Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-11
THE BATTLE FOR FREEDOM
Story Of Kings Mountain and Its
Meaning.
SWORD OF The LORD and OF GIDEON
Where, How and by Whom Was Es-
tabIished the Boon of Human Liber-
ty-overthrow of Arrogance and
Pride Through Rough Mountaineers.


Let us go back in imagination to the
26th of September, 1880. The place
is a lovely valley in the eastern part
of Tennessee. Off to the south is the
outline of the Great Smokes" and
near at hand tower spurs Of the Alle-
ghanies in the dazzling sunlight, pres
enting in purple and gold picture Of
loveliness.
But there is near a serious body OF
men at the foot of Yellow Mountain on
the Wautauga, armed with Deckard
rifles, many clothed in the buckskin OF
the frontiers man, most Of them in
tears with prayers on their lips. The
venerable Samuel Doak, q Presbyter-
ian minister engages in fervent sup
plication to God for the safety of the
men, and as they are departing, closes
his utterances with the famous Bible
quotation. 1.-The sword Of the Lord
and of Gideon"
Who are these strange men and
what object have they in view? They
are Scotch Irish Presbyterian soldiers
from that region under the command
of Shelby, Sewer and Campbell: and
they march across the mountains 10
the distant borders of the two Caro-
linas to defeat and destroy that mon
ster of infamy, Colonel Ferguson, who
had left in the south track Of burn
ing houses and dead or starving men,
women and children. A man OF gentle
blood and noble descent was Ferguson,
vet he neither regarded man nor re-
spected God; he seemed to delight in
infiicting torture and misery on poor
helpless humanity man Of blood
and iron," he laughed at kindness and
made a mock of mercy. He was OF the
Scotch nobility and regarded common
people as brutes and beasts OF burden.
He was in September, 1880, carrying on
his fiendish work in the border counties
of North Carolina just east Of the
Blue Ridge. So these stern raced
avengers turn their faces eastward
and begin their long journey filled with
hardships and toll. In front of them
is the blue top Of Mt Mitchell beckon-
ing them onward to the call OF duty
and the service of humanity. AS they
are encamped on the summit OF the
Bald of the Yellow" two meh
lanes Crawford and Samuel Chambers
desert and convey to Ferguson tidings
of his doom. 1t will be recalled that
the American cause seems hopeless
and helpless at this time. All that
Fcrc1Ison has to do Is to march
| straight TO the camp Of Lord Corn
wallis at Charlotte to safety. But no;
he takes refuge on u small spur of the
Kings Mountain range and laughs AZ
his foes. He is said to have boasted
that God Almighty could not disiodge
him from this place. Thus situated
Ferguson would have been secure ex-
cept as against these expert rihemen
from across the mountains.
The battle ground is a ridge about
six hundred yards long and about two
hundred and fifty from one base across
to the other; or from sixty to one hun
dred and twenty wide on the top taper
ing to the south-"so narrow says
Mills that a man standing on 1t may
be shot from either side" The top II
about sixty feet higher than the othei
lands in that section.
On the 7th of October, 1880, Fergu'
son and his Tory band look out on
vast expanse painted in yellow ane
scarlet flaming with the glory or au'
tumn and on which the smile OF COD II
STAMPED; but they have no eyes fo'
this beauty, for they soon find them
selves surrounded by these pioneers
who had come from afar-joined d!
their compatriots from South caro-
lima and headed by the gallant Camp
bell who begins the attack and lead:
his men into the fray. Our men rusf
ND the mountain with terrific yell'
striking terror to the hearts OF th'
enemy. Instantly the conflict grows
hot and furious-our troops assaultlnt
from all sides, surging up the hill ane
driving the Tories helter- -skelter. the!
in turn, with bayonets cleaning along
the hill sides, rush the American'
down the slopes Now it is that th'
hattie grows fierce-guns flashing, mel
shouting, groaning, cursing, dying
Through it all sounds the shrill silVe
whistle of Ferguson guiding and oil
recting his men, encouraging here ant
threatening there. 1t is soon appareh
that the Presbyterian rihemen' COO
and well poised, are deadly in earnes
and their bullets go straight TO I'M
mark. AS the British push the Amerl
cans down one side, their comrades a.
quickly attack from the other Side
Shelby, Il man of iron, goes FORWARD
and upward like a man with a singh
purpose, to do or to die. The mountain
appears aiiame along its summit ant
around its base, with the guns splttini
tiny sheets of fire; the shouts OF tn
mountainecrs, the crack of rifles, tn
roar of the musketry mingled with tn
means of the suffering, create the I'M
pression of pandemonium. The pla!
- ao,tb Il. fna arf,,I-thp sky is darken