USA > North Carolina > Sketches of North Carolina, historical and biographical : illustrative of the principles of a portion of her early settlers > Part 26
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The more the character and principles of the men of the Revo- lution are known, the more profound the veneration for their me- mory. Their persons have passed away-scarce a vestige remains. May their principles flourish for ever !
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SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
CHAPTER XX.
BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.
THE following paper was drawn up by General Graham, who was familiar with the country around .the Mountain, knew some of the officers engaged in the battle, and previous to writing this de- scription visited the battle-ground with a son of one of the officers. From his known habits of observation and correctness, and his fa- miliarity with military detail, there is no doubt that this is the most graphic account that has ever been given of that celebrated and important action. He drew a beautiful plot of the battle-ground, and the position of the forces at different times during the day of the action.
" After the defeat of General Gates and the army under his com- mand, on the 16th day of August, 1780, and the defeat of General Sumpter, two days after, near Rocky Mount, by Colonel Tarleton, the South was almost entirely abandoned to the enemy. Most of the troops, both officers and men, who had escaped from Gates's defeat, passed through Charlotte, N. C., where most of the militia of Mecklenburg county were assembled in consequence of the alarm ; the regular troops chiefly passed on to Hillsborough, where General Gates finally established his head-quarters.
" Wm. L. Davidson, who had served as lieutenant-colonel of the regulars in the Northern Army, was appointed brigadier-general of the militia in the Salisbury district, in the place of General Ruther- ford, who was taken prisoner at Gates's defeat. He formed a brigade, and encamped on McAlpin's Creek, about eight miles below Char- lotte, and in the course of two or three weeks was reinforced by General Sumner, a continental officer, but having no regulars to command, took command of the militia from the counties of Guil- ford, Caswell, Orange, and others.
" After Gates's defeat, the attention of Lord Cornwallis was chiefly occupied with burying the dead, taking care of the wounded, and forwarding, under a suitable guard, the great number of pri- soners he had taken, to the city of Charleston, and regulating the civil government he was establishing in South Carolina, and ex- amining the state of the posts occupied by his troops on the Con- garee, Ninety-Six, and Augusta. By the 1st of September he
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BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.
had his arrangements made, and detached Colonel Ferguson over the Wateree, with only one hundred and ten regulars, under the command of Captain Dupeister, and about the same number of tories ; but with an ample supply of arms and other military stores. His movements were at first rapid, endeavoring to intercept the re- treat of a party of Mountain-men, who were harassing the upper settlement of tories in South Carolina. Failing in this, he after- wards moved slowly, and frequently halted to collect all the tories he could persuade to join him. He passed Broad River, and be- fore the last of September encamped at a place called Gilberts- town, within a short distance of where the thriving village of Rutherfordton now stands. His force had increased to upwards of 1,000 men. On his march to this place, he had furnished arms to such of his new recruits as were without them. The greater part of them had rifles; but to a part of them, he had them to fix a large knife they usually carried, made small enough at the butt end, for two inches or more of the handle, to slip into the muzzle of the rifle, so that it might be occasionally used as a bayonet.
" Although Colonel Ferguson failed to overtake the detachment of Mountain-men alluded to, he took two of them prisoners, who had become separated from their commands. In a day or two he paroled them, and enjoined them to inform the officers on the west- ern waters, 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 waste the country with fire and sword.
