USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 28
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Rutherford County, Camp near Gilberttown, October 1st, 1780.
Sir :- We have now collected at this place about 1,500 good men, drawn from the counties of Surry, Wilkes, Burke, Washington and
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Sullivan counties in this State, and Washington county in Virginia, and expect to be joined in a few days by Colonel Clarke, of Georgia, and Colonel Williams, of South Carolina, with about 1.000 more. As we have at this time called out our mitia without any orders from the Executives of our different States, and with the view of expelling the enemy out of this part of the country, we think such a body of men worthy of your attention, and would request you to send a general officer immediately to take the command of such troops as may embody in this quarter. Our troops being all militia and but little acquainted with discipline, we would wish him to be a gentleman of address and able to keep up a proper discipline with- out disgusting the soldiery. Every assistance in our power shall be given the officer you may think proper to take the command of us.
It is the wish of such of us as are acquainted with General David- son and Colonel Morgan (if in service) that one of these gentlemen may be appointed to the command.
We are in great want of ammunition, and hope you will endeavor to have us properly furnished with that article.
Colonel McDowell will wait upon you with this, who can inform you of the present situation of the enemy, and such other particulars respecting our troops as you may think necessary.
*We are, sir, your most obedient and very humble ser'ts.
(Signed) BENJ. CLEVELAND, ISAAC SHELBY, JOHN LORD, AND'W HAMPTON, WM. CAMPBELL, JO. WINSTON.
Isaac Shelby, in his old age, made the statement that Colonel McDowell was dispatched upon this mission for the purpose of dis- posing of his services, as he, by reason of his age, was too slow and too inactive for the command of such an enterprise as they were then engaged in, and this statement has been repeated by most his- torians. While it may be true, there can be no good reason for believing the statement, for, at this time. Colonel McDowell was only thirty-seven years of age, was an active and very intelligent
*(From original of "Gates papers" in possession of the New York Historical society. )
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man and had seen a great deal of service, before that time, in his campaigns against the invaders.
It is much more reasonable to believe that Colonel McDowell, being the commanding officer in the county where the army was then stationed and knowing the country well, of his own accord proposed to deliver this message to General Gates. Upon the depart- ure of Colonel McDowell the other colonels assembled and elected Colonel William Campbell, of Washington county, to command the whole, upon the suggestion of Isaac Shelby, who had, previously to this time, always from his earliest manhood taken orders from Colonel Campbell, who had served as an officer in the Continental army.
On the morning of the 5th of October, the mountain men made preparations to march from their camp to the gap at South moun- tain, expecting to find Colonel Ferguson at Gilberttown and attack him. Before beginning the march, Colonel Cleveland requested the troops to form a circle, promising to tell them the news. After which, he came within the circle, accompanied by the other officers, and taking off his hat, addressed the troops as follows :
"Now, my brave fellows, I have come to tell you the news. The enemy is at hand and we must up and at them. Now is the time for every man of you to do his country a priceless service, such as shall lead your children to exult in the fact that their fathers were the conquerors of Ferguson. When the pinch comes I shall be with you. But if any of you shrink from sharing in the battle and the glory, you can now have the opportunity of backing out and leaving ; and you shall have a few minutes for considering the matter."
. After which Major McDowell and Colonel Shelby made a few remarks and requested all those who hesitated about going further to step back three paces to the rear when the word was given. When the word was given not one member of that army accepted the priv- ilege, but a shout went up from the assembled hosts when it was ascertained that there was not a coward or a slink in that little army. After this the army marched down Cane creek a few miles and encamped for the night. On the following day they reached a point near Gilberttown and ascertained that Ferguson, hearing of their coming, had retreated.
