Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-11-02 00:00:00, page 2

From the IIoLtvn Intelligencer•
Abihgdoh, (Virg.) 6th of Oct. 1810.
ANNIVERSARY,
Of the battle of King's Mountain.
It was more than gratifying to be
hold the pleasure which beamed in
every countenance, while the citizens
of Washington were on this day, pay
ing seme small boners, to those to
wham with great truth it could be
•aid, honors were justly due. The
feelings of a virtuous heart are always
excited, when he hchclds those who
have rend red signal services to their
country : but how much more exqui
site are his sensations, when he knows
that for those very services their cha
racters have been traduced by the
tvb ked and mis'a:* il even l.y the best
of historians? Such is the case in the
p*e'enr instance—No correct a count
has yet been given of the battle o1
King’s mountain. And some have e
ven vt mured to tarnish the reputati
ons of those virtuous patriots, whe
with God I ke heroism scaled its crag
gv cljfts, end quieted the Kars of then
desponding country.
Time may pa s away ‘‘and nature
sink in yeats,” yet-Justice shall be done
them, and a monument more durable
than the Pyramids of Egypt shall he
)ai-ed to their memories in the love
and affections of those whose forefa
theis kn«*w them in every situation it
life, and from whoee lips they have of.
ten heard their virtues and their dcedi
of valor recounted. If ever love of couor
tr> excited men to defend their liber
ties. it was thatx'ivhich n«vrrn**d thi
patriot* who Foaght at Moun
tain. If ever men fought iiom native
bravery, it was tfeert, for the Officer;
ltd on to battle and said with Bruce,
u Who wiU hr a traitor knave ?
Who cun'fin a c- ward’s grave i
W ho so base as he a slave ?
Traitor, coward, turn and fleef*
If any say that unjust rigor wis ex
ercised towards the vanquished ; it i;
answered wiih confidence ;—pcint oui
a i'.tor similarly s tuatcd,and you«hali
le s!i wn more rigor.
On yesterday Gup*. F. Smith, Capt.
D. Campbell, and Mr. John Camp
bell waited on Colonel Edmiston who
resides thirteen miles from town, with
a communieal'n n from a committee
avp'. in ed to request hia attendance.
Tlie Colonel held the rank cf M. jor
in «he V.rpir.ia Regiment, is n^w in
hi* seventy sixth year & much afilicted
with Rheumatic pains. But he rea
dily corpse uted -o *ake the tide,pe, haj e
the last he may ever take to tl is place,
that he might once more see the re
mains cf his old companions in arms
lies.tout fov to' n this morning at
sever., eaco»ted by the three tenth, men
mentioned, and a detachment of Ca
valry f om Captaftl Bvtrs’ Troop.
When he came withi.> view of Abing
don he - n;ct b Capf,nh;« B'ars &
DufPs Troops cf Cavalry Co). Fran
r 13 Preston and **-vriaJ other officerk,
wl ogave him .1 hearty welcon e. The
tlnn fcrmit.g a splendid prf ce^stor-,
thr Officers :n trout of the carnage,
and passing thro* several streets, «nd
a double Tine o Infantry at the public
tqvrr /forme i hv C-«pt. Dixon’s com
pan\ of KTirmen, o '«;ake a p-s nge
for thy c -1 ting , and procession thro*
‘ the immense crowd that had collect
ed in the streets, convex ed ..im to tin
A.. .111. . . 4 c t ...I ^ I -
v»i ' 4, ' - uiiwu lie <xi*
riv* <1 at 11 o’clock.
The etreet.<. w re r.otv crowded with
citizens, who often c;ist e;r eytg to.
\vi rds the summit of the high hill to
the South E;.nt of the own, where
smock the 'l KMPLE OPLi BLR 1 Y
fcuppor e<\ by thirteen Columns, with .
fif.g inscribed ** Sacred to the Memory
of Martyr'd Freemen" wav ng a: ov
it > carropy, and the name . of Ca: rain
William Edmislon, Lirut. Hece B>
w nf Lieut. Robert «!.ni ton, Lunf.
