The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1861-06-12
THE scorcn IRISH N THE REVOLUTION

i
On the ieds Of the cowpens and Guilford
some nrganizrd companies from the Valley o
Virginia were engaged. and bore tie brunt q
The battle like veterans. Armed each with
his own trusly rifle, and skilled IL its use
from earliest boyhond familiar with the
most periluus form of warfare from expert.
ence with their savage foes; inspired by pa
triotic zeal in their cause, and brave BY yery
nature, even IL un,liseiplined they must still
have been most effective tronps. Some Brit.
ish prisoners asked, after tile battle uf Gull
fnrd. to be shown one Of the guns used b,
these companies. and viewing il. with in
tensest interest. exclaimed, that !" Cod and
law should forbid the use Of such deadly
weapons" The Rev. Samuel Houston, a
private in the Rockbridge company, " ad
mits. in his Journal, yet extant, that he
discharged his rifle " fourteen times max.
ing once for every ten minutes that "thc
contest lasted The others, doubtless, did
as much; and such rihemen were accustom.
ed to ere only with fatal aim. Il is yet told
and we'll believed among their descendants,
that these men scarcely lost q single ball
in all that batle... With other light armed
malitia they we're posted in the front lines.
and commenced the sction ;.but panic seiz-
ell the troops stationed as their support, and
the Valley rillemen were left standing alone.
Tradition tells that Capt. Tate. Who com.
manded the Augusta company, mortified at
the cowardice of the desertIon. irigned not
10 hear the order then sent his company 10
retreat, and Stood his gruund fighting till
himself and great numbers Of his men fell
dead upon the field, and rarleton's resis,less
cavalry cut through their thlnnel ranks.
The British General. CORVALLIS, made spe.
clsl inquiry. alter the battle, concerning
i" the rebel troops that we're stationed in the
apple orchard and fought so fariously = and
the Americsn General. Green, afterwards
said TO Maj. Alex. Stuart, Of this Regiment,
that there was time 10 the fortunes Of that
day, when IL he could only have loreseen the
bravery and fatal fire Of these
riilemen, he would have annihilat-
Cd The army of Gornwallis.
The memorable battle Of Kings Mountain
vas won BY men Of this same race; many of
whom. like their gallant leaders--Campbell,
shelby and Sewer, were born or reared in
Augusta, tried 10 her forest conflicts, and
conspicuous in the bloody battle Of Puint
Pleasant. The mountain men Z uf Nnrth
Carolina and Tennessee we're Of the sane
took aud it is probable that all engaged ia
he action were immediate descendants Of /
be seotCh.lrlsh settlers. General William
'ampbell, the chief commander. wore upon /
he held the sane irsty sword his grandfather
ore In the Highlands of Scotland. The
rading incidents Of the battle are character.
,tic af the people themselves. When the
ews came that Ferguson and his formidable
The identical gun is IN possession of John Brown.
e, Esqs Of Augusts. whose father bore Il In the bat.
n iis wcishi is over ten pounds; length of barrel
ree feet eight inches total enaih Eve feet; weight
ball about 20 TO the pound. An entry on the records
the county court assesses the value ef the aims lost
The death Of Capt. jamcs Tate In hs b1lie, via;
ae sun, 60, silver hi,ed sword, 81 Ios" Il