Colonel Ferguson, upon hearing of the approach of the mountain men, dispatched two messengers to Cornwallis, requesting assist-
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ance at once, and issued the following proclamation to the country:
"Gentlemen :- Unless you wish to be eat up by an inundation of barbarians, who have begun by murdering an unarmed son before an aged father, and afterwards lopped off his arms, and who, by their shocking cruelties and irregularities, give the best proof of their cowardice and want of discipline; I say, that if you wish to be pinioned, robbed and murdered, and see your wives and daugh- ters in four days abused by the dregs of mankind ; in short, if you wish to deserve to live and bear the name of men, grasp your arms in a moment and run to camp. The 'Back Water' men have crossed the mountains: MeDowell, Hampton, Shelby and Cleve- land are at their head, so that you know what you have to depend upon. If you choose to be degraded forever and ever by a set of mongrels, say so at once, and let. your women turn their backs upon you and look out for real men to protect them.
PAT. FERGUSON, Major 71st Regiment."
He then retreated to Green river, where he gave out that he was retreating to Fort Ninety-six. South Carolina. He then proceeded to Dennard's Fort on Broad river, from which point he marched about four miles on the 2d day of October and lay on his arms all that night expecting an attack, and on the 3d day of October he marched to Tate's place, where he sent the following message to Cornwallis :
"My Lord :- I am on my march to you by a road leading from Cherokee Ford, north of King's mountain. Three or four hundred good soldiers could finish this business. Something must be done soon. This is their last push in this quarter.
"PATRICK FERGUSON."
The position occupied by Ferguson at this time was sixteen miles northeast of King's mountain and thirty-five miles west of Char- lotte, the headquarters of Cornwallis.
It seems that it was the intention of Ferguson, when he began his retreat from Gilberttown to join Cornwallis at Charlotte, with all possible speed, but, for some strange reason, he was impelled to march to the southwest, where he was to meet his destiny and lose his life. He reached King's mountain on the evening of the 6th of October, where he pitched his camp and made all necessary pre- parations to defend his position, and gave utterance to the follow-
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ing sacrilegious boast: "That he was on King's mountain, that he was king of that mountain, and God Almighty could not drive him from it."
The position occupied by Cornwallis and where the battle was fought, is in York county, South Carolina, about one and a half miles south of the State line. That portion of the mountain upon which the battle was fought was nothing more than an oblong hill or stony ridge, some six hundred yards long and about two hun- dred and fifty yards across from one base to the other, and from sixty to one hundred and twenty yards on the top, tapering to the south. "So narrow," says Mill's Statistics, "that a man, standing on it, may be shot from either side." The top of the ridge is about sixty feet above the level of the surrounding country ..
Many of the participants in the battle of King's mountain thought that they could see a resemblance to that battleground in the ridge south of and near to Abingdon, and to this they gave the name of King's mountain, which name it bears at the present time.
The principal elevation on this range of mountains in South Carolina was about six miles from the battleground.
We left the mountain men near Gilberttown, where they were informed that Ferguson had retreated some fifty or sixty miles in the direction of Fort Ninety-Six; which information greatly depressed them, but they determined to pursue, which they did immediately, as far as Dennard's Ford, where they lost the trail for awhile, but they proceeded to Alexander's Ford of Green river, where the officers determined to select their best men, best horscs and best rifles, and to pursue Ferguson unremittingly and overtake him before he could receive reinforcements or reach any fort that would give him protection. The mountain men were for some time perplexed by the movements of Ferguson, and were unable to tell by what route he had fled, but soon ascertained from a Whig sympa- thizer, that Ferguson, on the evening of the 5th, had written a let- ter to Lord Cornwallis and had taken a position on the following day at King's mountain.
The number of men selected on the night of the 5th of October, to make the forced march to overtake Ferguson, was about seven hundred, thus leaving behind about six hundred and ninety men. The Carolina troops thus left behind, were in charge of Major Joseph Herndon, of Cleveland's regiment, and that portion of
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Campbell's regiment left behind were in charge of Captain William Neil. The men selected were all well mounted, while those left behind were not. But Colonel Campbell placed the Washington county troops in charge of an officer of much energy of character, to whom he gave directions to do everything in his power to expe- dite the march of the troops placed in his charge, by pushing them forward as fast as possible.
