The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-11-01
as many recruits as he possibl, could
Battle Of KINGS Mountain.

as many recruits DIS liz pOSSlDlJ COuAu.
- Battle Of Kings Mountain.
The news of his approach reused the
American Spartans to do or die. They
left their farms and ranges, armed and
came out of the passes of the Appa-
lachians. Sure-footed, quick If eye,
deadly in their aim as marksmen and
accustomed to deal hand-to-hand with
the savages in fights with knife and
tomahawk, they constituted ono of the
most. effective fighting forces ever as
sembled on this continent. Their garb
was buckskin. They came like true
frontiersmen in hunting shirts, and on
their caps were sprigs Of hemlock, en-
blems of their rugged land.
They came 1900 strong, under the
urge of mighty impulse, and 1t was
not until they were actually preparing
to engage the enemy at Kings Noun
tain, about forty miles from the pres
ent city of Spartanburg, that they
chose as their leader William Camp
bell. He was one Of those patriots
who had commanded troops of the ir-
regular light cavalry and, like Marion,
had suffered much for the cause OF
liberty. The result of the battle OF
Kings Mountain depended almost en-
tirely on the personal initiative Of the
men Of this Sparta of the western
world.
The American Spartans were accus-
toned to climbing mountains, and up
the steep sides Of the heights they
went with incredible agility, firing
from under cover of shrubs and trees
when they could. The British charged
down the hillside with bayonets and
pressed back the American line. The
pioneers formed again and went to the
attack with renewed spirit.
The cry was raised that Tarleton
was coming in from the rear to the at.
tack. Sewer rode like Sheridan among
the patriots, assured them that the re-
port was false and again got them into
line. The mountain was taken by the
Americans in their fourth assault.
The sharpshooting of the pioneers did
deadly execution.
Major Ferguson refused to surren'
der and although one of his men had
raised a flag of truce he struck 1t
down with his sword. He made an at
ts:opt to. get through the, American
lines and was shot five times and fell
dead, upon the field. After his death
his command surrendered. There were
456 British dead upon the field and
of the survivors nearly every man
was wounded. Only % Of the Ameri'
can fighters were killed.
=. Back to Their Hills.
The battle over the men went back
into the strongholds in the hills from
which they had SO suddenly come. In
the words of Elson: AT Kings Noun.
tain they turned the tide of the wal
and insured the ultimate independence
of America"
The success of the patriots in this
battle emboldened the forces Of lib
erty In South, Carolina to. concerted
action. Gen. Nathaniel Greene, who
had succeeded General Gates, reached
the state in the December of 17SO and
gathered about him an army Of $500
men. His first move was to send Dan
Tel Morgan, one Of the same type as
Francis Marion, to make quick dasf1es
into the back or up country and to dis
lodge, the British. With 900 men Nor
gan met Tarleton, whose command
consisted of 100 men, about fifteen
miles from the present city Of Spartan
burg. The battle of Cowpens which
followed nearly wiped out the entire
Tarleton force.
Tracing back the chain of circum-
stances which had to do with the final
defeat of the British arms the finger
Of history fingers upon the land of
the American Spartans. Their action
at Kings Mountain and Cowpens un-
doubtedly contributed greatly to the
final result.
After the war these pioneers turned
their attention to the development of
their fertile lands. The county of
"Spartanburgh" was formed. The final
''h'' was dropped early In the nine,
teenth century and the present SPELL
ing was adopted.
The development of the city of
Spartanburg was not rapid and even
In 1900 there was only a small group
O. settlers there. The city had only
1,C5O inhabitants in 1870. three times
as many in 1880 and $3.50 in 1890.
At present 1t has 10000 inhabitants.
It has only been within recent years
that the, place has come into prom
inence intustrially. Now one Of the
largest cotton mills Of the South Is
situated in the city, and the = has been
q great increase, tn ite resources
within the last ten yearn -