the Patriot frontiersmen who wouldn’t stop firing. Seeing the Loyalists beginning to surrender, they continued firing at them and even began shouting: 'Give 'em Tarleton's Quarter!" Many of the rebel frontiersmen, eager to avenge their fellow Patriot's defeats at the Waxhaw Massacre and elsewhere where in no mood to take prisoners. But after a few more minutes of bloodletting, the several American Patriot colonels began to slowly get their men under control and rounded up over 600 Loyalist prisoners. Monument and Grave at the site of the Waxhaw Massacre in Buford, S.C. The Waxhaw Massacre was one of the most important, and is one of the most neglected, events in the American Revolution. ...

On the Loyalist side, 157 were killed and 163 were seriously wounded, and the remainder (698 men) were taken prisoner. The Colonist frontiersmens lost 28 killed and 62 wounded. Those Loyalist prisoners well enough to walk were herded away to camps several miles away. The dead and wounded were left behind on the battlefield. As many as nine of the Loyalists were hanged when several frontiersmen discovered that they originally fought for the Rebellion and then changed sides.

Aftermath

In 1931, Congress created the King's Mountain National Military Park on the site of the battle. The park is headquartered in Blacksburg, South Carolina and hosts over a quarter of a million visitors each year. Blacksburg is a town located in Cherokee County, South Carolina. ...

External links

• National Park web pages (http://www.nps.gov/kimo/index.htm)
• Description of the Battle (http://www.co.cleveland.nc.us/battle_of_kings_mountain.htm)

Further reading

• Pat Aldreman; "Overmountain Men"; 1986, Overmountain Press, (juvenile literature), ISBN 0932807151; Papberback, ISBN 093280716X.
• Lyman Draper; " King's Mountain and Its Heroes: History of the Battle of King's Mountain"; 1996, Overmountain Press, ISBN 1570720606.
• J. David Damerob; "Kings Mountain: The Defeat of the Loyalists October 7, 1870"; 2003, DaCapo Press, ISBN 0306811944.