" Colonel Charles McDowell, of Burke county, on the approach of Ferguson with so large a force, had gone over the mountains to obtain assistance, and was in consultation with Colonel John Sevier and Colonel Isaac Shelby what plan should be pursued, when the two paroled men spoken of arrived and delivered their message from Colonel Ferguson. It was decided that each of them should use his best efforts to raise all the men that could be enlisted, and that this force, when collected, should meet on the Wataga, on the 25th of September. It was also agreed that Colonel Shelby should give intelligence of their movements to Colonel William Campbell, of the adjoining county of Washing- ton, in Virginia, with the hope that he would raise what force he could and co-operate with them. They met on the Wataga the day appointed, and passed the mountains on the 30th of Septem- ber, where they were joined by Colonel Benjamin Cleaveland, and
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SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
Major Joseph Winston, from Wilks and Surry counties, North Carolina. On examining their force, it was found to number as follows, viz :
"From Washington county, Virginia, under Col. Wm. Campbell . 400
" From Sullivan county, North Carolina, under Col. Isaac Shelby 240
" From Washington county, North Carolina, under Col. John Sevier 240
" From Burke and Rutherford counties, North Carolina, un- der Col. Charles McDowell . 160
" From Wilks and Surry counties, North Carolina, under Col. Cleaveland and Major James Winston . 350
Total
· 1390
" Col. Ferguson having accurate intelligence of the force col- lecting against him, early on the 4th of October, ordered his men to march, and remained half an hour after they had started writing a despatch to Lord Cornwallis, no doubt informing him of his situation and soliciting aid. The letter was committed to the care of the noted Abraham Collins (him of counterfeit memo- ry) and another person by the name of Quinn, with injunctions to deliver it as soon as possible. They set out and attempted to pass the direct road to Charlotte, but having to pass through some whig settlements, they were surprised and pursued, and being compelled to secrete themselves by day and travel by night, they did not reach Charlotte until the morning of the 7th of October, the day of the battle. Colonel Ferguson encamped the first night at the noted place called the Cowpens, about twenty miles from
Gilbertstown. On the 5th of October he crossed the Broad River, at what is now called Dear's Ferry, sixteen miles. On the 6th, he marched up the Ridge Road, between the waters of King's and Buffalo creeks, until he came to the fork, turning to the right across King's Creek, and through a gap in the mountain towards Yorkville, about fourteen miles. There he encamped on the sum- mit of that part of the mountain to the right of the road, where he remained till he was attacked on the 7th.
" When the troops from the different counties met at the head of the Catawba river, the commanding officers met, and finding that they were all of equal grade, and no general officer to command,
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BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.
it was decided that Col. Charles McDowell should go to head- quarters, supposed to be between Charlotte and Salisbury, to ob- tain General Sumner or General Davidson to take the command. In the meantime, it was agreed that Col. William Campbell, who had the largest regiment, should take the command until the arri- val of a general officer, who was to act according to the advice of the colonels commanding, and that Major McDowell should take the command of the Burke and Rutherford regiment until the return of Col. McDowell.
" Shortly after these measures were adopted, intelligence was received that Colonel Ferguson had left Gilbertstown, and it was decided that they would march after him, by that place ; and on their way they received evidence that it was his design to evade an engagement with them. On the evening of the 6th of October, the colonels in council unanimously resolved, that they would select all the men and horses fit for service, and immediately pursue Fer- guson until they should overtake him, leaving such as were not able to go to come after them as fast as they could. The next morning the selection was made, and 910 men, including officers, were marched before, leaving the others to follow. They came to · the Cowpens, where Ferguson had camped on the night of the 4th, and there met Colonel Williams, of South Carolina, with near 400 men, and about 60 from Lincoln county, who had joined them on their march under Colonel Hambrite and Major Chronicle. After drawing rations of beef, the whole proceeded on a little before sunset, taking Ferguson's trail towards Dear's Ferry, on Broad River. Night coming on, and being very dark, their pilot got out of the right way, and for some time they were lost ; but before daylight they reached near to the ferry, and by directions of the officers, the pilot led them to the Cherokee ford, about a mile and a half below, as it was not known but the enemy might be in possession of the eastern bank of the river. It was on the morning of the 7th, before sunrise, when they crossed the river, and marched about two miles to the place where Ferguson had encamped on the night of the 5th. There they halted a short time, and took such breakfast as their wallets and saddlebags would afford. The day was showery, and they were obliged to use their blankets and great coats to protect their arms from wet. They passed on a dozen of miles without seeing any person ; although they met a lad in an old field, by the name of Fonderin, about twelve or four- teen years of age, who had a brother and other relations in Ferguson's camp, and who was directly from it, within less than
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SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
-
three miles. A halt was ordered, and the colonels met in consult- ation. Several persons knew the ground well on which the enemy was encamped, agreeably to the information given by the boy, of their position. The plan of battle was immediately settled ; that the forces should be nearly equally divided, and one half would take to the right, cross over and occupy the southeast side of the mountain, and that the other should advance to the northwest side, and that each division should move forward until they formed a junction, when all should face to the front, and press upon the enemy up the sides of the mountain. Orders were given to pre- pare for battle by laying aside every incumbrance, examining into their arms, and guarding against alarms. The orders were speedily obeyed, and they moved forward over King's Creek and up a branch and ravine, and between two rocky knobs ; which when they had passed, the top of the mountain and the enemy's camp upon it were in full view, about one hundred poles in front."