Thotn*«s M’CuIHc . Lieut* Wi’Katn1
Blackburn, Ensign John Bca’ir, An
drew Ldtnbtoa, Nathaniel brydsn,
James Philips, Ja.res Land, lamer
Cnirv, H-nrv Ilenigsr and hichsrd
Guist, the 13 martyr’s to free (mo at
King’s-Mountain from the county oi
Washington engraven on its at hes.
Around the Tempi.* in a squate, a ta
ble and seats were prepared lor the a
Sed patriots, who had fought at Kind’s
fountain.
A' out twelve o’clock the two Regia
mrrts rerr f rmed in Col. Kobe l
Campbell’s field, in which the hill -
Love mentioned is situa*rd. The line
extended from the Hat ground to the
point of th« ridge and w*s bo height
or njne hundred strong. T irty iw<
of those venerable men, who thiry
years ago, ft ahou: th it very hour w rc
ascending the hcighisol King’s Mona*
tain, as'umhleri at the Court-H. um ,
and Colonel Edir.iaton be.ng unable to
walk, they wcrepl eed ut d. r the com
mand of col. K. Camphe j, fit m retire
in single file with slow and solemn
»i*p *9 field, Col. Eviuiis #n pa*s*
_ 41
mg le fort them io a rnYrinfte. Wht h
they enierercd the field, ill?- Regimeris
came to a present, a*id the Officers
took the position for a review.—They
then passed in front and moved along
up the hill with the same solemn step,
some on crutches,—all bending to
wards the earth, and their white locks
quivering in the wind. When they
reached the head of the Regiments,
they wheeled to the right, and march
ed to the summit of the hill, where
they were received by several gentle
men, and conducted to the seats pre
pared for them. The two regiments
were then drawn up in solid columns to
the east & north. The citizen specta
tors assembled to the south, a large
arbour to the west was appropriated
to the ladies, about 2'X) oi whom were
in the field ; the whole concourse a
mounting to at least two thousand.
Alter a pause of some minutes, and
atl becoming silent Col Preston mount
ed the stage in front of the arbour, hav
ing the Temple and Patriots immedi
ately before him. He/read the follow
ing resolutions of the General Assero
, bly of Virginia, with Col. Campbell’s
answer :—
IN THE HOUSE OF DELE
GATES, the 10th of No.
vernber, 1780.
Resolved, Nstnine contradicente,
that the thanks of this House be given
to Col. William Campbell of the coun
ty of Washington, and the officers and
soldiers of the Militia under his com
mand, who spontaneously equiptthem
selveB and went forth to the aid of a
sis .er state suffering distress under the
invasion and ravage of the common e.
nemv i nnr! who combiner! \»i:h &nm<
detachments of Militia from the neigh
bor-if^sates judiciously concerted and
braVdy ex-cuu cl an attack upon a part
of the enemy comman ed by Major
Fw»gusd:>, consisting of about eleven
hur.died and five men, British and
Tories, strongly posted on King’s
Mountain, where after a severe and
bloody co:.fiict of upwards of an hour,
tiie survivois of the enemy were com
pelled to surrend? r thetns*lves prison
ers of war ; and that Col. Campbell be
reques.ed to communicate the contents
of this Resolution ta the gallant otfi.
cers and soldiers who composed his
party.
Ordered^ 'That Mr. Joseph Jones (of
King George) Mr. Richard Henry Lee
and Mr. Firming, he a committee to
communicate the foregoing vote of
thanks to Col. Campbell.
Teste,—
JOHN BECKLEY, c. h. d.
A Copy—
JOHN BECKLEY, c. ti. d.