Campbell, with the mounted men, started in pursuit of Ferguson on the morning of the 6th of October, passing in a southerly direc- tion to the Sandy Plains, thence southeasterly to the Cowpens, about twenty-one miles, which point they reached shortly after sun- set, where they found Colonels Hill, Lacy, Williams and Graham, with their forces. On this day, they passed in the immediate vicin- ity of several large bodies of Tories, one of which numbered six hundred. "The riflemen from the mountains had turned out to catch Ferguson, and this was their rallying cry from the day they left the Sycamore shoals on the Watauga."*
They did not intend to be diverted from their object, and there- fore did not waste any time on the small parties along their way.
Ensign Robert Campbell, of the Virginia troops, in his diary says : "That he was dispatched with a party of eighty men to break up the party of six hundred Tories stationed near the Cowpens, but that they had moved before the mountaineers reached the Cowpens and could not be overtaken that night."
Captain Colvill undertook to surprise this same company the following night, but met with no better success.
While the troops were stationed at the Cowpens, a Whig spy, who was a crippled man, reported to the Whig chiefs, that he had visited the camp of Ferguson, and ascertained his plans, and that his forces did not exceed 1,500 men, which information encouraged the moun- tain men very much, but, as a matter of precaution, Enoch Gil- more, another spy, was sent out to gain the latest intelligence in regard to the movements of the enemy, which he did, and returned to the camp of the mountain men on the evening of the 6th. When the march was begun from the Cowpens on the evening of the 6th, the whole number of mounted men was 900, besides a squad of footmen numbering about fifty.
The march from the Cowpens to King's mountain was made by
*Draper's King's Mountain.
.
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night and there was a drizzle of rain falling during most of the time. Campbell's men lost their way, and, on the morning of the 7th, it was ascertained that they were not more than five miles from the Cowpens, but they soon joined the main force and pushed rapidly forward in an easterly direction, passing the Cherokee Ford and on to Beason's where they halted for a short while and learned that Ferguson was only nine miles off and in camp.
As Colonel Campbell rode off from this point, a girl followed, and, calling to him, asked: "How many of you are there?" "Enough to whip Ferguson if we can find him," was the reply, whereupon the girl, pointing her finger in a direct line to King's mountain, said : "He is on that mountain."
Several persons were captured between this point and Ferguson's camp, one of the number being a man by the name of John Pon- der, upon whose person was found a message from Ferguson to Cornwallis imploring assistance. Another was Henry Watkins, a Whig, whom Ferguson had just released, and who gave the moun- tain men accurate information of Ferguson and his situation.
At this point the mountain men were drawn up in two lines, two men deep, Colonel Campbell leading the right and Colonel Cleve- land the left, and proceeded on their march. When they came near to the mountain, they moved up a branch between two rocky knobs, beyond which the enemy's camp was in full view, 550 yards in front of them. This was at about 3 o'clock in the evening. Orders were given for the men to dismount and tie their horses, and to tie their blankets and coats to the saddles, and a few men were detailed to guard them. This was on the east side of King's creek, after which the order was given to the men, "Fresh prime your guns, and every man go into battle firmly resolved to fight till he dies."
The army of Ferguson numbered about 1,100 men, the two armies being about equal in number, but there was a considerable difference in the motives which prompted them to fight. The Tories were fighting for the honor of their king. That was one and various other motives might be mentioned; while, on the other hand, the Whigs fought for the liberty and independence of the American Colonies, for the right to exercise their religious views without restraint and to protect their homes and families from unprincipled Tories and savage Indians.
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Dr. Draper, in speaking of the Virginia troops who participated in this battle, says :
"Those men from the Holston under Campbell were a peculiar people, somewhat of the character of Cromwell's people. They were, almost to a man, Presbyterians. In their homes in the Holston Valley they were settled in pretty compact congregations, quite tena- cious of their religious and civil liberties, as handed down from father to son from their Scotch-Irish ancestors. Their preacher, Rev. Charles Cummings, was well fitted for the times; a man of piety and sterling patriotism, who constantly exerted himself to encourage his people to make every needed sacrifice, and put forth every possible exertion in defence of the liberties of their country. They were a remarkable body of men, both physically and mentally. Inured to frontier life, raised mostly in Augusta and Rockbridge counties, Virginia, a frontier region in the French and Indian war, they carly settled on the Holston, and were accustomed from their childhood to border life and hardships ; over ready at the tap of the drum to turn out on military service; in the busiest crop season, their wives, sisters and daughters could, in their absence, plant and sow and harvest.
