Rigorous Measures of Cornwallis in South Carolina.—Ferguson sent to
Scour the Mountain Country between the Catawba and the
Yadkin.—Cornwallis in a Hornet’s Nest.—Movements of
Ferguson.—Mountain Men and Fierce Men from Kentucky.—Battle of
King’s Mountain.—Retrograde March of Cornwallis.
Cornwallis having, as he supposed, entirely crushed the “rebel cause” in
South Carolina, by the defeats of Gates and Sumter, remained for some
time at Camden, detained by the excessive heat of the weather and the
sickness of part of his troops, broken down by the hardships of
campaigning under a southern sun. He awaited also supplies and
reinforcements.
Immediately after the victory at Camden, he had ordered the friends to
royalty in North Carolina “to arm and intercept the beaten army of
General Gates,” promising that he would march directly to the borders of
that province in their support; he now detached Major Patrick Ferguson
to its western confines, to keep the war alive in that quarter. This
resolute partisan had with him his own corps of light infantry, and a
body of royalist militia of his own training. His whole force was
between eleven and twelve hundred men, noted for activity and alertness,
and unincumbered with baggage or artillery.
His orders were to skirr the mountain country between the Catawba and
the Yadkin, harass the whigs, inspirit the tories, and embody the
militia under the royal banner. This done, he was to repair to
Charlotte, the capital of Mecklenburg County, where he would find Lord
Cornwallis, who intended to make it his rendezvous. Should he, however,
in the course of his tour, be threatened by a superior force, he was
immediately to return to the main army. No great opposition, however,
was apprehended, the Americans being considered totally broken up and
dispirited.
During the suspense of his active operations in the field, Cornwallis
instituted rigorous measures against Americans who continued under arms,
or, by any other acts, manifested what he termed “a desperate
perseverance in opposing His Majesty’s Government.” Among these were
included many who had taken refuge in North Carolina. A commissioner was
appointed to take possession of their estates and property; of the
annual product of which a part was to be allowed for the support of
their families, the residue to be applied to the maintenance of the war.
Letters from several of the principal inhabitants of Charleston having
been found in the baggage of the captured American generals, the former
were accused of breaking their parole, and holding a treasonable
correspondence with the armed enemies of England; they were in
consequence confined on board of prison ships, and afterwards
transported to St. Augustine in Florida.
Among the prisoners taken in the late combats, many, it was discovered,
had British protections in their pockets; these were deemed arrant
runagates, amenable to the penalties of the proclamation issued by Sir
Henry Clinton on the 3d of June; they were therefore led forth from the
provost and hanged, almost without the form of an inquiry.
These measures certainly were not in keeping with the character for
moderation and benevolence usually given to Lord Cornwallis; but they
accorded with the rancorous spirit manifested toward each other both by
whigs and tories in Southern warfare. If they were intended by his
lordship as measures of policy, their effect was far different from what
he anticipated; opposition was exasperated into deadly hate, and a cry
of vengeance was raised throughout the land. Cornwallis decamped from
Camden, and set out for North Carolina. In the subjugation of that
province, he counted on the coöperation of the troops which Sir Henry
Clinton was to send to the lower part of Virginia, which, after reducing
the Virginians to obedience, were to join his lordship’s standard on the
confines of North Carolina.
Advancing into the latter province, Cornwallis took post at Charlotte,
where he had given rendezvous to Ferguson. Mecklenburg, of which this
was the capital, was, as the reader may recollect, the “heady,
high-minded” county where the first declaration of independence had been
made, and his lordship from uncomfortable experience soon pronounced
Charlotte “the Hornet’s Nest of North Carolina.”
The surrounding country was wild and rugged, covered with close and
thick woods, and crossed in every direction by narrow roads. All
attempts at foraging were worse than useless. The plantations were small
and afforded scanty supplies.
The inhabitants were stanch whigs, with the pugnacious spirit of the old
Covenanters. Instead of remaining at home and receiving the king’s money
in exchange for their produce, they turned out with their rifles,
stationed themselves in covert places, and fired upon the foraging
parties; convoys of provisions from Camden had to fight their way, and
expresses were shot down and their dispatches seized.
