Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-11-26
BATTLE OF KINGS MOUNTAIN, OR
TIE HERO,S REVENGE.
TALE OF WING AND TORY WARFARE.

Do you remember this daya 1t was the 18th of
October, $780, nearly two months after the de-
feat of Gen. Gates, and after the humiliation OF
Sumpter Reader OF the richest history OF the
world-the history of your own revolution--can
you have forgotten it? Has it been buried III
oblivious silence beneath accumulation OF more
pompous events? Have its lurid !battlements
been eclipsed by the meteoric splendor, the fiery
glare of more gorgeous victories? Or has the
muse Of a continent yet found 10 son, who would
stoop to sing tn. stormy deeds of hunters fight
ing without copy, fed on parched corn, and re-
ceving no pay but the golden coin of conscience
and the promise OF theli country's good
See wonder on Kings Mountain, table emil
hence, with level summit, six hundred yards
long by sixty wide, lies the camp of Furgusoli-a
hollow paralleloeram Of scarlet uniforms black
uniforms and sharp bristllng steel. The drum
rolls. The red cross flies The activities are
defended by monstrous Titans OF dark rocks
Veterans, hardened in the fires Off dozen CAM
paiens, stand on the mountains top. 1t is the
E'King's Mountain" too. Who shall think of
storming its steep sides? We shall see pres
emily.
Look! three parties are climbing over the
rocks, ascending those old walks, of Natures
handiwork, built dim, distant, centuries ago per-
haps in the morning of creation. One moves to
doodull tflc WeSl clu3 W .AO Soot1
the third vail charge the centre. Is it not a
brave sight? But you cannot see them very
WELL for veil of blue mist shrouds the mountain
through which the eye Of the sun peers pale, as
it sick at the carnage about TO be.
The approach OF freedoms warrlogs ls cover
ed by the thin mist and thick trees, and even
now the black rocks aid them.
Suddenly on the three sides OF the steel and
iron parallelogram, nine hundred rifles roar,
and hundred shouts rise and then thousand
English muskets answer back with hoarse thun-
ders of death.
Furguson is not--cannot be surprised. With
furious calmness; he attacks the assailants with
fixed bayonets, and forces them to retire. But
they only give little, and instantly renew the
combat Every massy rock becomes battery,
every pine tree burns powder The marksmell
of the back woods holding their bullets in their
mouths for swift re-loading, and thus the torrent
of fire never ceases. The officers OH both sides
fight like common soldiers. 1t is more whole
sale murder than battle by rule.
But tell me-who are those two standing fore
most among the Tennesseeans on the western
edge OF the mountain top, disdaining shelter, re-
tusing to yield AN inch of ground defiant all OF
Britains bayonets! Do you not know, copy
the old man-how dark ishis silver hair with
wars sable smoke--how dim looks the white
beautifully it blazes now as death copies tory's
or tyrants funeral in every peal-with that
bold grandson still as ever, beside him His
eye flashes destructive 10y; matchless ecstacy.
OF battle; and yet he is not satisfied He groans;
"Oh God of Justice, where is Mary's murderer?
Shall Inot 6nd-shall any other hand than mine
STAY ,him!'
Now look on the other side, of the mountain.
You behold giant Of evil aspect in fiery red
hair. He leads company OF tory. rlttemen.-
They, too, are mountaineers, and do execution
as their brother toemen of their own land, who
struggle for liberty. That captain is Tom Bell;
derer Of Mary Ohiletlhim not cross the muzzle
fecked with its snowy paper!
Still on goes the bloody work Columns re-
peatedly charge and break-folm and charge a
gain Campbell, Cleveland, SEWER Shelby, and
the gallant Lacy rule Americas tide OF war,
bursting up the mountains chifted side. Fergu-
sons blue eye shines like a star, and Tom Bells
red face burns like comet, above the surgipg
sea of red coats.
At length there comes turn. Ferguson shapes
a. huge wedge-hke column of solid, cleaning,
blood-dripping bayonets and slowly pushes the
Americans in the eastern foot OF the eminence
Is all then lost No. See a terrible band of
the good and true from the cane-breaks Of French
ghanies have moved round the mountains from
the west. They are headed by the rifle with
the white paper on its muzzle, and they dis
charge cataract of flame into the British flank
Look now how the scarlet uniforms roll back
wards up the activity faster than they came,
leaving many red cross behind them.
See ,again-the freemen have learned to
charge, too, without bayonets. They charge in
coalesced columns, with fire and hot lead, and
drive the slaves down the western slope in dis
order to the deep base. Then the breeze springs
up and clears the mountain Of mist and battle
smoke, and the broad sun of heavens smiles on
the living and the dead.
As last resort, the brave Ferguson forms his
entire force into columns, to cut his way out of
thatawful circle of fire. He filings his sword
wildly on high. He shouts in thunder, 'sFor-
ward-charge !" The next instant ahe is a
corpse A rife ball from the muzzle wreathed
with snowyspaper, has gone through his heart.
The British, panic. stricken, throw down their
arms and cry for quarter. A number equal to
the whole American army are prisoners. And
now the old man raises anoarse yell that sounds.
the rRan-shout Of nine hundred strong throats;
'!kings Mountain is ours torever.n'
Thus terminated gloriously an engagement in
many respects the most important waged during
the war. 1t struck she sayages of the frontier
with terror from Ohio tosFlorida. 1t laid1n the
lust Britain's grand scheme of Tory co.opera-
ton. Lord Cornwallish ard OF it, paused in his
triumphant career, and ordered a hasty retreat
to Wmnsborough, eighty milesin his rear. Ma
rion and Sumter: heard oft, and renewed their
deadly anbuscades.
The battle. shock was over, and the sun shone
brightly on the dead and dying, on broken arms
and bleeding bosoms, when a jury, martial, sat
to decide question of avenging justice. Ten
atrocious Tories were summarily arraigned,' to
answer the charge Of fifty murders.
Among these pale wretches pleading for mer
cy. Tom Bell, the; Hercules, in red hair, was the
most AFFECT of all, and SO earnest were his pray
ers and promises for the future, that he was on,
the point OF being acquitted, when an old man,
with streaming white locks, broke through the
circle of guards and confronted the shiyering
culprt.
''Do you remember French Broad, and the
10th OF August r'
'tsave. me from: himn' cried the Tory captain,
stretching forth his chained hands for help, to