Gextlemew,
am infinitely hippy in re
ceiving this public testimony, of the
approbation of my country, for my
last services in South Carolina : ’tis
a reward far above my expectations,
and I esteem it the n.blest a soldier
can receive fiom a virtuous people.—
Through )eu gentlemen, 1 wish to ex
press \i.e high sense I have of it, t»>
the Hou\e oi Delegates ■ I owe un
ci- r Providence, Elicit to the brave
officer*, and solJieis, who .served with
m , I shall take the earliest opportuni
■ , of transmitting <he resolve of your
Ho .se to them , and, I am persuaded,
•• v will experience all the honest
neart-feir satisfaetton I feel n.ystlf on
this occasion*
WiLLCAM CAMPBELL.
In the Senate, the \5th Nov. 1780.
Resolved, j\\ mine centradice.ite, that
the thanks f the house arc justlv due
to Col. William Campbell, ol W; sh
ir. gt>n count), an 1 the brave rfficers
and soldiers uadcr his command, who
With an ardor truly patriotic, in tl.u
month rd September lait, without wait
i K for the call of government, volun
tarily marched ou: to oppo?c ti e com
mon cn.-my, at that time making de.
predatior.s on the frontiers of North
C -*r In.a—and on the seventh dap oi
Octobrb) a well timed, judiciousin&d
[liritcd 1 track, with a lerte inferior to
that of Major Ferguson thcD advanta.
geoublv posted on King’s Mountain,
with upwards of eleven hundred men,
aod by a perseverance and gallantry |
rarely to he met with, even among ve-|
tt ran troops, totally defeated the whole j
party ; whereby a formidable and dan. i
gerous sch'-me of the enemy was ef
fectually frustrated.
TcbIc ,
WILLIAM DREW, p. s.
Gr^i.r.w:;n,
I he rrtolve of your house, does
my«elf and thebravr Militia, who ac-I
r.mpar.ied me in the d-frat of Major1
i>rgubon, the greatest honor, and <1^. ,
mantis it nrcessar* our future exerti
ons-*pffou>pff<l onlv by a sense of the
lu*y we owed our country, and a [
»'nr.«-tc attarhment to oar excellent
.urtsUiatioo and government, we *o
lertook that entrrptise, and a good
jrovidmee enabled us happyly to ^uc
'Ctfedin it. You will please,
•men to signify my cordial acknow
ledgement to the Senate, for th* very
j favorable light, in which that respecta
ble body U plesscd to consider our ser
vices.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL.
Col. Freston then delivered an elo
quent and patriotic Oration. He closed
and all was expressive silence. Five or
six gentlemen and as many young la
dies encircled the Temple and sung
the following truly elegant and sublime
ode, in part taken from the dirge ol
Wolf, and prepared for the occasion,
in which Virginia is introduced mourn
ing for her favorite suns—a choir oi
Angels descend to comfort her, the$
inform her of their fate, having escor
ted the fallen heroes to heavenly man
sions*
ODE,
1. In a mouldering cave whertt th<
wretched retreat,
Virginia sat wasted with care,
Shejrept for her sons and excLinlec
| against fate,
And gave herself up to despair*
2. The walls of her cell were sculp
tured around,
With exploits of her favorite sons
And even the dust a* it lay on thi
ground,
Was engraved with some deeds thej
had done.
3-. God hearing her sighs from thi
mansions above,
Sent Angels to soften h<*r grief,
xucy new 10 mecarm wuntne tiding!
oflovt*,
And said as they gave her relief:
4. ‘ \h-ginia forbear, not a sigh nor i
i \ tear,
For thy sons so deservedly lov’d,
Thy grief shall be chang’d to triumph:
of joy,
Thy sons are not dead but removed
5. When scaling the heights of ersg.
gy King’s-Mount
They were call’d by their Father, tc
come,
They wish’d to see freedom with vie
tcry crown’d ;
But were hastened 10 heaven thcii
home.
5k With laurels and cypress we bounc
up iheii heads,
In darkness we clos: d up their eyes
And kindly conceal’d in the dress ol
the dead,
Wc convey’d them away to the skies.
