The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1858-04-15
Battle Of Kings Mountain.

.0 es'uS auSie IN tne january IN o
OF the University Magssiae-the materials
to- which we suppose were furnished by
Gov. Swain-is devoted to sketch of the
life and character of Col. James Williams
one OF the five commanders at Kings Noun.
tam, and the only one of them who fell in
the glorious victory. After devo,ing ten
pages to the subject, the writer closes as
follows:
NO man has ever seen-no man will ever
sea Kings Mountain muster roll. None
ever existed. The followers of Fitz James
aud Rhoderic Dhu, with few exceptions, can
be individualzed by history with as much
certainty as the gallant men vino answers,
the silver whistle of Furguson with the
death.defying shout of Williams, and the
echoing voice OF thousand rifles.
1t is perhaps impossible to show with
much certainty not merely who they were.
but whence they came. Col. Preston, in his
address at the anniversary celebration of
1853, supposes the little army to have been
composed of men, nearly in equal numbers
from Virginia, North Carolina and South
Carolina. If North Carolina had been as
fully and as ably represented at the celebra.
ton as in the Battle feld-at the feast as
in the fight-we would probably have had
different estimate.
leave slaughter to the Turkish hordes
And shed the blood of Scio's vine"
1t appears from official accounts of the
battle, recently exhumed by Mr.. LOSING,
from the papers Of Gen. Gates, that on the
25th Of September 1880, Col. Campbell
with 100 Virginians, Col. Isaac Shelby with
24o men from Washington county, N c.,
assembled at Watauga, where they were
Joined by Col. Charles Mcdowell with lGO
men from Burke and Rutherford. They be.
gun the march across the mountain on the
26th, and the 3oth, on the Catawba, their
forces were augmented by the addition Of
ESQ men from Wilkes and Surry, under
Col. Cleveland. When they reached the Cow.
pens on the 9Th of October, they were met
by Col. James Williams. At the time the
junction was formed with Williams, the
army was composed Of 400 Virginians un
der Campbell, and 900 North Carolinians
under Shelby, Sewer, Mcdowell and Cleve.
land. From these 1890 men from Virginia
and North Carolina, and from Williams reg
iment, 900 Of the best horsemen. were Sc.
iected for the attack, and On the following
day the victory was won. &c.
The number Of men who fought under
Williams, will never be ascertained, and the
proportion from South Carolina, is a matter
perhaps of still greater uncertainty. 81 a
The authority to raise a company of
mounted men in Caswell, indicates one ele-
ment of Williams regiment. The father of
the Hon. Anderson Mitchell, of Wilkes, was
a member of the Caswell company.
The second ascertainable element of this
is the sixty men under ,Hambright and
Chronicle, from then Tyron, now Lincoln
county.
The third {perhaps,) abou. 80 Georeians,
under Major Chandler and Capt. johnson.
The fourth South Carolinians, in what
proportion we are unable to state with much
confidence Of accuracy. General Lenoir,
who fought as a Captain under Cleveland
in bis account Of the battle casually remarks
that; f|'sit =.
The advanced party of mountain inian.
try being joined by Col. Williams, with
a few Sopb Carolina militia, in the evening
arrived at q place called Cowpens, in Soutb
Carolina" DC. The South Carolinians un.
der Williams, were doubtless the elite of the
State, probably from the Waxhaw in larger
proportion than any other settlement, and
braver men than these. who with the infant
jackson were .nurtnred in the military
school Of Davie, were nowhere to be found