USA > North Carolina > Lincoln County > The history of Lincoln County, North Carolina a series of newspaper articles published in 1935 in the Lincoln County News > Part 2
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tion with the pioneers. Esther, a sister of Colonel Moore, married Joshua Roberts, a patriot soldier. The late Capt. John H. Roberts, a grandson, lived the Moore homestead. It is situate on Indian Creek, eight miles southwest of Ramsour's Mill. Colonel Moore was an active partisan throughout the Revolution. Major Welch was a son of John Welch, and was reared next neighbor to Colonel Moore on Indian Creek. He was of Scottish descent, of great fluency of speech and fine persuasive pow- moment Captain Hardin le.l a company of Whigs into the .ield from the south and poured a gall- ing fire into the right flank of the Tories. Some of the Whigs er. They bore English commis- sions, were arrayed in splendid of- ficial equipments, and made lav- ish display of British gold, By the twentieth of June, these zealousobliqued to the right, and turned loyalists collected at Ramsour's | the left flank of the Tories; while
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Mill a force of 1,300 Tories, and were actively engaged in their or- ganization and drill preparatory I to marching them to unite with i the British in South Carolina. .They occupied a well-chosen and advantageous position for offense
Captain Sharpe led a few men be- yond the crest of the ridge, and, advancing from tree to tree, with unerring aim picked off the ene- my's officers and men, and hast- ened the termination of the con- flict. The action now became close , and defense. It was on a high and warm. The combatants mixed ! ridge that slopes three hundred yards to the mill and Clark's Creek on the west, and the same distance to a branch on the east. together, and having no bayonets, struck at each other with the butts of their guns. When the Whigs reaced the summit they saw; the Tories collected beyond the creek, with a white flag flying. Fifty Tories, unable to make the bridge, were taken prisoners. Those be. yond soun dispersed and made their escape. One-fourth of the Tories were unarmed, and they with a few others retired at the commencement of the battle.
Col. Francis Locke collected a force of Rowan and Mecklenburg -
militia to engage the Tories. His detachments met at Mountain Greek, sixteen miles from Ram- sour's on Monday, the 19th and when united amounted to four hundred men. They marched at once to the assault of the Tory position. At dawn of day on the Seventy men, including five Whig and Tory captains, lay dead morning of the 20th, in two miles of Ramsour's they were met by | on the field, and more than two
Adam Reep, a noted scout, with a hundred were wounded, the loss on each side being about equal. In this contest, armed with the deadly rifle, blood relatives and familiar acquaintances and near beighbors fought in the opposing ranks, and as the smoke of battle occasionally cleared away recognized each oth- er in the conflict. few picked men from the vicinity of the camp, who detailed to Col- onel Locke the position of the en- emy, and the plan of attack was formed. The mounted men under Captains McDowell, Brandon and Falls, marching slowly, were to follow the road due west to the camp, and not attack until the Moore's defeat destroyed Tory- footmen under Colonel Locke ism in this section. When Lord could detour to the south, and Cornwallis marched through the county the following January, and encamped at Ramsour's Mill, he ! lost more men by . desertion than he gained by recruits.
reach the foot of the hill along the Tuckaseegee road, and make a simultaneous assault. They pro- ceeded without other organiza- tion or order, it being left to the
(To Be Continued.)
History Lincoln County (WRITTEN BY THE LA TE A. NIXON)
INSTALLMENT NO. 5
The Battle Of King's Mountain
Col. Patrick Ferguson pitched his camp on the summit of King's Mountain, the 6th
of October, 1780. So well pleased was he with his position that he gave vent to the impious boast that God Al- mighty could not drive him from it. In his army were eleven hun- dred men, brave and well discip: lined, every one of whom knew what actual fighting meant. The patriot army aggregated a like number of eleven hundred men. Their only weapon was the long barreled rifle in whose use they were experts. Ferguson had out foraging parties, and some of the patriots on foot could not keep up with the march, so it is probable the combatants on each side num- bered nine hundred men.
