The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-03-09
BATTLE OF KINGS MOUNTAIN.

An interesting article in the January No.
of the University Magazinr-the materials
for 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 King
Mountains. and the only one of them who
fell in the glorious victory. After devo-
ting 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
and Rhoderic Dhu, with few exceptions,
can be individualized by history with as
much certainty as the gallant men who an
swered the silver whistle of Ferguson 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. ia
his address at the annivel sary celebration
of 1855 suppnses the little army to have
been composed .'of men, nearly i'll equal
and South Carolina" If North Carolina
had been as fully and as ably represented
at the Celebration as in the Battle feld-at
the feast as in the fght-we would proba-
bly, have had a different estimate.
Leave slaughter to the Turkish hordes,
And shed the blood of Scios vine
1t appears from official account of the
battle, recently exhumed by MIR Lsssing
from the papers of Gen, Gates, that on the
25th of September 1870, Col. Campbell
with 400 Virginians, Col. Isaac Shelby
with 24O men from Sullivan, and Col. Sewer
with 240 men frem Washington county, N.
c., assembled at Watauga, where they
were joined by Col. Charles Mcdowell with
100 men from Burke and Rutherford They
began the march across the mountain on
the Goth, and the 3Oth, ON the Catawba,
their forces were augmented by the addi-
ton of $50 men from Wilkes and Surry,
under Col. Cleveland. When they reach
ed the Cowpens on the 9th October, they
were met by Col. james Williams. AT the
time the Junction was formed with Will
liams, the army was composed of 400 Fir-
ginians under Campbell, aud 900 North
Caroliuians under Shelby. Sewer. McDe-
well and Cleveland. From these 1890 men
from Virginia and North Carolina, aud
from Williams's regiment, 400 of the best
horse men" were selected for the attack and
on the following day the victory was won.
The number of nen who fought under
Williams, will never be ascertained, and
the proportion from South Carolina, is
matter perhaps of still greater uncertainty.
The authority to raise company of
mounted men in Caswell. indicates one ele-
ment of Wiliams's regiment. The father
of the Hon. Anderson Mitchell of Wilkes,
was a member of the Caswell Company.
The second ascertainabe element of this
regiment is the sixty men uLder Hambright
and Chronicle, from then Tyron, now ill.,
coin county.
The third (perhaps,) about 80 Georgians.
under Major Chandler and Capt. johnson.
The fourth South Carolinians, in what
proportion we unable to state with
much confidence of accuracy. General
Lenoir, who fought as Captain under
Cleveland in his account of the battle,
casually remarks that
The advanced party of mountain infant
ry being Joined by Col. Williams, with
few South Carolina militia, in the evening
arrived at place called the Cow-pens in
South Carolina" &c. The South CarsG-
mans under Williams were doubtless the
elite of the State. probably from the Wax
haw in larger proportion than any other
settlement, and Drawer men than these,
who with the infant Jackson were nurtured
in the military school of Davie. were no
where to be found.