The Battle of Kings Mountain was fought October 7, 1780, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). It was decided that Kings Mountain would be a more appropriate name since the community was the closest town to the historic Battle of Kings Mountain in York County. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states! The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. "[13], North Carolina Patriot militia leaders Isaac Shelby and John Sevier, from the Washington District (now northeast Tennessee), met and agreed to lead their militiamen against him. [10] In the wake of General Horatio Gates’ blundering defeat at Camden, the victory at Musgrove Mill heartened the Patriots and served as further evidence that the South Carolina backcountry could not be held by the Tories. The battle has been described as "the war’s largest all-American fight".[3]. [1] The Patriots had to move out quickly for fear that Cornwallis would advance to meet them. In what is now rural Cherokee County, South Carolina, the Patriot militia defeated the Loyalist militia commanded by British Major Patrick Ferguson of the 71st Foot. Many of the early maps show "King Mountain" north of the boundary line, with none of the mountain symbols extending into South Carolina. Ferguson drew his sword and hacked down any small white flags that he saw popping up, but he appeared to know that the end was near. On October 4, the Patriot militia reached Ferguson's former camp at Gilbert Town,[24] where thirty Georgia militiamen joined them, anxious for action. Daenerys, Tyrion, and Grey Worm parleyed with Cersei outside the gates of King's Landing, but Cersei ultimately refused to surrend… President Herbert Hoover at Kings Mountain said, This is a place of inspiring memories. [20] Now 1400 strong, the Patriots marched to South Mountain, North Carolina,[21] The five colonels leading the Patriot force (Shelby, Sevier, William Campbell, Joseph McDowell and Cleveland) chose William Campbell as the nominal commander, but they agreed that all five would act in council to command their combined army. This became the pattern of the battle; the Patriots would charge up the hill, then the Tories would charge down the hill with fixed bayonets, driving the Patriots off the slopes and into the woods. "[39] He gathered a few officers together and tried to cut through the Patriot ring, but Sevier's men fired a volley and Ferguson was shot and dragged by his horse behind the Patriot line. For reasons that are still unclear, Ferguson halted his march on October 6 and camped his forces atop Kings Mountain. Kings Mountain City in North Carolina. The Battle of King’s Mountain was a unique battle in 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. Here less than a thousand men, inspired by the urge of freedom, defeated a superior force entrenched in this strategic position. Major Patrick Ferguson was appointed Inspector of Militia on May 22, 1780. [43] When de Peyster sent out a second white flag, a few of the Patriot officers, including Campbell and Sevier, ran forward and took control by ordering their men to cease fire. [26] Rebel spies reported Ferguson was making camp on Kings Mountain with some 1200 men. His death marked the end of organized resistance. The battle took place on October 7, 1780, 9 miles (14 km) south of the present-day town of Kings Mountain, North Carolina. [14], Patriot leaders also sent word to a Virginia militia leader, William Campbell, asking him to join them at Sycamore Shoals. [46] The Loyalists suffered 290 killed, 163 wounded, and 668 taken prisoner. [citation needed], While stopped on the Biggerstaff land, the rebels convicted 36 Loyalist prisoners. With the exception of one lone British officer, it was fought entirely between Americans; no British troops fought at King’s Mountain. Numerous bands of American partisans emerged from North Carolina, South Carolina, and modern-day Tennessee and rallied under the command of Colonel William Campbell. But John went to Carolina with other relatives. Each museum-quality battle of kings mountain framed print may be customized with hundreds of different frame and mat options. Donate today to preserve battlefields in America and protect the legacy of our nation’s defining conflicts. Present-day place names and state boundaries are provided for reference. While General Charles Lord Cornwallis marched his troops into North Carolina, Major Patrick Ferguson gathered Loyalist militia near Gilbert Town. We are dedicated to improving the public knowledge of the Battle of Kings Mountain. Your tax-deductible gift will help us to preserve this irreplaceable twice-hallowed ground at Gaines' Mill and Cold Harbor — forever. Descendants of the Battle of Kings Mountain. [16] About 1,100 volunteers from southwest Virginia and today's northeast Tennessee, known as the "Overmountain Men" because they had settled into the wilderness west of the Appalachian Mountains ridgeline, mustered at the rendezvous on September 25, 1780, at Sycamore Shoals near the modern city of Elizabethton, Tennessee. [50] Many of the Patriots dispersed over the next few days, while all but 130 of the Loyalist prisoners escaped while being led in single file through woodlands. Buchanan gives Patriot losses as four killed and seven wounded. Thomas Jefferson called it, "The turn of the tide of success." Encouraged by his growing numbers, Ferguson demanded rebels in vicinity “desist from their opposition to British arms” or suffer Ferguson’s wrath. Shelby and his Overmountain Men crossed back over the Appalachian Mountains and retreated back into the territory of the Watauga Association at Sycamore Shoals in present day Elizabethton, Tennessee, and by the next month on September 25, 1780, Colonels Shelby, John Sevier, and Charles McDowell and their 600 Overmountain Men had combined forces with Col. William Campbell and his 400 Virginia men at the Sycamore Shoals muster in advance of the October 7, 1780, Battle of Kings Mountain north of present day Blacksburg, South Carolina in North Carolina. The Battle of Kings Mountain, South