To Colonel Shelby is due the in- ception of the campaign and much of the mobilization of the patriot army. To its successful culmina- tion the little band of Lincoln men sixty in number, contributed their full share. They united with the mountain men in pursuit of Fer- guson at the Cowpens about sun . set on October the 6th. Between 8 and 9 o'clock of the same evening the army set out toward King's est not more than twenty feet. Mountain in quest of Ferguson. Reaching the foot of the hill, they Enock Gilmer, an advance scout, reloaded, and fired with deadly ef. I dined at noon of the 7th with a fect upon their pursuers, in turn chasing their enemies up the mountain. William Caldwell, see- ing Henry's condition, pulled the bayonet out of his thigh, kicked his hand from the bloody instru- ment and passed on. Thus the bat- tle raged on all sides. No regi- ment, no man failed to do his duty. The unerring aim of the mountain men from behind every tree and every rock was rapidly diminishing the brave fighters un- der Ferguson, who began to de- spair. Tory family. From them he learn- ed that Ferguson's camp was only three miles distant, on a ridge be- tween two creeks, where some deer hunters had a camp the pre- vious fall. Major Chronicle and Captain Mattocks stated that the camp was theirs and that they well knew the ground on which Ferguson was encamped; where. upon it was agreed that they should plan the battle. They rode a short distance by themselves, and reported that it was an excel- lent place to surround Ferguson's army; that the shooting would all At the end of an hour Fergu- son was killed ,and a white flag was hoisted in token of surrender. Three hundred of his men were dead and wounded, and six hun- dred prisoners. The Americans suffered a loss of twenty-eight killed and seventy-four wounded. be uphill with no danger of des- troying each other. The officers instantly agreed to the plan, and without stopping began to ar- range heir men, assigning to each officer the part he was to take in surrounding the mountain. To the north side were assigned Shelby, Thus was fought one of the de- cisive battles of the Revolution. It was the enemy's first serious dis- Williams, Lacey and Cleveland, and on the south side Campbell.
to their position with quick step, Major Chronicle ten paces in ad- vance, and heading the column were Enock Gilmer, Hugh Erwin, Adam Barry and Robert Henry. Arriving at the end of the moun- tain, Major Chronicle cried, "Face to the hill!" The words were scarcely uttered when they were fired upon by the enemy's sharp- shooters, and Major Chronicle and William Rabb fell dead. But they pressed up the hill under the lead- ership of Lieutenant-Colonel
Hambright. Maj. Jos. Dixon,
Capts. James Johnston, Samuel Espey, Samuel Martin ,and James White. Before they reached the crest, the enemy charged bayon- ets, first, however, discharging their guns, killing Captain Mat- tocks and John Boyd and wound- ing William Gilmer and John Chittim. As Robert Henry, a lad of sixteen, raised his gun to fire, a bayonet glanced along the bar- rel, through his hand and into his thigh. Henry discharged his gun, killing the Briton and both fell to the ground. Henry observed that many of his comrades were not more than a gun's length in front of the bayonets and the farther-
Sevier, McDowell and Winston, while the Lincoln men, under Lieut. Col. Frederick Hambright, were to attack the northeast end of the mountain. It was three o'clock in the afternoon when the patriots reached their position, and Campbell's men were first to fire into the enemy. His column was charged by Ferguson's men with fixed bayonets, and driven down the mountain side. Shelby was advancing in quick time from the other side, so the enemy found it necessary to give attention to Shelby's assault, when Campbell's men returned to the fight, and Shelby and his men were forced to retreat before the dashing charge of Ferguson's bayonets. Thus back and forth, Campbell, Sevier, McDowell and Winston on the one side, Shelby, Williams, La- cey and Cleveland on the other, charged up the mountain and were driven back, only to renew the charge, until the mountain was
faster and turned the tide of war. Ferguson and his army were wip- ed out of existence. Its immediate result was to check the enemy's progress until the patriots could muster strength for his final over- throw.
The Lincoln County men, con- sidering their small number, suf- fered considerably in the engage- ment: Maj. William Chronicle, Capt. John Mattocks, William Rabb, John Boyd and Arthur Pat- terson were killed; Moses Henry died soon thereafter in the hospi- tal at Charlotte of the wound he received in the battle; Capt. Sam- uel Espey, Robert Henry, William Gilmer, John Chittim, and William Bradley were wounded. The Tories shooting down the steep mountain side, much of their aim was too high. Lieutenant-Colonel Ham- bright's hat was perforated with three bullet holes, and he received a shot through the thigh, his boot filled and ran over with blood, but enveloped in flame and smoke and he remained in the fight till the the rattle of musketry sounded end, gallantly encouraging his men. like thunder.
The South Fork boys marched
(To Be Continued.)
LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA, MONDAY, JULY 15, 1935.
