Patrick Ferguson's ability with a rifle was well known. While visiting his family's estate in Scotland sometime before the American Revolution, he began to develop a rifle of his own design. After completing the invention, Ferguson displayed the rifle for military leaders and even King George III witnessed one of his demonstrations. During that exhibition, Ferguson fired at a rate of 4 to 6 shots per minute during pouring rain and high wind only missing the target three times while firing from a distance of 200 yards. This was an impressive feat and quite impossible with the British Brown Bess musket. A patent was issued and a limited number of the Ferguson breechloading rifles were produced. Major Ferguson established an elite rifle corps, which joined Sir Henry Clinton in America. Their mission was to help stop the rebellion in the colonies. At the Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777, Ferguson was wounded in the arm and his rifle corps was later disbanded. The Ferguson rifles were removed and very few have been seen since. There is no solid evidence that the Ferguson rifle was used at the Battle of Kings Mountain.

During the summer of 1780, Ferguson and his Provincial Corps traveled through South Carolina and into North Carolina gathering support for “His Majesty's” cause. While marching through the high country of South Carolina, the Loyalists engaged in minor skirmishes with patriot militia regiments at Wofford's Iron Works, Musgrove's Mill, Thicketty Fort, and Cedar Spring’s. However in August, after the Americans lost at the Battle of Camden, the Overmountain Men took leave to their homes in western North Carolina for a much-needed rest before aggressively pursuing Ferguson again.

BACKGROUND
Following the defeats of Gen. Benjamin Lincoln at Charleston in May and then Gen. Horatio Gates at Camden, British Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis appeared to have a cleared path all the way to Virginia. In September, Cornwallis invaded North Carolina and ordered Major Patrick Ferguson to guard his left flank. On September 2, Ferguson left for Western Carolina with seventy of his American Volunteers and several hundred Tory soldiers. He arrived at Gilbert Town, North Carolina, on September 7^th. 

Ferguson paroled a captured rebel and sent him with a message, "that if they did not desist from their opposition to the British arms, and take protection under his standard, he would march his army over the mountains, hang their leaders, and lay their country waste with fire and sword.

This threat proved to be his undoing!!!

THE BATTLE

A call to arms went out and they gathered at Sycamore Shoals. David Ramsey, in his history of South Carolina, written in 1808, said, “hitherto these mountaineers had only heard of war at a distance, and had been in peaceable possession of that independence for which their countrymen on the seacoast were contending. They embodied to check the invader of their own volition, with out any requisition from the Governments of America or the officers of the Continental Army. Each man set out with a knapsack, blanket, and gun. All who could obtain horses were mounted, the remainder afoot.” On Sept. 25^th, Colonels William Campbell, Charles McDowell, John Sevier and Isaac Shelby left Sycamore Shoals in pursuit of Ferguson. The thoroughfare of their mission followed the only roadway connecting the backwater country with the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina.

Leaving Sycamore Shoals, the column marched up Gap Creek to its headwaters in Gap Creek Mountain, and there turned eastward and then south, following around the base of Fork Mountain to Toe River, and on up that stream to one of its tributaries. Here the route continued in a southerly direction until the top of the mountain was reached, between Roan High Knob and Big Yellow Mountain. From the mountaintop, descent was made along Roaring Creek to the North Toe River. It is stated in the diary of Ensign Robert Campbell that “the mountains were crossed and descent to the other side was carted before camp was made for the night. Snow was encountered in the highlands, for an elevation of 5,500 feet was reached in this march. On the top of the mountain there was found a hundred acres of beautiful tableland, and the troops were paraded, doubtless for the purpose of seeing how they were standing the march, which was about 26 miles to this point”. Campbell’s diary states that the second night, that of the 27^th, they rested at “Cathey's” plantation. Draper places this at the junction of Grassy Creek and North Toe River. Tradition has it that on reaching Gillespie Gap the troops divided, one group including Campbell's men, moving southward to Turkey Cove, the others going easterly to the North Cove on the North Fork of the Catawba. Ensign Campbell's diary gives the information that the fourth night, the 29^th, Campbell's men rested at a rich "Tory's”, near Turkey Cove.