Nothing cculd hate been more im
pressive or more heavenly. All was
silent satisfaction-*-:*nd the breast ol
him who didmotthen glow with sym.
pathetic feeling, must have been form
edkif a^mant. A pause ensued after
thxl^mnn & interesting scene.—The
m^iawere then marched down the hill
displayed to form a line of battle for
the military feat. During this inter
val, and sumptuous dinner, prepared
by a party of Ladies in Abingdon, was
at their request served up to the Pa
triots. By the time they had dined,
the militia were prepared for the feat.
I The Spectators withdrew from the
summit of the hill and the battle com
menced. It was an imitation of the
battle of King’s Mountain. As the
transactions cf that day are but lit*Ic
known, and as the little notice which
j has been taken of the batile has been
u'»acco\intabl\ distorted, cr discculor
ed by prejudice or mistake : it is but
justice to those brave m n, who achie
ved that brilliant and important victory
to make known to tre world some of
the f*ct* a'tendiog’it. The Anreiicans
v. ho fought the bat' .e wtio rot more
tUfttfeAfern hundred in numbi r. The
tftimh killed, voundc t, and taker
prison^s amounted to 1055. The at.
tack was cotitm-'.cedhy'lhe Washing,
ton and Sullivan Ih^iinentt and sus
tained about ten minutes, while the
other ttoopt were forming. Those
two Regiments were drawn up in from
of the enemy—-were the first who as.
cended the Mountain, and principally
fought the action. 'I hey were com
manded by Cob. Shelby and Camp.
bell„the latter of whom was by the u
nanimous consent of the other officers
appointed Commander in Chief stve.
r.u days before the action, and did oti
ihat day command the Americans.
A short time after the action commen
ced, tlfc Washington regiment rapid,
ly ap&c£lcd the mountain aud conti
nued to advance on the enemy, until
they were charged with fixed bayonets
and soine oflht-m run through the bo.
dy. They then retreated some di«. i
tance ; but were goon rallied by their
gallant commander, and by a well di
rected of their rifles, they drove
the enem^back in their turn & reach
ed the fevnindt 01 the mountain. Du
ring onref those critical moments,
col. Cam pbchb horse having entirely I
given cut, he ascended, the mountain'
on foot some paces before aoy of his
i*»en, and having reached the point of
the ridge he ciomb over a steep rock,
an& 'tool; a vUw .of the position of tfir
enemy, within r. wrv short distance < f
their lines. Upwards ol' two third j ol
the whole milhia of Washington cou- -
ty, volunteered on this expedition, and
marched at least 250 miles from their
homes, across the highest mountains
within the United States. Washing
ton coucty was then on the frontiers,
and was exposed to the inroads of the
savagen It i s not intended by any
thing which has been here ttated, to
detract in the least from the merits of
the other brave troops who assisted in
gaining this battle, and particularly
i iro n the Sullivan reg;meat, who fullv
performed their part under col, Shelby,
thti»$tdlant commander.
These are lacts which can be sub.,
• stantiated at any time by original do
■ currents, and by numerous living wit
nesses* It may beemph -tically ask’d,
in w ftt part of th* American Kcyolu
. tiorvawa more patriotism displayed,
or mere unconquerable bravery exhi.
kited* Yet in ht"t*ry these Gallant
[ men are implic *tvd with cruelty and
inhumanity, and »heir well earn'd fame
is attempted to be taniinhed because a
lew of the tones who were taken pri
■ soners at that battle* were tried by a
Court Marthl, and having been either
► convicted of murder or other crimes
5 equal to it in point of atrocity, were
executed. Let any generous and im
r partial mind reflect upon the situation
of the country at the time the battle
* on King’s Mountain was fought, and
it will easily perceive with what in
justice the conduct of those gallant
i men is implicated for vr hat was done
on ihn^mlcasjon. At a moment when
the la^t^leam of hope was nearly ex
-o--'*7 i.i*v vi \ji uiu ni*
1 dew ahd the orphan were heard in e.