" The enemy's camp was to the right of the road, seventy or eighty poles in length, and on the summit of the mountain, which at this place runs nearly northeast and southwest (the shadow of the timber at half past one P. M. ranges with it). The troops were led on in the following order : to the right, Major Winston, Colonel Sevier, Colonel Campbell, Colonel Shelby, and Major McDowell ; to the left, Colonel Hambrite, Colonel Cleaveland, and Colonel Williams, of South Carolina. Each division moved off steadily to the place assigned them, in the order of battle. Some of the regiments suffered much under the galling fire of the enemy, before they were in a position to engage in the action. Some complaints began to be uttered, that "it would never do to be shot down without returning the fire ;' Colonel Shelby replied, ' press on to your places, and then your fire will not be lost.' The men, led by Shelby and M'Dowell, were soon closely en- gaged, and the contest from the first was very severe. Williams and Cleaveland were soon in their places, and with the utmost energy engaged the foe. Ferguson, finding that end of his line giving way, ordered forward his regulars and riflemen, with bayo- nets, and made a furious charge upon Shelby and M'Dowell, charging down the mountain some two hundred yards. A united and destructive fire soon compelled him to order his party back to the top of the mountain. To ward off the deadly attack from Colonel Williams, Ferguson again charged with fury down the mountain. When Shelby's men saw this, they raised the cry, ' Come on, men, the enemy is retreating !' They rallied, and by
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BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.
the time Ferguson returned from the charge against the South Carolinians, renewed their fire with great resolution. Ferguson again charged upon Shelby, but not so far as before ; Colonel Williams's men in turn called out, 'the enemy is retreating, come on, men !'
" At this stage of the action, Hambrite and Winston had met, and a brisk fire was poured upon Ferguson's men, all round the mountain. As he would advance towards Campbell, Sevier, Winston, and Hambrite, he was pursued by Shelby, M'Dowell, Williams, and Cleaveland. When he would turn his face against the latter, the former would press on in pursuit. Thus he strug- gled on, making charges and retreats, but his left was rapidly losing ground. His men were rapidly falling before the skilful aim and unbending courage of the whigs. Even after being wounded, he fought on with courage. He made every effort that could be done by a brave and skilful officer, according to his position. At length he was shot dead, and his whole command driven up into a group of sixty yards in length, and not forty in width.
" The British officer, Capt. Dupeister, who took the command, ordered a white flag to be raised in token of surrender, but the bearer was instantly shot down. He soon had another raised, and called out for quarter. Col. Shelby demanded, if they surrendered, why they did not throw down their arms. It was instantly done. But still the firing was continued, until Shelby and Sevier went inside the lines and ordered the men to cease. Some who kept at it would call out, ' Give them Buford's play,' alluding to Colonel Buford's defeat by Tarleton, where no quarter was given. A guard was placed over the prisoners, and all remained on the moun- tain during that night."
" The party which led the left wing, under Colonel Hambrite, suffered very much, having to pass very difficult ground to reach their place of destination, and within eighty rods of the enemy's marksmen. Colonel Hambrite was wounded, and Major Chronicle was killed. Colonel Williams, of South Carolina, a brave and efficient officer, was also killed. The loss of the whigs was not exactly ascertained, but believed to be about thirty killed and fifty wounded. The enemy had about one hundred and fifty killed, and all the rest taken prisoners."
" On the morning of the 8th a court-martial was held, and several of the prisoners, who were found guilty of murder and
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SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
other high crimes, were sentenced to be hanged. About twenty were executed."
From this paper of Gen. Graham it appears that the first moving of the expedition was in North Carolina. Virginia came to her aid, and the gallant South Carolina took her share. The gallant Williams has no monument. The friends of Major Chronicle and a few others erected a monument where they were buried, near the battle-ground. On the east side is this inscription, viz. :
Sacred to the memory of Major WILLIAM CHRONICLE and Captain MATTOCKS, WILLIAM ROBB, and JOHN BOYD :--- who were killed at this place on the 7th of October, 1780, fighting in defence of America.