The following day the men who had camped at North Cove marched southeast down Paddy Creek, while those from Turkey Cove marched southerly down the North Fork and then hastily down the Catawba. The two forces joined on the banks of the Catawba near the mouth of Paddy Creek. They continued down the Catawba to Quaker Meadows, the homeplace of the McDowells, and promptly made camp. During the five days that had elapsed since leaving Sycamore Flats, about 80 miles had been covered. On September 30^th, Colonel Cleveland joined the marching column of 1,040 men at Quaker Meadow with the men from Wilkes County and Major Winston with the men from Surry County. An additional 30 Georgians, under the command of William Candler joined the patriot force at Gilberts Town, making for a combined strength of approximately 1400 men.

The seven Colonels chose Col. William Campbell to act as overall commander. The Overmountain Men moved south in search of Major Patrick Ferguson. From the Rebel spy Joseph Kerr, they learned that Ferguson was thirty miles to the north, camped at King's Mountain. It is said that Isaac Shelby was especially delighted to learn that Ferguson was quoted as saying, 

“He was on King’s Mountain, that he was King of that mountain and that God Almighty and all the Rebels of Hell could not drive him from it!” Shelby was very familiar with the Kings Mountain region and knew that it could prove to be an almost impossible position to defend.

The Colonels wanted to catch up with Ferguson before he reached Charlotte and Lt. General Charles Cornwallis' protection, so they chose 900 of the best men and quickly made their way north. The combined force of Overmountain Men arrived at King's Mountain the afternoon of October 7, 1780.

Having little insight into the methods and philosophies of warfare of the southern frontiersmen, Ferguson had chosen the position feeling no enemy could fire upon him without showing themselves. The Patriot force decided to surround the mountain and use continuous fire to slowly close in like an unavoidable noose. The force was divided into four columns. Col. Isaac Shelby and Col. Wm. Campbell led the interior columns, with Shelby on the left and Campbell on the right. Colonel John Sevier led the right flanking column and Colonel Benjamin Cleveland the left.      They moved into their respective positions and began moving toward the summit. The battle commenced at 3 o'clock with the middle two columns exchanging fire with Major Ferguson for fifteen minutes while the flanking columns moved into position. Ferguson used Provincial Corps to drive back Colonels Campbell and Shelby with a bayonet charge, but then his troops had to fall back from under sharpshooter fire. Ferguson was right in believing that his attackers would expose themselves to musket fire if they attempted to scale the summit. But he did not realize that his men could only fire if they went into the open, rendering themselves

Created from Draper illustration, p. 237

vulnerable to returning rifle fire. Most all of the Patriot troops were skilled hunters, woodsmen and above all, “riflemen” who routinely killed fast moving animals to feed themselves. Most were veterans of many years of frontier Indians war and were experts on “tree to tree” no rules combat. On this day, Ferguson's men would find escaping an impossible task.

Because of their exposed position, Major Ferguson's men were being overwhelmed. The sharpshooters were picking them off from behind the rocks, trees and brush that surrounded the summit; while the Loyalist’ aim was high, a common sighting problem when shooting downhill. The Overmountain Men gained a foothold on the summit, driving back the staggering Loyalists. The noose was quickly closing in. Major Ferguson’s bold and final attempt was to try and personally cut a path through the Patriot line so his forces might possibly escape, but this heroic effort failed as Ferguson fell from his horse, his body riddled with bullets. Some accounts say he died before he hit the ground, others say that his men propped him against a tree, where he died. Ferguson was the only British soldier killed in the battle, all others were Americans, either Loyalist or Patriot.

Ferguson's second-in-command Capt. Abraham DePeyster bravely continued the fight for a brief time, but the confusion was so great and his followers in such a vulnerable position that he realized further resistance was suicidal. He quickly raised the white flag of surrender. He surrendered his sword to Major Evan Shelby Jr., younger brother of Kentucky’s first Governor Isaac Shelby. Gen. William Campbell was the commanding officer of the day, but it is said that he had removed his tattered coat “and with open collar”, not recognized as the commander. Despite the call for surrender by the Loyalists, the Patriot Colonels could not immediately stop their men from shooting. Many Patriots remembered that the notorious “Tarleton” had mowed down Patriot troops at Waxhaw despite the fact they were trying to surrender. But eventually… the fighting at Kings Mountain diminished.    

AFTERMATH

The battle had lasted a little over an hour and not a single man of Ferguson's force escaped. Though the numbers of casualties reported varies from source to source, some of the most commonly reported figures are that 225 Loyalists had been killed, 163 wounded and 716 were captured, while only 28 Patriots were killed, including Colonel James Williams, and 68 wounded. When General Cornwallis learned of Major Patrick Ferguson's defeat, he retreated from Charlotte, North Carolina back to Winnsborough, South Carolina.

