The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-11-15

MS 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-
lnchIans. Sure-footed, quick OF eye,
deadly In their aim as marksmen and
accustomed TO deal hand-to-hand with
the savages In fights with knife and
tomahnwk. they constituted n OF the
most effective fighting forces ever as
sembled on this continent. Their garb
M buckskin. They came like true
frOntiersmen In hunting shirts, and on
their caps were sprlgs Of hemlock, m
blems Of their rugged land.
They came 1900 strong. under the
urge Of a mighty impulse. and It was
not until they were actually preparing
to engage the enemy ut Kings Noun
tain, about forty miles from the pres
ent city OF Spartanburg, that they
chose MS their leader william Camp
bell. He was n 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 NJ 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
vas coming In from the ear to the at
tack. Sewer rode like Sheridan among
the patriots. assured them that the re-
port vas false and again got them into
line. The mountain was taken by the
Americans In their fourth assault.
The sha%rpshooting Of the pioneers did
deadly execution.
Major Ferguson refused to surren.
der and although n Of his men had
raised a flag Of truce he struck II
down with his sword. He made an ut.
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
Vas 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
4 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 1850 and
gathered about him ar army Of $500
men. His first move was to send Dan.
lei Morgan, one OF the same type rs
Francis Marion. to make quick dashes
into the back or up couptry 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 clrcum-
defeat of the British arms the finger
Of history fingers upon the land Of
the American S%partans. Their action
ut Kings Mountain and Cowpcns I'M
douttedly 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
IN" was dropped early In the nine
teenth century and the present spell
Ing was adopted.
The development of the city Of
~Sn"r'onburg was not rapid and even
In $40 there was only n small group
Of settlers there. The city had only
1850 inhabitants In 1870, three times
as many In 1880 and $3.50 In 1890.
At present II has 10000 inhabitants.
II has only been within recent years
that the place has come into prom
incncc lndustrlally, Now one OF the
} largest cotton mills Of the South Is
~ltunted In the city, and there has been
3 great Increase In Its resources
within tho lupf Tom uon.n