Carolina, occurred on the 7th day of October, 1780, and resulted in the defeat of Lieutenant Colonel Ferguson, who commanded the royal forces, and the loss of his command, not one man escaping from the battle field. Every purchase supports the mission. [14] Campbell called on Benjamin Cleveland to bring his Wilkes County, North Carolina militia to the rendezvous. Kings Mountain National Military Park is a National Military Park near Blacksburg, South Carolina, along the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Hannah Cathey […] Ferguson rallied his troops and launched a desperate bayonet-charge against Campbell and Sevier. The request did not reach Cornwallis until one day after the battle. At the climax of the battle, Ferguson was shot to death while trying to leave a charge. However, the Patriots caught up with the Loyalists at Kings Mountain near the border with South Carolina. Ferguson rode back and forth across the hill, blowing a silver whistle he used to signal charges. [citation needed], On September 2, Ferguson and the militia he had already recruited marched west in pursuit of Shelby toward the Appalachian Mountain hill country on what is now the Tennessee/North Carolina border. Media in category "Battle of Kings Mountain" The following 7 files are in this category, out of 7 total. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Ferguson's corpse was later reported to have been desecrated and wrapped in oxhide before burial. Kings Mountain is located at 35°14′39″N 81°20′33″W / 35.24417°N 81.3425°W / 35.24417; -81.3425 (35.244105, -81.342544). Shelby's forces covered sixty miles with Ferguson in hot pursuit before making their escape. Monuments and markers commemorate the crucial sites along the trail. Having shifted their focus south, the British achieved a decisive victory in May 1780 when they captured Charleston, SC.As the British pushed inland, the Americans suffered a string of defeats which allowed Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis to secure much of South Carolina. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. After the Battle of Winterfell, Daenerys and her forces sailed for Dragonstone but were ambushed by Euron and the Iron Fleet, using Qyburn's anti-dragon scorpions to kill one of her last dragons, Rhaegal and smash her fleet. The fierce engagement pitted Loyalist militiamen under the command of British Major Patrick Ferguson against 900 Over Mountain Men, residents of the Carolina Backcountry and the Appalachian Mountains. Edgar, 115, Buchanan, 179: "In forty-eight hours they had completed two forced marches, had neither slept nor rested, and had fought and won against a superior force an action renowned for its ferocity.". [7] The whole battle took perhaps an hour; within that period, sixty-three Tories were killed, an unknown number wounded, and seventy were taken prisoner. His edict had the opposite effect. Your contribution today helps us make a difference. [15] The detachments of Shelby, Sevier and Campbell were met by 160 North Carolina militiamen led by Charles McDowell and his brother Joseph. "Battle of King's Mountain - Ferguson's Death Charge." Brother John Cathey came from Ireland to claim his land when William died. [52] 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. Although victorious, the Patriots had to retreat quickly from the area for fear of Cornwallis' advance. Preserve 108 Acres of the Most Important Unprotected Battlefield Land, Save 40 Acres of the American Revolution Southern Theater, Kentuckians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation, Virginians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation. Aug 6, 2017 - On April 22, 2012, I officially became a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Campbell soon rallied his troops, returned to the hill, and resumed firing. Williams applied to Governor Nash of NC to raise a corps of 100 men. Kings Mountain was a pivotal moment in the history of the American Revolution. Buchanan, 178; Edgar, 115. [4][5], On the morning of August 18, 1780, two hundred mounted Patriot partisans under joint command of Colonels Isaac Shelby, James Williams, and Elijah Clarke prepared to raid a Loyalist camp at Musgrove's Mill, which controlled the local grain supply and guarded a ford of the Enoree River. [27] They left immediately, marching through the night of the 6th and morning of the 7th, even though the rain never stopped. Start your visit at Kings Mountain by viewing the interpretive exhibits in the visitor center, which give more details about the battle described above. [54], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}35°07′10″N 81°23′37″W / 35.11935°N 81.39359°W / 35.11935; -81.39359, Buchanan and Edgar give the losses as 63 killed, 90 wounded, 70 taken prisoner. The Battle of Kings Mountain lasted 65 minutes. The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. [52] He would not return to North Carolina until early 1781, when he was chasing Nathanael Greene after the Americans had dealt British forces another defeat at the Battle of Cowpens. Ferguson’s command suffered 319 killed and wounded with 700 more taken prisoner. [citation needed]. National Park Service Logo National Park Service. [36] During one of the charges, Colonel Williams was killed, and Colonel McDowell was wounded. This battle pitted two of the most unlikely foes in military history. [34] As the screaming Patriots charged up the hill, Captain Abraham de Peyster turned to Ferguson and said, "These things are ominous — these are the damned yelling boys! A distinguishing characteristic of this battle is that it was fought entirely by irregular, Loyalist and Patriot militia … The battle was a pivotal event in the Southern campaign. They formed eight detachments of 100 to 200 men each. Major Ferguson was appointed Inspector of Militia on May 22, 1780. They hurried to catch him. With Ferguson dead and his Loyalist militia destroyed, Cornwallis was forced to abandon his plan to invade North Carolina and retreated into South Carolina. 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