They were better educated than most of the frontier settlers and had a more thorough understanding of the questions at issue between the Colonies and their mother country. These men went forth to strike their country's foes, as did the patriarchs of old, feel- ing assured that the God of battles was with them and that he would surely crown their efforts with success. They had no doubts nor fears. They trusted in God and kept their powder dry. Such a thing as a coward was not known among them. How fitting it was that to such a band of men should have been assigned, by Camp- bell's own good judgment, the attack on Ferguson's choicest troops. his Provincial Rangers. It was a happy omen of success, literally the forlorn hope, the right men in the right place."
The two armies now confronted each other. the decisive moment. was at hand, and the mountain men were eager to pounce upon their prey.
Colonel Campbell arranged his forces in two divisions, making each division as nearly equal as possible, the two divisions to sur- round the mountain. Campbell was to lead the Virginians across the southern end of the ridge and southeast side, then Sevier's regi-
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ment and McDowell's and Winston's battalions were to form a column on the right wing, northeast of Campbell and in the order named, under the command of Colonel John Sevier. Shelby's regi- ment was to take a position on the left of the mountain, opposite to Campbell, and form the left center, Campbell's left and Shelby's right coming together, beyond Shelby was placed Williams's com- mand, including Brandon, Hammond and Candler, then the South Carolinians under Lacy, Hathorn and Steen, with the remainder of the Wilkes and Surry men under Cleveland, together with the Lincoln troops under Chronicle and Hambright. The regiments or companies in the order named surrounded the mountain ; Campbell on the southeast, then Sevier, McDowell, Winston, Hambright, Cleveland, Lacy, Williams and Shelby. Campbell was to swing to the north the left of his column and Shelby to the south with his right wing, so that the two columns should cross the mountain at its southwestern extremity; and when all the companies were in position to form a complete cordon around the mountain, which was to be drawn closer to the center as the battle progressed. Colonel Campbell, when everything was in readiness, visited in person every command in the little army, and said to the men : "That if any of them, men or officers, were afraid, to quit the ranks and go home; that he wished no man to engage in the action who could not fight. That as for himself he was determined to fight the enemy a week, if need be, to gain the victory."*
He gave the necessary orders to his subordinate officers and placed himself at the head of his own regiment.
Many of the men threw aside their hats, tying handkerchiefs around their heads so as to be less likely to be retarded by limbs and bushes when dashing up the mountain.
The march began for the battleground, and when the mountain men were discovered by Colonel Ferguson, the shrill whistle used by him was distinctly heard, summoning his followers to arms; the battle drums were beaten and every preparation was made in the British camp for battle.
A party of Colonel Shelby's men captured some of the enemy's pickets without firing a gun.
In ordering the battle Colonel Campbell had directed each com- pany of his army to listen for the Indian "war whoop" from the
*Draper's King's Mountains.
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center column when everything was ready for the attack. When heard, the army was to rush forward upon the enemy, doing all pos- sible damage and repeating the same "war-whoop."
The first firing occurred in the vicinity of Shelby's men, and before they had taken their position for the battle, but, they were not permitted to return the fire, until they had gained their desig- nated position. Colonel Shelby directed his men to press on to their places and then their fire would not be lost. Colonel Campbell, about the time this firing began, taking his position in front of his men, threw off his coat and shouted at the top of his voice. "Here they are, my brave boys ; shout like h-] and fight like devils !" The woods immediately resounded with shouts of the line, in which they were heartily joined, first by Shelby's corps, and then the shouting was instantly caught up by the others along the two wings."*
At the same time, Captain Andrew Colvill, of the Virginia troops, and Major Micajah Lewis and Captain Joel Lewis, with their troops were directed by Colonel Campbell to charge the British main guard, about one half way up the spur of the mountain, which they did, and at this point, the first heavy fighting between the two armies took place. The charge was made by the mountaineers with such vigor that the British guard was forced to retreat, leaving some of their men killed and wounded, and the Virginia troops lost Lieu- tenant Robert Edmiston and John Beattie of Colvill's company, killed, and Lieutenant Samuel Newell of this same company was wounded, but Newell secured a horse, which he mounted and returned to the conflict. At this time an incident occurred which is preserved, and is here given.