very part of North and South Caroli
na, and the dagger of the cruel and in
1 humai* to*y* was seen streaming with
the blood of infant children, when the
• n actful and ignorant peasantry were
k driven from their homes and their
humble cottages set on flames. At
, such a time and under such circum
ces, where is the moralist to be found
, who would not justify an act, which
had for its object the safety and re
. pose uf cur desponding people, and
which was absolutely niccs>ary for
their preservation? The battle cf
King’s Mountain was as important in
its consequences es it was gallantly a
l chieveu. I he soldiers who fought on
that day deserve to have statues e
rectcd to their memories, and rheir
j names deser?e to be c-r; lied in th
! page of history, among i:s brightest
: ornaments.
J
Abingdon, Oct. 15, 1810.
! We have the honor to request of
; Col. Francis Preston, that he will fur
j nish a copy cf his Oration delivered
| on the 6lh instant to the 70 and 105 h
Regifkents, and a large concourse cf
cifugOTi, in celebration of the 30than
nivet^ry of the battle of King’s Moun
tain, together with a copy of the res*
lution of the Legislature of Virginia,
approving the conduct cf those who
achieved that important victory, and
Gen. Campbell’s re ly, for publication
iathe Houston Intelligence).
ANDREW RUSSELL,
HENRY St. JOHN DIXON, i
JOHN CAMPBELL,
DAVID CAMPBELL,
MITCHELL TATE,
EDWARD CAM PELL,
JOHN G. USTICK,
EDMOND HENRY.
Gentleman.
I the address I delivered on
the 6th inst. met the approbation ofn*;
ny, it must have been «.iore from the
occasion than the riompositioD, for the
time Itmdd snatch from my various
avocatitJlCwas too limited to afford an
oppoituWy of obtain ng torteci infor
mation of the subject. The ideas
therefore were thrown togetl er entire
ly for the entertainment, of the day,
without an exp».ct»tion of its being prc.
seated to public v^ew, through t..e itie*
dium of the press—It is with rrlue
tanre therefore that 1 can prevail on
myself to comply with youf poll* re
quest, so fa a* it re*pe<t*» the public*
•ion of the addrrsbut, in respect to
the resolution of the J.eg slature nf
V rginia, rppr ving the ' conduct o.
i those who achieved ihat important vie
| tory, and Ger. Campbell’* reply, it
(gives me pleasure to communicate,
| them, as they shew to the present ge
neration, the high sens'* the’r country
had at that period of th <t aff ir,
^With sentiment of esteem,
1 am, gentlemen,
Your mr>-4 rhe i’r.
FRANCIS PRESTON.
October 15, 1810.
ORA 1 ION.
WE have met hfie, Fellow-Citi
zens, to cominenr.ora’e a day, which
though little noticed »r the annals of A
mertcan history,yet not less import r.e
to the American people—A day tha.
