The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-09
THE BATTLE OF KINGS MOUNTAIN
The Story of Backwoods Army.
TBy Theodore Rooseyelt.1


tBy Theodore ROOSEVELT
In 1850 the whole south lay at the feet
OF the British forces under their ablest
general, Lord CORVALLIS. Georgia and
South Carolina had been completely
crushed; the Continental army under
Gates had suffered one of the most decls-
i've overthrows OF the whole war, and
Corvallis two active and vigorous lieu
administration the dragon, and Fergu-
son the rifieman-at the head of their
troops of horse and foot, had smashed
and broken all of the scattered American
bands which still endeavored to carry on
a partisan warfare. Then CORVALLIS
marched northward into North Carolina,
Tarlton and Ferguson moving separately
from him so that they might the better
overrun the whole state and crush out all
opposition. There was scarcely SEM
blance of an organized force against him.
The cause of independence seemed lost in
the southern states.
It was at this moment that the noun
taineers struck and killed Ferguson at
Kings mountain, captured all his force,
and thereby oblige CORVALLIS to with
draw from North Carolina, and gave TO
the American regular forces the breathing
spell which was absolutely necessary to
allow them to gather strength for a re-
neWal of the contest.
When the British moved into North
Carolina Ferguson, a singularly gallant
and intrepid partisan leader, and a man
well known for his personal prowess and
his skill with the rife, was assigned to
the command of the western force; this
body OF soldiers was to arouse the Tory
militia and to hurry the Wings OF the
back country.
A BACKwooDs ARMY.
SO far from being frightened, the fierce
and hardy backwoodsmen were merely
aroused to a point OF furious anger.
Gathering under the famous frontier
leaders, Colonels Sewer and Shelby. thew
made ready to march against Ferguson.
It was typical baekwoods army. The
men came under their own leaders.
mounted on their own horses, carryin p
on their shoulders the long rifles from
which they were never willingly parted.
They were clad in hunting shirts of
buckskin and homespun belted in at the
waist with girdles, from which hung
their tomahawks aud scalping knives:
and their provisions they carried with
them. driving bullocks and pack-horses.
They were joined by the backwoods
mountaineers of Southwestern Virginia
under Colonel Campbell; and after cross
ing the mountains by steep and precipi-
tate defiles, they met and united with an
other body Of militia under Colonel Cleve-
land.
They had now gathered to the number
of over 1900, and marched straight Tor
Ferguson. The latter was warned OF their
approach, and having but /, 100 men with
him he retreated by easy stages, sending
out couriers to rally to him I'll the Tory
militia of the neighborhood.
He kept falling back, so as to be within
easy supporting distance OF rarlton, and
as the American militia were still long
distance from him he would surely have
made his escape had not the backwoods
leaders decided to pick out the choice of
their men, and by riding nignt and day
strike him before he could be reinforced.
Accordingly q thousand picked men
were chosen. They started on the long
ride by night and day toward their foes.
Campbell and Cleveland, Sewer and
Shelby riding in the front ranks.
THE TORY CAMP.
{ Ferguson had chosen for his camp a