The Historical Atlas of the American Revolution by Ian Barnes Charles Royster

Author:Ian Barnes, Charles Royster [Ian Barnes, Charles Royster]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Reference, Atlases; Gazetteers & Maps
ISBN: 9780415922432
Google: KpLky3YcHAEC
Publisher: Psychology Press
Published: 2000-01-15T01:21:43+00:00

Ferguson was a firm believer in Loyalist militia and drilled and trained his men into a highly disciplined unit, which pursued the patriot frontier force to Gilbert Town. He issued a challenge that if these mountain men did not disperse, he would cross the mountains, hang their leaders, and burn their villages. Shelby and John Sevier, with other frontier leaders, agreed to a rendezvous at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River. Sevier and Shelby had 480 men drawn from what is now Tennessee and they were joined by William Campbell with 400 Virginians together with 350 from Wilkes and Surry Counties, North Carolina, under Benjamin Cleaveland and Joseph Winston. Because of interpersonal North Carolinian rivalry, the Virginian, Campbell was given command. The force made its way over the mountains, collecting another 1,000 men from both Carolinas.

Ferguson withdrew towards Cornwallis at Charlotte and encamped on King’s Mountain, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This hill rose some 60 feet above the surrounding terrain and comprised a plateau about 600 yards long and 70 to 120 yards wide. The camp was protected by steep, rocky, wooded sides making the mountain a veritable mini-fortress.

Campbell’s men separated into various columns, intending to fight Ferguson from a variety of directions. The assault was to be conducted using wilderness battle techniques by using the trees as cover. This policy favored Campbell’s men as they crept up the hillsides to attack the Loyalist red-coated militia from cover. An irregular but destructive fire frustrated Ferguson who launched bayonet charges against the Americans driving Campbell’s personal column down the hill. A South Carolina Loyalist officer, Captain Alexander Chesney, later reported: “In this manner, the engagement was maintained for near an hour, the mountaineers flying when there was danger of being charged with the bayonet, and returning again as soon as the British detachment had faced about to repel another of their parties.”

Ferguson ran from one danger point to another directing his troops by whistle signals. Attacked from eight different directions, Ferguson was surrounded, and eventually shot down by several musket balls. His second in command, Captain De Peyster, recognized his hopeless situation, and raised a white flag to surrender. However, some patriots continued to slaughter men who had dropped their weapons and raised their arms. Ferguson’s force was destroyed with 157 dead, 163 wounded, and 698 captured. The mountain men suffered 28 killed and 64 wounded. This remarkable event was unusual in that all participants were Americans. Additionally, Cornwallis’ timetable was disrupted and he decided to overwinter at Winnsborough, South Carolina, rather than attempt to continue any invasion of North Carolina. Campbell’s victory encouraged rebellion in South Carolina and disheartened Loyalists. The British retreat was harassed by Davidson, Davie, and General Daniel Morgan. The victory proved that the Carolinians had the spirit to defend their states and provided the encouragement to appoint Greene to command the South. A more somber postscript was the trial of Loyalist officers for treason. Several were hanged and the grisly business only ended when rumors suggested that Tarleton was approaching on a rescue mission.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.