History Lincoln County (WRITTEN BY THE LATE A. NIXON)
INSTALLMENT NO. 6
Cornwallis In Pursuit Of Morgan
Morgan defeated Colonel Tarle- ton in a signal victory at the Cowpens, South Carolina, 17th -
January, 1781. In less than an hour five hundred of Tarleton's Legion were prisoners, the re- mainder slain and scattered, and he scampering in mad haste to Cornwallis, then but twenty-five miles distant. General Morgan, anixous to hold every one of his prisoners to exchange for the Con- tinental line of North Carolina captured at Charleston, and then languishing on British prison ships, immediately began his fam- ous retreat toward Virginia, while Cornwallis, in command of 4,000 well-equipped veterans, gave pur- suit. Colonel Washington's caval- ry, with the prisoners, safely crossed the Catawba at the Island Ford; the prisoners were sent on, while Washington rejoined Gen- eral Morgan, who had crossed with the main army eight or nine miles farther down at Sherrill's Ford, where they tarried awhile on the eastern bank.
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The British came by way of the old Tryon court-house, Cornwallis says "I therefore assembled the army on the 25th at Ramsour's Mill on the south fork of the Ca- tawba, and as the loss of my light troops could only be remedied by the activity of the whole corps, 1 employed a halt of two days in collecting some flour, and destroy- ing superfluous baggage, and all my wagons except those loaded with hospital stores, and four re- served in readiness for sick and wounded." Steadman says that Lord Cornwallis, "by first reduc- ing the size and quantity of his own, set an example which was cheerfully followed by all the of! ficers in his command, although by so doing they sustained a con- siderable loss. No wagons were re- served except those loaded with hospital stores, salt and ammuni- tion, and four empty ones for the
day and night converting the grain into flour to replenish his Lordship's commissionary. In the destruction of baggage, Cornwal- lis first ordered his splendid camp chest burned. His mahogany tea chest with the remainder of his tea, and six solid silver spoons, he sent to Mrs. Barbara Reinhardt, wife of Christian Reinhardt, with, a note requesting that she accept them. These presents were treas- ured and carefully preserved. At the breaking out of the Civil War they belonged to a granddaughter, whose sons were Confederate vol- unteers. Believing an old saying that whoever carries anything in : war that was carried in another war by a person that was not kill- ed, will likewise be unharmed, she gave each of her sons one of the silver spoons, and the others to neighbor boys, and in this way the spoons were lost and Federal bullets shattered faith in their charm. The chest is yet preserved. After the conflagration many irons were tumbled in the mill- pond while others left on the ground were picked up by citizens.' The Milldam was taken down the next summer and much iron val- uable to the farmers taken out. A few defective muskets were found; also one piece of artillery, so damaged it was not removed from the mud. Where the whiskey and rum bottles were broken the fragments lay in heaps for years. These were afterwards gathered up and sold to the potters for glazing purposes.
To this destruction of his whole material train and necessary out- fit for a winter campaign Judge Schenck attributes the final dis- comfiture of Cornwallis at Guil- ford Court House. The supplies he burned could not be replaced short uf Wilmington, and thither he was compelled to go when a reverse met his arms.
While here Cornwallis requested Christian Reinhardt to point out Colonel Moore's position ,and de- scribe the battle of Ramsour's
accomodation of the sick and ) Mill. At the conclusion his only wounded. And such was the ardor, observation was that Colonel Moore had a fine position, but did not have the tact to defend it; that he ought not to have risked a battle but should have fallen back to Ferguson. both of officers and soldiers, and their willingness to submit to any hardship for the promotion of the service, that this arrangement, which deprived them of all future prospect of spirituous liquors, and even hazarded a regular supply of provisions, was acquiesced in
Early on the morning of the 28th the British broke camp and marched toward Beattie's Ford, a without a murmur." distance of twelve miles, to Jacob Cornwallis crossed the South Fork River at the Reep Ford, one mile from Ramsour's Mill, and pitched his marquee on the Ram- sour battle ground; O'Hara re- mained on the west bank of the river at the Reep place; Webster occupied the hill west of the Ram- sour Mill; while Tarleton, who had crossed the river three miles low- er down, between the Laboratory and the present railway bridge, in Forney's. The moving Britons, in, scarlet uniforms, with glittering muskets, made an impressive sight, and tradition still preserves their route. Jacob Forney was a thrifty farmer and well-known Whig. Here they encamped three days, consuming his entire stock of cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry, and taking his horses ani forty gallons of brandy. Some state that Cornwallis approached the Cataw- rejoining his chief, camped on the ba on the evening of the 28th, and hill south of Cornwallis. Foraging parties were sent out in different directions to collect grain, and
found it considerably swollen and impassable for his infantry and this caused him to fall back to Ja- Ramsour's Mill was kept running cob Forney's plantation.
(To Be Continued.)
LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 192
History Lincoln County (WRITTEN BY THE LATE A. NIXON)
INSTALLMENT NO. 7
The Battle Of Cowan's Ford ing at the bank of the river as day The tardiness of Cornwallis was not altogether due to the flushed condition of the Catawba, however much the swollen waters of the Yadkin and the Dan may have la- ter impeded his pursuit. The prime cause of delay was the vigilance of the Whigs in guarding the sev- eral fords. On the approach of the British, Gen. William Davidson placed guards at- the Tuckaseege, Tool's and Cowan's ford; with his greatest force and Capt. ' Joseph Graham's cavalry troops, he took position himself at Beattie's Ford; while Morgan and Washington were at Sherrill's Ford. Cornwal- lis kept posted on these disposi- tions. Cowan's was a private ford, guarded only by Lieut. Thomas Davidson with twenty-five men. After gathering the best informa- tion he could obtain, Cornwallis resolved to attempt the passage at Cowan's Ford. Each army was keeping close watch on the move- ments of the other. On the 30th Captain Graham's cavalry was dispatched across Beattie's Ford and ascertained that the British were encamped within four miles, and in two miles they discovered one hundred of the enemy's caval- ry, who followed them to the riv- er but kept at a respectful dis- tance, evincing fear of an ambus- cade. Green, Morgan and Wash- ington came to Davidson's head- began to break. The command of the front was given to Colonel Hall of the Guards. Under the guidance of Frederick Hager, a Tory living on the west bank, em- ployed by Cornwallis on account of his familiarity 'with the ford, the bold Britons plunged into the river, with the firm determination of encountering the small band of' Americans on the eastern bank. When one hundred yards in the river they were discovered and fir- ed upon by Lieutenant Davidson's , picket which aroused the guard, who kept up the fire, but the ene- my continued to advance. No soon- er did the guide who attended the light infantry to show them the ford, hear the report of the senti- nel's musket then turned around and left them. This, at first seem- ed ' to portend much mischief but in the end proved fortunate for the British. Colonel Hall, forsak- en by his guide, and not knowinv the true direction of the ford, led his column directly across the riy- er to the nearest point of the op- posite bank. The picket fire alarm- ed Davidson's camp, who paraded at the horse ford, then Graham's cavalry was ordered to the assist- ance of the picket. By the time the cavalry were in position on the high bank, and ready for action the British were within fifty yards of the Mecklenburg shore. The cavalry poured a destructive fire quarters at Beattie's Ford on the into the advancing columns. The afternoon of the 31st and held | British did not fire a gun while in the water; as they landed they loaded their guns and fired up the bank. The firing was kept up some minutes, but the Whigs soon re- treated from the unequal contest. By the time his Lordship cross- ed the river Webster had his force consultation. The British van- guard of four or five hundred men appeared on the opposite hill be- yond the river and viewed the American position. After General Green's departure, leaving a por- tion of his force at Beattie's Ford, under Colonel Farmer, General in array on the face of the hill Davidson, with 250 men and the cavalry, marched down the river four miles to Cowan's Ford,
where he arrived after dark.
fronting Beattie's Ford, and was making demonstrations of attemp- ¡ting a passage. His front lines were firing by platoons, a com-
The river at Cowan's Ford is | pany went into the water fifty one-fourth of-a mile wide. The | steps and fired; while four cannons were booming for half an hour, the flying balls cutting off the limbs of trees and tearing up the opposite bank, the sound rolling down the river like peals of thun- der. All this however, was only a feint. Colonel Farmer, being noti. fied and all united at John Mc- Knitt Alexander's that afternoon, eight miles from' Charlotte; while Cornwallis united his force two miles from Beattie's Ford at Giv- en's farm.
wagon ford went directly across the river. The horse ford, entering' at the safe place, obliqued down the river, through an island, and came out on the Mecklenburg side a quarter . of a mile lower down. The latter was the shallower and most used, and the one the British were expeted to follow ,so General Davidson took position on the hill over looking the ford. Above the coming-out place of the wagon ford was a narrow strip of level bottom and then an abrupt hill.
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In this action the Americans Lieutenant Davidson's picket re. lost General Davidson, a gallant, mained at their post on this level | brave and generous officer, and strip, fifty steps above the land- ing and near the water's edge.