On the west side-
Col. FERGUSON, an officer of his Britannic Majesty, was defeated and killed at this place, on the 7th of October, 1780.
Colonel Williams was an elder in the Presbyterian church, much beloved as a man and an officer. His fellow-citizens preferred marching under him, when the time for marching came. The last meeting, it is said, with his friends, was at the church, in which he used to meet them in solemn worship, and at a communion season. Shelby became noted in Kentucky, was made Governor, and was, in the latter part of his life, religious, and an elder of the church. The McDowells held through life the highest stand with their fel- low-citizens. Winston, Hambrite, Sevier, and Cleaveland, were true patriots. Campbell was, after this, in the battle of Guilford, and afterwards the commander of the militia in the eastern section of Virginia ; and while engaged with his duties was seized with a fever, which proved mortal. He was buried at Rocky Mills, in Hanover county. A native of Augusta county, he removed early to Washington county,-a bold, active man, and extremely popular with the militia, as is seen in the fact that on a short notice he rallied 400 men of his county to march with him in this expedition, -an untiring enemy of the tories, who hated him as much as he loved his country. After an interval of forty years, his remains, in a surprising state of preservation, were removed to Washington county, to repose with his family.
It is said that Colonel Ferguson, when he encamped on King's Mountain, after so many days of retreat before the gathering mili- tia, exclaimed to his men, "Here is a place God Almighty cannot
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BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.
drive us from." He never left the mountain ; the next day he fell in battle.
By courtesy, Colonel Campbell, as having the largest force, was considered the leading officer ; during the action he rode down two horses. Early in the action, his black, called Bald Face, proving unruly, he exchanged him for a horse belonging to a Mr. Camp- bell, of his corps. In the heat of the battle he was seen on foot at the head of his men, with his coat off, and his shirt-collar open. Some two hundred yards down the mountain was Bald Face, mounted by the Colonel's servant, a tall, well-proportioned mulatto, who said, "he had come up to see what his master and the rest were doing."
Ex-Senator Preston, of South Carolina, a grandson of Colonel Campbell, in his youth, stopped at a tavern in South Carolina, near the North Carolina line, and in sight of King's Mountain; and while breakfast was preparing, observed that the landlady frequently turned to look at him. While eating, she asked him his name, and observed, by way of apology, that he was very like the man she most dreaded on earth. " And who is that ?" said Preston. " Colonel Campbell," said the woman, "that hung my husband at King's Mountain."
Besides Shelby, who became religious before his death, and Williams, who was so much beloved as elder, it is the tradition that two of the other officers were elders in the Presbyterian church ; but which of them is not handed down distinctly. They were republicans on principle, and fought and bled for their prin- ciples. The whole military force that were engaged in this expe- dition were from Presbyterian settlements, and were in all proba- bility all of them of Scotch and Scotch-Irish origin.
Though the scene of this battle is in South Carolina, the chief honor belongs to North Carolina, shared most nobly with South Carolina and Virginia. The officers and men concerned in the planning and executing the enterprise were all of the same race, and were gathered from what now forms four States. " Mountain- men," and "beyond the mountains," mean Tennessee and.Kentucky, then forming western counties of North Carolina and Virginia.
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SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE BATTLE AT GUILFORD COURT-HOUSE.
It is a remarkable circumstance that the battle of Guilford Court- house, March 15th, 1781, which drove the invading army of Corn- wallis from North Carolina, was fought within about a day's march of the scene of the first bloodshed for American Independence, made on the Alamance, some ten years before, May 1771, the one in the bounds of Buffalo congregation, and the other on the skirts of Ala- mance, the two congregations forming the pastoral charge of Dr. David Caldwell.
The pursuit of Greene by Cornwallis across the State, from the time the Catawba was crossed in January, 1781, and Davidson slain, was as rapid as the well disciplined army of English, having destroyed their baggage, could make it, under the direction of brave and skilful officers, through a country for the most part hostile to his majesty's forces, with no magazines, or provisions collected for their supply, and the sources of refreshment along the track of pur- suit mostly consumed by the retreating American army. Perhaps in the whole course of the war, generalship and bravery, in pursuit and retreat, were never better exhibited, than in the efforts of his lordship to bring Greene to battle before he could cross the Dan, and the success of Greene to elude all his lordship's efforts. It is said that the advance guards of one and the rear guard of the other were often within musket-shot without discharging a gun. The great object, a general battle, could not be gained by the death or wounds of a few of Greene's rear, and the officers of Cornwallis refrained from firing on those whom they could not intercept.
