The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-09
TURN ..Ij OF THE TIDE
BY THE AMERICAN VICTORY AT
KINGS MOUNTAIN,
Where the Whole British Army Was
Either Killed, Wounded or Cap

Where the Whole British Army Was
Either Killed, Wounded or Cap
cured by the Patriots.
There has been a great deal writ
ten about the battle of Kings Noun
tain. but in view Of the celebration
that took place on that famous ibat-
lie field on Thursday, brief review
of that notable event is not out OF
place at this time. 1t should be
interesting to all, but especially to
the school boys and girls.
It will be remembered that after
the defeat Of General Gates by Corn
wallis at Sanders Creek, near Cam
den on the 18th of August, l7S0'
the British had the whole of South
Carolina very much at their mercy
and proceeding at once to 'oVerrun
the State from the sea to the noun
tains, for the purpose OF stamping
out every remaining vestage or op-
position to their authority.
OF the patriots who had been DO
ing partisan service throughout the
war, some hid in the swamps and
forests, but most of them crossed
the border into the adjoining sec
tions of North Carolina while still
others took refuge in the new set
Elements that had been established
beyond the Great Smoky mountains
along the valleys of the Watauga and
the Nolichucky rivers.
Having proceeded as far as Gill
bert Town in Rutherford county, N.
C., without having met with great
deal of opposition, Ferguson was
here confronted with the quandary,
as to what would happen if he should
return, and the partisans who had
passed on before him should come
back to question the rights of the
Tories and Loyalists who had been
nut in possession of their previous
holdings during their absence, and
instead of going on after them, Fer.
guson established his headquarters
and sent word to the leaders who
were troubling him, that If they did
not come in and surrender, he would
cross the mountains and hang them.
Upon receipt of Ferguson's omni-
Gus message, Isaac Shelby, John Sc
yier and others, Immediately bestir-
red themselves in the raising of a
force with which to descend on Fer
guson at Gilbert Town. They secur-
ed the cooperation of Col. William
Campbell Of Virginia, along with the
help of a number of other leaders,
and on the 25th OF September, 1880,
mobolized quite respectable little
army at Sycamore Shoals on the Wa
tauga.
The army left Sycamore Shoals on
September 26, and proceeded as rap
idly as possible toward Gilbert Town,
gathering additional strength as it
came, but finally when it reached the
vicinity Of the place where it ex-
pected to find the British force, it de-
veloped that Ferguson had already
commenced a rapid retreat toward,
they were told, Ninety-Six, and as
the result Of conference it was de-
cided to proceed no further.
But the mobilization of Gilbert
Town was not the only gathering of
Americans to take part in the over
throw of the invading army. News
of what was up had passed among
the true and tried like wildfire, and
the partisans in Chester, York, Meek.
lenburg, Caswell and other surround
ing counties, were also gathering 10
have a hand in the great enterprise
that they knew was on foot, and
when they were all together, they
numbered more than two thousand
Communication was established
between the two patriot forces, and
the South Carolinians having sent
word to the North Carolinians and
Virginians at Gilbert Town, arranged
E conjunction Of forces at Cowpens.
In the meantime, it had been ascer-
tanned that instead of going to Ni2e-
ty-Six, Ferguson was on his way to
Charlotte, and it was unanimously
agreed to overtake him and cut him
to pieces.
Altogether the forces assembled at
Cowpens numbering more than four
thousand men, the numbers under
the South Carolina leaders on the
one hand and under the North Caro-
linians and Virginians on the other
hand being about equal. But most
of the men were poorly mountedy,
armed and equipped, and it was not
considered practicable to move such
a force with sufficient rapidity to
catch the retreating foe. 1t was re-
solved, therefore, to reduce the
forces by selection Of the best, and
when the elimination of forces was
over, the pursuing army consisted of
go men from the Notrh Carolina
army and 933 of the South Carolin-
ians.
Leaving Cowpens in heavy rain
at about s o'clock on the evening of
October 6, this carefully picked army
marched ell night and reached the