Arizona republican., 1907-10-08
PHOENIX ARIZ.. OCT. S, 1907.
THE ANNIVERSARY OF A MOMEN-
TOUS EVENT.

one of the most important events in
American history, and one which the
American people as a mass know COM
paratively little about. II is true that
popular historians refer to it, rather
casually as an incident of the Ameri-
can Revolution, but as one of the
minor incidents. The battle of Kings
Mountain was fought on october I,
1880.
In comparison with this engagement,
the battle of Bunker Hill was an I'M
eventful skirmish. The evacuation of
Boston, Philadelphia and New York
by the British was much less signifi-
cant of the ultimate success of the
revolution.
The greater American historians de-
voted themselves chiefly to recording
the events in the north, so that the
average reader is apt to believe that
the great struggle was really won
there and that the battles of the south
were merely the aftermath of the war;
the cleaning up of the debris of the
struggle for independence.
The fact that only about 1000 men
were engaged on each side and the fact
that the battle lasted only little more
than an hour may have obscured TO
chroniclers the great importance of il.
1t was in reality the first severe re-
Sustained hN the British and
more than all, it arrested the progress
of CORVALLIS in the south at a most
critical period. He had just over
whelmed at Camden, Gates. the hero
of Saratoga and the army of the gal
liant Lincoln had been lured to de-
struction. Washington was in a bad
way for men and money, the recently
discovered treachery of Arnold had
filled the revolutionists with apprehen-
sive fear, and altogether the prospect
was gloomy.
Colonels Tarleton and Ferguson, the
former merciless and the latter knight
ly, but both brilliant, were overrun-
ming the country and the 'loyalists" as
the British called them, but the royal
lists" or tories as we call them, were
swelling the British strength. There
was no longer any organized opposi-
ton. Marion and Pickens in distant
parts. were conducting a harassing
guerilla warfare.
Small handfuls of backswoodsmen,
under Shelby, Williams. Cleveland.
Sewer CNochaluchy jack and Camp
bell. were interrupting the movements
of Ferguson though all the time. they
were contemplating a flight across the
mountains.
The force Of Ferguson consisted al
most entirely of tories whom he had
drilled into a high state of efficiency.
So harassing had become the attacks
of the backwoodsmen that he sent to
CORVALLIS for reinforeements. He
felt himself in no danger, but he felt
the need of a larger force il the coun-
try was to be effectually and speedily
cleared of the guerillas. In his COM
munication to CORVALLIS he described
his position on Kings Mountain che
had named it after King George) as
impregnable. The mountain is flat
topped kite-shaped elevation rising a
hundred feet above the surrounding
country. The sides are steep and rocky
and difficult of access.
The design Of attacking Ferguson in
this stronghold, before he could be re-
lieved by Tarletan, then on the way
was formed by Shelby. The back
woodsmen to the number of a thousand
were gathered together and the at
tack upon a slightly superior force in
this strong position was begun on
three sides The combat was a bloody
one. The attackers were driven back
time after time by fierce charges led
by Ferguson. but always there was an
enemy in the rear. Ferguson fell.
mortally wounded. and the command
devolved upon De Peyster, who fought
CALAMITY until the backwoodsmen were
in possession of Kings Mountain. The
British loss was more than 400.
These figures are all small and pitt
able. hardly worth mentioning in COM
parison with those of many of the bat
ties in the north. with which every
American boy is familiar. But the eff
feet of the fight WAS momentous. The
progress of CORVALLIS was brought to
a standstill The flocking of the tories
was arrested and the revolutionists of
the north and south were heartened for
a band of undisciplined mountaineers.
who could only shoot straight, had