Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-11-07
The Battle of Kings Mountain.
BY RICHARD EVERETT.

BY RlCHARD EVERETT.
We marched to the Cowpens Campbell was there
Shelby, CleaVeland, and Colonel Sewer: /
Men of renown, sir, like lions, SO bold
Like lions undaunted, ne'er to be controlled,
| We set out on our march that very same night,
Sometimes wrong, sometimes we were ght Il
Our hearts being run in true liberty's mould,
We valued not hunger, wet weary, cold
| On the top of Kings mountain the old rogue we
| found,
| And like brave heroes his camp did surround
Like lightning the flashes, like thunder the noise
Our rifles struck Tories with sudden surprise.
i SONG.
The ballad from which the above lines
were taken, is called The Battle of Kings
Mountain, and sixty years ago it was
very popular song throughout the Southern
States; for the victory to which it refers
was long theme for song and story among
the backwoodsmen of Virginia and the
Carolinas
In previous sketch we have noticed
the defeat of General GATES at Camden.
and the dispersion of his army. Two DAYS
after this event, Gen. SUMTER was defeated
J by Colonel TARLEToN, and British sway
, seemed firmly established in the Carolinas.
CORVALLIS rested his main army at Cam |
den, while he sent out small detachments
to subdue certain districts where the pa
triots were endeavoring to raise militia
Major FERGURsoN, British officer Of
great bravery and ability, with some two
hundred and fifty men, British and loyalists,
was sent towards the mountain region of
? South Carolina with orders to disperse all
rebels and capture their arms and stores.
) FERGUSON started upon his expedition
5 and falling to surprise the American Col,
CLARK, with his militia, crossed Broad
: River and encamped Eear what is now the
I. village of Rutherford, in North Carolina
: Having been reinforced several times, his
: command now numbered over one thousand
men. The tories of his army soon COM
menced their marauding, plundering attacks
n upon the defenceless people. The track of
|, the British army was marked by desolated
: fields and blazing dwellings, while murder
e and outrage occurred daily. To such an
d extent were these enormities carried, that
the people became almost frantic with in
i dignation. The voices of ofmurdered women
: = and children, shrieked, seemingly, for re-
= venge, and at last the day came.
" y Several prominent patriots began to rally
~ the Mountain Men, without any definite
vs. plan at harass first, except to the enemy.
n At length there was meeting between
Coils. CAMPBELL, of Virgin CLEAvELAND
ce SHELBY, SEWER and Mcdowell, of North
to Carolina; and LACY, HILL, and others,
re- of South Carolina They deliberated and
70 formed plans to put an end to the outrages
e then going on, and to capture or defeat
FERGURsoN and his force. Their DELHI
8 erations resulted in decisive steps, for on
the 25th of September there assembled al
d. Watauga the following forces: Col. CAMP
; :: BELL, with four hundred men, from Vir
he ginia Col. ISAAC SHELBY, with two hun
al dred and forty men, from Sullivan county
. North Carolina; Lieutenant Colonel JOHN
- SEWER, with two hundred and forty men
oy also from North Carolina Col. MCDOWELL
It's with one hundred and sixty men. On thu
IT'S 9th this body of militia began TO march il
I'd, pursuit of FERGUSON, and on the 30th il
8; was reinforced by Col. CLEAvELAND, will
D. three hundred and fifty men and soon af,e
by Col. WILLIAMS, with four hundred NOR
he from South Carolina
rv This force was purely militia -rifemel
10 -unaccustomed to parading or marchin
~ in companies, and carrying no colors. The
~ ! were brave men, rendered more determine
w. and revengeful by the sufferings endure
10. from the tories of FERGURsoN. A coun
.; Gil Of war being called, it was resolved t
nd pursue the English army and attack
O2. wherever and whenever found
ng On the 9th of October, the militia arm
I'M encamped within thirty miles of FERGUB
of SONS position. Col. CAMPBELL, in th
TO absence of any general officer, was chose
Vii commander-in-c and by his advice, nir
~ hundred of the best men, mounted, wel
az ~ sent off that night, while the balance
"ii the force was to come on after few hou
en- of rest Our readers must remember tn
her this was NO regularly organized army.
hat Each detachment recognized its own COZ
mander in preference to any other. II
and men were all expert rihemen, and majori
ced of them carried knives and tOmahawks-
v IS They were brave, rash, careless frontier
bv men, to whom war was pastime Tn
ror carried no baggage, no military stores, {
.oar :, pending upon their rifles for food We
~ 'Ien ison, wild turkeys, and various descriptic
Iiai' of game furnished them meat, and the bl
}. bling spring orpurling brook supplied tn
: Z. drink. They were painting for battle.
). Bands of British dragons had secured th
country and made it scene of desolati
BE. Their Tory enemies had burned farm hous
7 the destroyed stock, plundered-farms, and m
1bmit dered their women and children. Th
Office, outrages served to fire their hearts W
10 90 desperation. All that night the band
65 90 nine hundred men marched on At
IL 81 light, they rested four hours on the ba
e D of a wild creek which rises in the mo
46 81 famous region of North Carolina. I'll
arms were put in readiness, ammunir
ni' LOT prepared, and arrangements made for
fight No man thought of defeat. 7
. S. had determined to conquer or leave Il
bones upon the sandy soil, an offering
CeeE the cause Of Freedom. About 3 o'cl
on the afternoon of October 18th, IL
ntob the little army came in sight of FERG
: Lii. SONS camp. Aware that he had no
i'll. 'iilefy, Gne Americans apProa0neu VIZ
scause for the attack.
The British army, consisting of
er the twelve hundred men, Regulars and To
(. was encamped on wooded ridge of /
$ tail2 called Kings Mountain, the whole +
being concentrated upon a round &
,or.ont upon which scrub oaks, laurel, and b