Many of the Patriot leaders at Kings Mountain went on to serve in their new country's government.  Isaac Shelby became the first Governor of Kentucky and John Sevier became Governor of Tennessee. Returning to his home in Burke County, Charles McDowell served in the North Carolina State Legislature and later the U.S. Congress. Joseph Winston also served in the U.S. Congress. He later represented his home of Surry and Stokes counties in the North Carolina State Legislature. Benjamin Cleveland served for many years as a civic leader and judge in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, before his death in 1806.   William Campbell did not survive the war. He died of a heart ailment in August 1781 while visiting relatives in Hanover County, only 9 days before the battle of Yorktown.                

Commemorating the battle has been important throughout the years. At the Centennial Celebration in 1880, a 28-foot granite monument was unveiled. Through the efforts of Congressmen E.Y. Webb of North Carolina and D.E. Finley of South Carolina in the early 1900's, Congress appropriated $30,000 to erect a taller monument. That monument was unveiled in 1909. On October 7, 1930, President Herbert Hoover rode down from Washington in a train to visit the battlefield and spoke at the 150th anniversary celebration. In 1933, Congress authorized $225,000 to make the Kings Mountain Battlefield a National Military Park. In this year of the 225^th Anniversary, the National Parks Service will re-open the exhibit hall in the visitor center.  The innovative new design will give the “feel” of actually being on the mountain, and the new exhibits will focus on “who were these men of the battle and where did they came from?”  Never before seen artifacts from the battle of Kings Mountain will be displayed.  The events of the day will begin at 9:30 with the ribbon-cutting for the exhibit hall, followed at 10:30 with the wreath laying ceremony and at 3:00, the time of the battle, the official program will begin. The celebration continues on Saturday and Sunday, with a large encampment including a Loyalist group on top of the mountain. There will be period demonstrations of weaving, cooking, candle making, music and weapon firing throughout the weekend.

SYNOPSIS

Historians agree that the battle of Kings Mountain was the “beginning of the end” of British rule in its former colonies. In less than one hour of battle, the Overmountain Men not only captured the day but also undermined the British strategy for keeping America under its control. A defeat so crushing as that suffered by Major Patrick Ferguson is rare in any war. Although skewed, his position on King’s Mountain was thoughtfully selected using much experience and consideration. The plateau of the mountain was just large enough to serve as a battleground for his command and to provide space for his camp and wagon train. Water was near and plentiful. The slopes of the mountain would hinder the advance of the attackers. When attacked he expected that any retreat would be rendered perilous by flanking or encircling detachments, a condition he desired as his militia would be put to the task to stand and fight instead of having the choice to flee. From Patrick Ferguson point of view, a better position on which to take a stand could not have been found.

It can be assumed without a shred of doubt that Patrick Ferguson utterly underestimated the courage of the mountain men. Their apparent advantage in numbers did not discourage him from offering battle; otherwise he would have continued his march on October 7^th in the direction of Charlotte and Cornwallis. But had he known that these Overmountain Men would so aggressively stand and fight with a fierceness and conviction never before experienced in his southern campaign, I am sure he would have been much more cautious and considerably less heroic.

                                                           Mel Hankla, Kentucky

Bibliography

Alderman, Pat. The Overmountain Men, Johnson City: The Overmountain Press, 1970

Draper, Lyman C. Kings Mountain and its Heroes: History of the Battle of Kings Mountain, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1967.

Dupuy, R. Ernest and Trevor N. Dupuy, eds. The Compact History of the Revolutionary War, New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1963

Florette, Henri. Kings Mountain. Garden City: Doubleday, 1950.

Garrison, Webb. Great Stories of the American Revolution. Nashville, Tennessee: Rutledge Hill Press, 1990.

Gilmer, Bobby Moss. The Patriots of Kings Mountain. Blacksburg, S.C.: Scotia-Hubernia, 1990.

The Heritage of Cleveland County. Volume 1. The Cleveland County Historical Association. Winston-Salem, N.C.: Hunter Publishing Company, 1982.

Historical Statements concerning The Battle of Kings Mountain and The Battle of the Cowpens. Washington, D.C.. United States Government Printing Office, 1928

Kelly, James C. and William C. Baker. The Sword of the Lord and Gideon: A Catalogue of Historical Objects Related to the Battle of Kings Mountain. Boone: Appalachian Consortium Press, 1980.

