The Monticellonian., 1917-10-26

the time say with halters around their | necks." One of them, Col. Isaac Hayne, was captured, and after summary court-martial was hanged at Charles ton by the orders of Tarleton.
 Major Ferguson was sent by Corn wallis to South Carolina with 1,200 men. of whom five-siXths were native Loyalists. His instructions were to intimidate the rebels and to bring in as many recruits as he possibly could.
 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 of eye, deadly in their aim as marksmen and accustomed to deal hand-to-hand with the savaees in fights with knife and tomahawk they constituted one of the most effective fighting forces ever as- sembed on this continent. Their garb was bHekskin. They came like true frontiersmen in hunting shirts and on l their caps were sprigs of hemlock, em- | blems of their rugged land.
 They came 1900 strong. under the urge of mighty impulse, and if 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- 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 pressed back the American line. The pioneers formed again and went to the attack with renewed spirit.
 l The cry was raised that Tarleton was coming In from the rear to the at- tack. Sevier 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 sharpsho0ting of the pioneers did deadly execution.
 Major Ferguson refused to surren- der and although one of his men had raised flag of truce he struck 1t down with his sword. He made an at- tempt 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 28 of the Ameri- can fighters were killed.
 Back to Their Hills. 1 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 Moun- l and insured the ultimate independence of America"
 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 tag was adopted.
 The development of the city of Spartanburg was not rapid and even in 1900 there was only small group of settlers there. The city had only i,050 inhabitants in 1870. three times as many in 1880 and 5.550 in 1890 At present 1t has 10000 inhabitants. It has only been within recent years that the place has come into prom thence fndustrially. Now one of the i largest cotton mills of the South is situated in the city. and there has been great increase in its resources within the last ten years.