Cornwallis broke camp at one in the morning of the first of Feb- ruary, and detached Lieutenant- Colonel Webster with that part of the army and all the baggage to Beattie's Ford, where General Davidson was supposed to be post- ed, with direction to make every possible demonstration by cannon- ading and otherwise of an inten- tion of forcing a passage, while he marched to Cowan's Ford, arriv-
three others. Of the British, Colo- nel Hall and another officer and twenty-nine privates were killed and thirty-five were wounded. The Horse of Cornwallis was shot and fell dead as he ascended the bank. Lord Cornwallis on the 2nd of February returns his thanks "to the Brigade of Guards for their cool and determined bravery in the passage of the Catawba, while rushing through that long and dif- ficult ford under a galling fire."
(To Be Continued.)
LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA, MONDAY, JULY 22, 1935.
History Lincoln County (WRITTEN BY THE LA TE A. NIXON)
INSTALLMENT NO. 8
Importance Of These Engagements
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On the 18th of June, 1780, Gen- eral Rutherford, in command of the Mecklenburg and Rowan mili- tia, marched to attack the Tories at Ramsour's Mill. At the Cataw- ba, Col. William Graham, with the Lincoln County Regiment, united with General Rutherford, swelling his command to twelve hundred. He encamped at Col. Joseph Dick- son's three miles from the Tuck- asegee, twenty miles from Ram- sour's and about the same dis- tance from Colonel Lockee on Mountain Creek. General Ruther- ford dispatched a message direct- ing Colonel Locke to join him at the Dickson place on the evening of the 19th or the morning of the 20th. However, no junction was formed and after a hard and well- fought battle Colonel Locke de- feated the Tories. General Ruth- erford followed the Tuckaseegee road and arrived at Ramsour's Mill two hours after the battle. The dead and most of the wound- ed were lying where they fell. General Rutherford remained here two days sending Davie's Cavalry and other troops in pursuit of the Tories, thus accenting the victory and making the defeat crushing and complete, subduing the loyal- ist spirit, with consequent en- couragement of the patriots.
Three days after the battle All- aire, who was with Ferguson, re- ferring to the batle of Ramsouar's Mill, recorded in his diary; "Fri- day, 23d. Lay in the field at Nine- ty-six. Some friends came in, Four were wounded. The militia had embodied at Tuckaseegee, on the . South Fork of the Catawba River. Were attacked by a party of re- bels, under command of General Rutherford. The militia
were scant of ammunition, which ob- liged them to retreat. They were obliged to swim the river at the milldam. The Rebels fired on them and killed thirty." Col. John Moore with thirty men reached Cornwallis at Camden, where he was threatened with a trial by court-martial; for hastening, or- ganization in advance of Fergu- 1 son.
point in the war. But for this bat- tle Moore and Welch could have reinforced Ferguson with an army of 1,500 or 2,000 men, and there might have been no King's Moun- tain, or King's Mountain with a different result. But instead of aid to Ferguson, the Lincoln Regi- ment with the South Carolinians under Hill and Lacey were again encamped `on the Catawba, and when Colonel Williams crossed the Tuckaseegee, and united with these troops, the entire force en- countering no opposition, followed the Tuckaseegee road, via Ram- sour's Mill, the Flint Hill road to Cherry Mountain, later uniting with the mountain men at the Cowpens, the next day helping to destroy Ferguson, and gain the glorious victory, that makes the name of King's Mountain famous in our country's history, of which the Battle of Cowpens, Guilford Court House and the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown were the direct consequences.
Lincoln County Pension Roll On the pension roll as late as 1834, more than fifty years after the Revolution, the following is the Lincoln County list of Soldi- ers yet living and drawing pen- sions: Robert Abernethy, Vincent Allen, Christian Arney, Matthew Armstrong, Robert Berry, Jonas Bradshaw, Casper Bolick, Alexan- der Brevard, Samuel Caldwell, William Carroll, John Chittim, Michal Cline, Samuel Collins, Martin Coulter, Thomas Costner, George Dameron, Joseph Dixon, Peter Eddlemon, William Elmore, Samuel Espey, James Farewell, Abraham Forney, Robinson Good ... win, Joseph Graham, William Gregory, Nathan Gwaltney, Nich- olas Hafner, Simon Hager, John Harman, John Helms, James Hen- ry, James Hill, John Kidd, John Kincaid, Robert Knox, Shadrack Lefcy, Tapley McHannas, Marma -; duke Maples, Samuel Martin, Thomas Mason, William Mayes, William McCarthy, William Mc- Lean, Nathan Mendenhall, Alex -! ander Moore, John Moore, William? Moore, Jeremiah Mundy, Humph-
rey Parker, Hiram Pendleton, Jacob Plonk, William Potter, Wil- liam Rankin, Charlie Regan,
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The Battle of Ramsour's mill was fraught with important re- sults. It was fought at a gloomy
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