will pvpp he held mrrtrhfully c!e?.r by
many of my hearers, who were then
bereaved of a tender Father, an affec
tion ve Brother, or anesteemtd Friend*
It wa» on Kiug’s Mountain, this d’ly
thirty years, that the precious Mood of
many of the citizens of this part ot ths
country flowed freely in dr fence of Lffl
berty and the Rights of Man. T e
bones of the KOMIS TONS, the
BOWENS, theM’CUULOCKS, and
other brave heroes are mouldering iq •
to dust on that ever naemorablSTJill.—I
Let us then uuite in paying a tribute
of respecc to the manes of those de
ceased warnors who fell in defence of
our common country ; as also to those
grey headed Survivors that have hon
ored us with their presence to day._
To behold that Gr.mpe of hoary head
ed sires, agrd 8c infirm bending down*
wards to the grave, with mangled
limba and mutilated todies received in
defence of Lifcrriy, is indeed a feast to
the Pniianthropiftt • and it is wonder*
ful to me, that to nuch a meeting there
could be an objection * that there is a
man in the county whose heart is so
cold as to forbid his presence on an oc
casion which excite* such sympathetic
such noble feelings. The comme*
ir.oration of that battle, and the yisld
<ng a tribute of respect to those vene
rable men does not detract from the
merit of many a well fought battle dur
i g our glorious revolution ; or blight
in the smallest degree, the well earn
ed laurels of the warworn Soldier who
sustained the dangers and privations
of a seven year' war-far tram it— ev
‘ry tongue here would join in giving
respect to «U;h character*. But be
cause this affair was peculiarly interest
ing to this country* it being achieved
nnnriballr Kr*. «.'<> _ __ * •
i i r j -ill;Ll 1JC
cauee sc» little justice has been done it
in the history of those times, it was
deemed proper to rcsque it from obfivi
an by thus celebrating ir—:nid, at the
same time to perform those duties we
owe our coumrv, ii? devoting a portion
of oiy time to the requirement of mili
tary information —Perhaps it is more
to be regretted that we are from ne
cessitr to give any part or our time t«
exerci es oi inis kind- Ic is lameota
ble indeed, that man, when sccieiy has
arrived to 'hit high degre. ofcivil znti
on in which il is at present, should have
Ofcasi^jto devo e any part nt their
prec^jfc 'i e to acqu e the means of
drst/ dying one another rri h mere fa
cility. Yes! fellow men, it is an aw*
f 1 reflection—But tri m the depravity
f our natures, we fiijd it necessary
that the overruling feelings of ambition
and domination, snoui-i he corrected
by those means which are adorned for
their support—that the virtuous_the>
innocent—:nd the weak—may be pro
terted from the vicio-.-s, tho oppressive
/nd the strong. Hence it becomes a
duty to prepare the instruments of
death, and to learn their uae to check
.hese vicious propensities, in wicked
and wick d nations. Let us the ,
fellow soldiers,be not behind in mil it a- *
ry discipline, 8t let us not only learn the
*rt mechanically, but imbd’e a propor
tion of that heroic spirit fioin the aged
worthies before us, that actuated them
to the noble deed which we roimne*
i *norate this day. 1 he day may not be
far distant, when we shall have occa
sion to use the instruments of death
we now bear with us ; every informa
| tion we obtain of our foreign relation*,
j either from news-papers, circular let
ters irom men in authority, or private
correspondencies, we learn of denre
nations commuted cn our neutral
rights, that arc alarming indeed to the
peace and independence of thin happy
country. We are told that in confor
mity to the decrees of the French Go
vernment, our trading vessels are cap
tured and burnt on the high seas, our
sailors dragged to their dreary dunge
ons, w here they are languishing i > sick
n as and desrase, 9eperated from their
dearest friends. We are tuJd that the
Hritisb government carry their exces
ses even to a greater length ; that they
not only *eize our seamen, hut rccu.t -
ly force them to aid, in committing de
[<r< dations on their own country ; that •
thet h >ve nr.ui\l< icd our people oo our
own sh r. s and attacked a ua’ioaal ves
sel, dismantled ir, murdered and took
ofrnvanv of its sailors. The**? outra
?'• fights as a radon caution
-citizen*, that wc snail n t
long remain in pra.e, and erj.iy those
r gh s which our ‘or f itht rs to ight a .<1
oled f'tr—.Ns- r half a centuiy ago,
when the spot where n> now stand had
never been marked iiy the footsteps
of civ.lized mat, tv/tun the dread si
lence v.iiich p rvuled the unlinvteJ
forest v. as interrupted only by the
bowling of the wolf, or the more hoi*
rid yell-if s ivi!ge man, when our coun
ty did no. possess halt trs present ps -
pulation, wealth or reioircs; it \v-<*
ilea our f ircfubers ro*e in the rr-.ij-s*
ly of their strength, and opposed sue*
ces'buily their mother country*-— Fur
what / not because she h id seized *.;ir
teamen ; not because she had mur icr