At nine o'clock at night, on the 14th of February, the main army having crossed the day before, Lee's legion took the boats that had carried over the forces under Colonel Otho Williams, at Boyd's Ferry ; Lieutenant Colonel Carrington, the quartermaster- general, entering the last boat. Had it been daylight, the British forces might have seen the departure, so close was the advance guard. Here the pursuit ended.
Cornwallis chose Hillsborough for his head-quarters. While a detachment of his army lay at the Red House, they occupied the church of Hugh McAden, the first located missionary in North
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BATTLE OF GUILFORD COURT-HOUSE.
Carolina, and remembering that those who sang " David's Psalms in Metre," in South Carolina, were rebels against the king, and their ministers fomenters of rebellion, they complimented McAden, a short time in his grave, and his congregation also, by burning his library and papers. Fortunately his early journal escaped the flames.
His lordship tarried about ten days in Hillsborough. In that time Greene, reinforced by militia and volunteers from Virginia, had re- crossed the Dan, and commenced that harassing warfare that drew Cornwallis from his head-quarters, and brought on the decisive bat- tle. Between the 18th and 23d those marches and counter-marches took place by forces under command of Greene's officers, that led to the destruction of the regiment of tories under Colonel Pyles, marching to join the invaders, about midway between Hillsborough and Greensborough, and to the entanglement of Tarleton, from which he was rescued only by the watchfulness of his general, who sent three messengers in haste after him, in one night, to speed his return, and just saved him from the forces that were preparing to cut him off before daylight.
On the 26th of February Cornwallis left Hillsborough, and mov- ing south encamped on the fertile Alamance, and moved on, quar- tering upon the " rebels." On the 6th of March he made a move to entrap that remarkable officer, Colonel Otho Williams of Mary- land ; and in the manœuvres that followed, a circumstance occurred that gave a British officer great eclat in the American camp. Above thirty rifle shots, deliberately aimed, were made by King's mountain riflemen, at Wetzell's Mills on Reedy Fork, upon a Bri- tish officer that was seen slowly approaching the bank of the stream, and carefully fording the current on a beautiful black horse, at the time apparently busied with the movements of a detachment of sol- diers, all within view, and in fair rifle shot. To the amazement of all, without harm, or discovering the least sensation of alarm, he crossed the stream and disappeared. Upon inquiring of some pri- soners what officer in the manœuvres and skirmishes rode a black horse, the name of the gallant, gentlemanly and skilful Colonel Webster was given in reply.
Cornwallis removed his army into the bounds of Buffalo congre- gation, and encamped on the plantation of William Rankin. Re- maining there till all the provisions on the plantation and in the neighborhood were consumed, and the plunder secured, the army was marched into the Alamance congregation, and encamped on the plantation of Ralph Gorrel, Esq., who, like Mr. Rankin, was a man of
18
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SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
influence and wealth, and a true whig. Turning the family out of doors, consuming, plundering, and destroying, with the thoughtless recklessness of invading soldiers, leaving the neighborhood a scene of desolation, after an abode of two days, the army was marched on Sabbath, March 11th, to the premises of Dr. Caldwell. Mrs. Cald- well and the children retired to the smoke-house, and there passed a day without provision and without a bed. The officers that occu- pied the house insulted her distress with profane language and cruel treatment, until the principal physician, understanding her condition, interposed, and procured for her a bed and a few cooking utensils, and some provisions. The head-quarters of his lordship was at Mr. McCuistin's on the great road from the court-house to Fayetteville ; but the army was encamped mainly on Dr. Cald- well's plantation, the line extending entirely across it, and the wings occupying part of two of his neighbor's, one on each side ; " and the marks of it are still visible." Mr. Caruthers says- " every panel of fence on the premises was burned ; every particle of provisions consumed or carried away ; every living thing was destroyed except one old goose ; and nearly every square rod of ground was penetrated with their iron ramrods, in search of hidden treasure."
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