Messick, Hank. Kings Mountain: The Epic of the Blue Ridge Mountain Men in the American Revolution. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1976.

Pancake, John S. This Destructive War: The British Campaign in the Carolinas, 1780-1782. University of Alabama Press, 1985.

RAMSEY, [James] G.M. The Annals of Tennessee to the End of the Eighteenth Century: Comprising its Settlement.. Phila.: Lippincott, Grambo & Co., 1853.

RAMSEY, [James] G.M. The History of South Carolina... Phila.: Lippincott, Grambo & Co., 1809.

Tarleton, History of the Campaign of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America, 1787.

White, Katherine Keogh. The Kings Mountain Men: The Story of the Battle with Sketches of the American Soldiers Who Took Part. Baltimore: General Publishing Company, 1966.

Summary

Following the defeats of Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln at Charleston in May and then Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates at Camden, British Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis appeared to now have a clear path all the way to Virginia. In September, Cornwallis invaded North Carolina and ordered Major Patrick Ferguson to guard his left flank. Ferguson provoked the Mountain Men living in the area by sending out a personal threat.

The Overmountain Men came out of the mountains and pursued Major Ferguson. Along the way, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia militia joined them. They caught up with Ferguson at King's Mountain. The seven Patriot Colonels came up with a plan to approach Ferguson's position from four directions. Ferguson and his men found the higher position impossible to defend as they were in the open and the Patriots had cover to protect them. Ferguson and his all Tory force was soon defeated, forcing Cornwallis to retreat from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Capt. George Ledbetter

This rather plain but well used and very pleasing powder horn is reputed to have been carried by George Ledbetter. He served as Captain under Col. Andrew Hampton in the Battle of Kings Mountain.  One source says he was under Col. Rutherford in the battle. Ledbetter was also in the fight at Blackstock’s Plantation and on the Cherokee Campaign. He was a member of the North Carolina Convention of 1788 and it is stated in Watson’s account, (Drapers p.476),

… “he shortened his days by too free use of spirituous liquors!”

Capt. William Crabtree

This American Revolutionary War period pistol was owned by William Crabtree. In 1777 Crabtree was living on the Wautauga River not far from its junction with the Holston. He was described as a fine woodman and hunter, tall, slender with slightly red hair. In 1774 he had been skillful enough to be appointed as Scout for the “Upper Station” on the Wilderness road. He served as Captain under Gen. William Campbell at the Battle of King's Mountain. Family legend has it that he carried this pistol during the battle.

Gov. Isaac Shelby

Displayed are items belonging to Isaac Shelby, soldier, statesman, surveyor and Kentucky’s first Governor. In 1774, Shelby served under his father in Lord Dunmore's War. July 1776, he was appointed Captain of a minuteman company. In 1777, he was appointed Commissary for frontier militia and performed the same service in 1778 for the Continental Army. In September 1780, he joined the pursuit of Major Patrick Ferguson and was instrumental in Ferguson's defeat at the Battle of King's Mountain on October 7, 1780. These personalized utilitarian items were most likely with Governor Shelby during at least some portion of his frontier military service and quite possibly at Kings Mountain.

In honor and celebration of the 225^th Anniversary of this famous southern battle of the Revolutionary war, the pictured exhibit was designed for and presented at, the Maryland Arms Collectors Association show in Baltimore. It was presented the “Judges Choice” award. Documentation proves that Hero’s of the Battle of Kings Mountain owned these items and they date from the period, thus it is very possible these artifacts were used during the battle.

Capt. Abraham DePeyster

ENGLISH OFFICERS SABER by Silversmith - William Kinman, hallmarked 1776-77. Family legend says this IS the SURRENDER SWORD of the Battle of Kings Mountain. History records that Capt. Abraham DePeyster, second in command to Major Patrick Ferguson, surrendered his sword to Major Evan Shelby Jr. younger brother of Kentucky’s first Governor Isaac Shelby.

Gen. William Campbell was the commanding officer of the day, but had removed his coat and opened his collar, therefore not recognized. Using proper etiquette, Major Shelby awarded this sword to Campbell. “WC” is found engraved inside the silver guard. Campbell died 9 months later, just before the Battle of Yorktown. The sword was presented back to now Capt. Shelby. Evan Shelby’s only daughter Priscilla married James A. Jeffries in 1800. This sword remained in the Jeffries family until 1938, when purchased by noted collector Ben Palmer of Baltimore, Maryland.