One of the mountaineers came within rifle shot of a British sen- tinel before the latter perceived him. On discovering the Ameri- can, he discharged his musket and ran with all speed toward the camp on the hill. This adventurous Whig, who had pressed for- ward considerably in advance of his fellows, quickly dismounted, leveled his rifle, firing at the retreating Briton, the ball striking him in the back of the head, when he fell and expired."*
The position assigned to Colonel Campbell's men was the most difficult of ascent of any part on the ridge, being very rocky and steep, but they were not to be deterred by such obstacles, pressing up the mountain little by little until they had reached near the
*Draper's King's Mountains,
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
top of the hill, firing all the time. When they had reached this point Colonel Ferguson ordered his Rangers to charge the Virginia troops with fixed bayonets, which they did. The Virginia troops stood their ground for some time, but were forced to retreat down the mountain. Colonel Campbell and Major Edmiston, with the · assistance of Lieutenant Newell, rallied the Virginia troops. Colo- nel Campbell led his men again to the conflict, and by constant and well-directed fire the Virginians drove the enemy back and reached the summit of the mountain, when the mountain was cov- ered with flame and smoke and seemed to thunder."*
Colonel Shelby, in speaking of the conduct of the Virginians at this time, says :
"Campbell, with his division, ascended the hill, killing all that came in his way, till, coming near enough to the main body of the enemy who were posted upon the summit, he poured in upon them a most deadly fire. The enemy, with fixed bayonets, advanced upon his troops, who gave way and went down the hill, where they rallied and formed again and advanced."+
During this last attack Lieutenant Robert Edmiston, Jr., was wounded in the arm and sought shelter behind a tree, where John Craig bandaged his arm, when Edmiston exclaimed: "Let us at it again," and returned to the front as if he had not been wounded. A noted historian, in speaking of this incident, has said: "Of such grit was Campbell's Holston soldiers composed; and as long as there was any fighting to be done for their country and they could stand upon their feet, they never failed to share largely in it." While Campbell's men were engaged with the British Rangers, Colo- nel Shelby was pressing the enemy from the southwestern end of the mountain to such an extent that Ferguson was forced to with- draw his Rangers from that quarter and to charge Shelby's column, which, in turn, were forced to retreat before the British Rangers, but they were rallied at the foot of the hill, when Shelby addressed his men as follows: "Now, boys, quickly reload your rifles, and let's advance upon them and give them another h-1 of fire !"*
1
Campbell's and Shelby's men were engaged for fully ten minutes before the other forces reached their position, after which time Ferguson and his forces were assailed from all quarters by the rifle-
*Draper's King's Mountains.
¡Col. Shelby's letter to Col. Arthur Campbell, October, 1780.
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men, who, pressing up the ridge, protected themselves behind the trees, constantly firing on the British forces.
Shortly after the opening of the battle it was discovered that a portion of Ferguson's forces had concealed themselves behind a chain of rocks at a very dangerous point, from which they success- fully assailed the mountain men.
Colonel Shelby directed Ensign Robert Campbell, with a com- pany of Virginia troops, to move to the right and to dislodge the men from their position, which Campbell did, and led his men within forty steps of them, when he discovered that the Virginia troops had been driven down the hill. Then he gave orders to his men to post themselves opposite to the rocks and near to the enemy. while he assisted in rallying Colonel Campbell's men, which orders were obeyed. Ensign Campbell's men keeping up such a deadly fire on the British, that Colonel Ferguson was compelled to order a strong force to assist the men placed among the rocks, but they were compelled to retire to another position on the mountain be- fore the close of the action. The batttle was now raging all around the mountain : the report of hundreds of rifles and muskets, the loud commands of the officers, the Indian "war-whoops" constantly given by the mountaineers, and the shrill noise made by Fergu- son's whistle, conspired to make a tumult never to be forgotten and seldom experienced by men.
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