The Battle of Kings Mountain

                                                                                                                                                                     About  five and half years after the start of  American Revolution in 1775  the war moved to the southern states.  British General Charles Cornwallis  sent  British Major Patrick Ferguson, a Scotsman, into  the  Carolina back country  with a group of American Loyalist called Tories by the Patriots.

 Isaac Shelby and his Overmountain Men joined with Colonel Charles McDowell men and harassed Ferguson.  Shelby’s backwoods Patriots fought “Indian Style,”  striking from ambush with war whoops and yells. They would attack and then retreat, forcing the British to pursue them into the woods.  Ferguson called them “backwater men,” “barbarians,” and “the dregs of mankind.” but these were the "Overmountain Men". They were rugged frontiersmen who had fought against  Native Americans and were skilled hunters. They primarily wanted to be left along. When the Overmountain Men refused to take the Oath of Loyalty Ferguson sent the message,

“If you do not stop fighting against the King,  I  shall march this army over the mountains, hang your leaders and destroy your homeland with fire and sword.”

Upon hearing this  Isaac Shelby and  John Sevier decided they would march over the mountain first  and pursue him.  The Overmountain Men were angered by this Scotsman words and many of those who gathered against Ferguson did so to protect their homes and  families. A call to arms was sent out into the mountains.  A message was sent to Colonel  William Campbell to join with his Virginia militia men and Campbell sent word to Benjamin Cleveland to bring his militia from Wilkes County, NC. 

On September 25,  Isaac Shelby, John Sevier and William Campbell gathered at Sycamore Shoals where they were supplied with food, money and gunpowder by the locals before marching across the Appalachian Mountains. Can you imagine seeing close to 1000 frontiersmen with their long rifles readying for battle?

                        Gathering of Overmountain Men at Sycamore Shoals, a black and white reproduction of                            Lloyd Branson's 1915 depiction of the Patriot militias joining up. Image from Wikipedia

Shelby and Sevier descended the mountain and joined with the McDowell brothers at North Cove while Campbell descended to Wofford's Fort in Turkey Cove. You can follow the path they took and  where they camped by looking at the map below.

Map from Wikipedia showing camps of Overmountain Men

By September 30, 1780 they had marched through the rugged mountains to Quaker Meadows near Morganton in Burke County, NC where they united with Benjamin Cleveland and his men.  Quaker Meadows was the plantation home of the McDowell brothers. Burke County, NC was also the home of my 5th Great Grandfather John Mullins.


 A few days later on October 6, they learned  from Rebel spies that Major Ferguson and his Loyalist were camped on Kings Mountain near the border of North Carolina and South Carolina as shown on the map above. . Ferguson and over 1000+ men camped on the highest ridge of Kings Mountains. With the Patriots advancing toward him. Ferguson thought he had picked the perfect spot and couldn't be dislodged. He underestimated the Patriots.  The Overmountain men needed to hurry.......They chose 900 men who rode on horseback through rain to arrive at the bottom of Kings Mountain in the early afternoon of October 7, 1780. They tied their horses to trees,  divided into two columns and surrounded the mountain. Using their guerrilla type fighting, hiding behind trees and rocks the Patriots fought their way up the mountain. They won the battle in about 1 hour. Ferguson and his men were defeated that day. He was  shot from his saddle and died after being propped up by a tree.

 The Battle of Kings Mountain was "the turning of the tide" in the American Revolution according to Thomas Jefferson. It  also has significance for me. Through my genealogical research of my family I discovered my 5th Great Grandfather, John Mullins had taken part in the Battle of Kings Mountain.

 John was born in the 1750's and lived on the Toe River in Burke County, NC. Part of Burke is  now Yancey and Mitchell Counties NC.. Oral family tradition says John's home was on the route Colonel William Campbell and his overmountain men took. As Colonel Campbell passed by his home, John took down his rifle and joined him. He is listed in James Poteet's Patriot Militia. Tradition says that John told stories of the battle and his adventures in the wilderness. Later in his life John moved to Dickenson County, VA to live with his son John "Holly Creek" Mullins.
 
Although he is not listed among the King’s Mountain soldiers, John received three different pay vouchers for his services and a grant for 200 acres of land in Sullivan Co., TN.  "A letter to Senator R.E. Chase from North Carolina State Librarian, dated August 28, 1933 cites DAR Roster of Soldiers From North Carolina in the American Revolution, page 229, John Mullen listed as a Continental Soldier, Pages 200, 229, and 358 are shown the records of John Mullins of the Hillsboro District."

 He was the only man in Dickenson County to serve in the Revolutionary War.  They called him John "Revolutionary John" Mullins. A large brass memorial plaque was erected in front of the courthouse in Dickenson County to honor him for his efforts in the Battle of Kings Mountain.

 John was also called "Buttin John" Mullins. When he was fighting he would butt his opponent in the stomach. When he died in 1849 they buried him in a hollowed out poplar log because coffins weren't  readily available.

Click the link below to view his information on find a grave website including a picture of the brass memorial plague. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=64550754&PIpi=46330861 


 Great Grandma Elkins father's line were the Mullins. It is through searching her family line that I've found this story of her 2nd Great Grandfather.



*Information gathered from Wikipedia, exploresouthernhistory.com, revolutionarywararchives.org and numerous other articles online.