Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-01-23
AT KINGS MOUNTAIN
A Notable Contest Fought In the Reyolr-
tionary War.

A Notable Contest Fought In the Reyolu-
tionary War.
Two or three days later word was
brought to Ferguson that the Back
water men had come over the noun
tains; that the Indian-fghters of the
frontier, leaving unguarded the homes
on the western waters, had crossed bv
wooded and precipitous defiles to the
help of the beaten men of the plains.
Ferguson at once fell back, sending
out messengers for help. When he
came to Kings mountains wooded,
hog-back hill on the border line be-
tween North and South Carolina-he
camped on its top. deeming that there
he was safe; for he supposed that be-
fore the backwoodsmen could come
near enough to attack him, help would
reach him But the backwoods lead
ers felt as keenly as he the need of
haste, and choosing out their picked
men-the best warriors of the force
and the best mounted and armed-they
made a long forced march to assail
Ferguson before help could come to
him All night long they rode the
dim forest trails and splashed across
the fords of the rushing rivers All
the next day-the 9th of October
they rode too. until in mid afternoon
they came IN sight of Kings noun
tain.
The little armies were about equal
in numbers, Ferguson's regulars were
armed with the bayonet, and so were
some of his Tory militia, whereas the
Americans had not a bayonet among
them; but they were picked men. con-
fident in their skill with the rife, and
they were SO sure of victory that their
aim was not only to defeat the British,
but to capture their whole forcei The
backwoods colonels. counseling to-
gether as they rode at the head of the
column, decided to surround the noun
tain and assail it on all sides. Ac-
cordingly, the bands of frontiersmen
split one from the other, and soon en-
circled the craggy hill where Fergu-
sons forces were encamped. They
left their horses in the rear. and imme-
diately began the battle, swarming
forward on foot, their commanders
leading the attack.
The march had been so quick and
the attack so sudden that Ferguson
barely had time TO marshal his men be-
fore the assault was made. Most of
his militia he scattered around the top
of the hill to fire down at the Ameri-
cans as they came up; while drawing
up his regulars and Few picked mi
litia, he charged in person. with the
bayonet. first down one side of the
mountain and then down the other.
Sewer. Shelby. Campbell and the 9TH
er colonels of the frontiers men led
each his force of rifiemen straight to-
ward the summit. Each body in turn,
when charged by the regulars,
was forced to give way, for they
had no bayonets wherewith to meet
their foes; but the backwoods men
retreated only so long as tine charge
lasted, and the minute that it stopped
they stopped too. and came back ever
closer to the ridge. and ever with
deadlier fire. Ferguson. blowing a
silver whistle as a signal to his men,
led these charges, sword in hand, on
horseback. At last, just as he was
once again rallying his men, the rifle
men of Sewer and Shelby crowned the
top of the ridge. The gallant British
commander became a fair target for
the backwoodsmen; and. as for the
last time he led his men against them,
seven bullets entered his body. and he
fell dead. With his fall resistance
ceased. The regulars and Tories hud-
died together in a confused mass,
while the exultant Americans rushed
forward. A flag of truce was hoisted,
and all the British who were not dead
surrendered. Roosevelt, in
ST. Nicholas.