Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-15
NUMBER 293
Kings Mountain.

The New York Herald gives lengthy and
detailed account of the celebration of the
Battle Of Kings Mountain" fought October
7th, 1850, which battle may be justly termed
the turning point Of the Revolution. Kings
Mountain is in South Carolina, near the t,wn
Of Yorkyille, and near the North Carolina line.
The position Of the British was considered in
pregnable, as may be seen from the despatch
of Col. Ferguson, who was killed in the actor,
to Lord Cornwallis, in these words "If all
the devils out Of hell should attack him, th,y
would not drive him from his position" Tie
two forces on this occasion were about equal
numbering about !, 100 men, which fact, in view
ofthe superior position and discipline Of tie
British, ranks this amongst the most brilliant
achievements of the war; The occasion b,irg
one of national character, was participated d
in by several of the Southern States, and sever
al prominent gentlemen of the North among
them Hon. Geo. Bancroft, the historian, who
made an eloquent speech upon the occasion.
Some idea may be formed of the enthusiasm
of the meeting, from the fact that there were
over 5000 persons present, encamped in over
900 tents. The report says:
As may be supposed, it took no small omount ~
provisions to feed such q multitude but there
was enough for an army of SO, 900, and plenty TO
spare. Two hundred and fifty sheep. fifty beeyes.
and over hundred pigs, were barbecued the day
before the celebration, and it would take one man
several DAYS to count all the oaves of bread that
were demolished Imagine, if YOU can. such a
drove of cattle roasting and stewine Nall ~ once
over immense fires, each more than fifty feet lone.
and attended by fifty or sixty cooks! But tLe
scene Is not yet complete. AS soon ma the ba,be-
cue s at an end, over fifty tables some 100 feet in
length, and none less than fifty, are piled with gi-
gantic trays, full of smoking Winds, and around
these are assembled seven or eight thousand per-
sois all struggling fast and as hard as their ar
petites permit, to make impression on the moui
talns OF provisions before them. Those who can
not ind place at the tables are sitting inside tr
at the door OF their tents engaged at the same
agreeable work, and the whole Is 900 are engae ed
with the utmost unanimity in the discussion of
their breakfast.
The Hon. John S. Preston was the orator
of the day, to whose effort the following ex-
tracts will hardly do Justice:
This forest is lovely in the dying glow ofautumn
this mountain is beautiful in its lovclr grandeur:
this little brook runs murmuring its gentle and
ceaseless requiem besides that gravestonc--yhv
then, are they disturbed by this vast multitude if
men, the representation of mighty powerp WY
come up here youth, and manhood, age Al d
woman, the hope, the struggle, the triumph, tho
joy Of lfeg Ny countrymen not success. pors
triumph, nor power, nor prosperity--not the de-
crepitude OF age nor the yigor OF youth, nor al
the necessities of actual life can make us torr
the place where liberty was born We come d
to these places to worship, for they are sacred,
There be those ofhis here to day who are standing
on earth soaked with the blood of martyred kim
man In hat a1x AL =.
that steep ACTIVITY, our patriot kiusmen trailcd IN
their own sacred blood as they encirced the ferc-
cious beast who had been preying upon their lom q
and children. The fierce Ferguson lay crouched
at the summit licking his red chops after his feast
OF blood, and glaring at the mountain hunters rs
they closed around him. On one side the shln
determined Cleveland came out; out Of the deem
hollow the bold, and strong, aud daring Shelby
sprung, in front came the red-haired Campbell,
with the claymore Of the Argyles cleaning In Tia
hand, his blue eye glittering with luried flame.
They met as the terrible foe comes crashing
down like a herd OF hungry lions; they met with
an earth-shock, tremor, pause, the rattle, tho
roar, groan, shrek, wild triumphant shout
and the spirit Of liberty, like Paas watching over
her warrior sons, lowered for moment over this
wild mountain scene, and unfolding her purple
wings bore the glad tidings to the Father of his
Country, and to the hearts of her faintng soldery
in other regions Of her'chosen land. Applause
IL is the dawn of hope, and better for time,n en-
claims the sage Jefferson. at turns the tide OF
affairs in the South" says another patriot alt
checks the conqueror who is ravaging the Carroll
nas-it reconqucrs South Cardinal" at turns
the lion from his rapine and chases him from the
plains" Great and glorious cries the brave
but unfortunate Gates. But who are the men, and
whence are they, Who wrought this great work,
and thus consecrated this spot, even down 10 this
hour whose heroic patriotism thus checked the
conqueror in mid career and gave back life to the
expiring cause Of freedom? Lord Rawdon writ
ing to the British Minister Of this battlr Gays:
The men who fought IL came from beyond noun.
tans, the very names Of which are unknowI." Re-
newed applause
With their chosen leader in front, continued
Mr.. Preston and each chief at the head Of hrs
troops, firm in their saddles and fixed in their pur-
pose, dark and stormy as il was, away they gallop
ed in the hot pursuit There was a peltng rain
following, which rendered every precaution neces.
sary TO keep their weapons dry, and they rode
with their rifles under their arms. In the morning
they stopped for half an hour for an ill-pioyided
meal. At twelve o'clock the sky cleared, and
they found themselves within three miles Of Fer
guson's camp, on this mountain. They halted, un-
der an order passed rapidly along the linc-an or
der perhaps the most laconic and appropriate ever
given under like circumstances II was m these
words:
"Tc cup oyercoats. pick touch holes, fresh pine
and be ready to fight"
The officers here determined 10 divide their
forces and to surround the mountain. At this mo-
ment an express from Ferguson TO Comwall's was
arrested, his dispatches opened and read aloud at
the head Of the line. In them, he said: "T hold
aposition on the Kings Mountain that all the re-
bels out Of hell cannot drive me from" There was
no shout or disorder when this was read but
quiet grim smile passed along the line as they
struck into double gallop. In twenty minutes
they were in sight Of the British camp. They drew
up along the bank Of that little brook they dis.
mnnnfnh and i;cd their hnrron IL. ILL., e IL.