The capture of his expresses was a sore annoyance to Cornwallis,
depriving him of all intelligence concerning the movements of Colonel
Ferguson, whose arrival he was anxiously awaiting. The expedition of
that doughty partisan officer here calls for especial notice. He had
been chosen for this military tour as being calculated to gain friends
by his conciliating disposition and manners, and his address to the
people of the country was in that spirit: “We come not to make war upon
women and children, but to give them money and relieve their
distresses.” Ferguson, however, had a loyal hatred of whigs, and to his
standard flocked many rancorous tories, besides outlaws and desperadoes,
so that with all his conciliating intentions, his progress through the
country was attended by many exasperating excesses.
He was on his way to join Cornwallis when a chance for a signal exploit
presented itself. An American force under Colonel Elijah Clarke of
Georgia, was retreating to the mountain districts of North Carolina,
after an unsuccessful attack upon the British post at Augusta. Ferguson
resolved to cut off their retreat. Turning towards the mountains, he
made his way through a rugged wilderness and took post at Gilbert-town,
a small frontier village of log-houses. He was encouraged to this step,
say the British chroniclers, by the persuasion that there was no force
in that part of the country able to look him in the face. He had no idea
that the marauds of his followers had arrayed the very wilderness
against him. “All of a sudden,” say the chroniclers just cited, “a
numerous, fierce, and unexpected enemy sprung up in the depths of the
desert. The scattered inhabitants of the mountains assembled without
noise or warning, under the conduct of six or seven of their militia
colonels, to the number of six hundred strong, daring, well mounted, and
excellent horsemen.”[49]
These, in fact, were the people of the mountains which form the
frontiers of the Carolinas and Georgia, “mountain men,” as they were
commonly called, a hardy race, half huntsmen, half herdsmen, inhabiting
deep narrow valleys, and fertile slopes, adapted to grazing, watered by
the coldest of springs and brightest of streams, and embosomed in mighty
forest trees. Being subject to inroads and surprisals from the
Chickasaws, Cherokees, and Creeks, a tacit league existed among them for
mutual defense, and it only needed, as in the present instance, an alarm
to be circulated through their settlements by swift messengers, to bring
them at once to the point of danger. Beside these, there were other
elements of war suddenly gathering in Ferguson’s vicinity. A band of
what were termed “the wild and fierce” inhabitants of Kentucky, with men
from other settlements west of the Alleghanies, had crossed the
mountains, led by colonels Campbell and Boone, to pounce upon a quantity
of Indian goods at Augusta; but had pulled up on hearing of the repulse
of Clarke. The stout yeomen, also, of the district of Ninety Six, roused
by the marauds of Ferguson, had taken the field, under the conduct of
Colonel James Williams, of Granville County. Here, too, were hard riders
and sharp-shooters, from Holston River, Powel’s Valley, Botetourt,
Fincastle, and other parts of Virginia, commanded by colonels Campbell,
Cleveland, Shelby, and Sevier. Such were the different bodies of
mountaineers and backwoodsmen, suddenly drawing together from various
parts to the number of three thousand.
Threatened by a force so superior in numbers and fierce in hostility,
Ferguson issued an address to rouse the tories. “The Backwater men have
crossed the mountain,” said he, “McDowell, Hampton, Shelby, and
Cleveland are at their head. If you choose to be trodden upon forever
and ever by a set of mongrels, say so at once, and let women look out
for real men to protect them. If you desire to live and bear the name of
men, grasp your arms in a moment and run to camp.”
The taunting appeal produced but little effect. In this exigency,
Ferguson remembered the instructions of Cornwallis, that he should
rejoin him should he find himself threatened by a superior force;
breaking up his quarters, therefore, he pushed for the British army,
sending messengers ahead to apprise his lordship of his danger.
Unfortunately for him, his missives were intercepted.
Gilbert-town had not long been vacated by Ferguson and his troops, when
the motley host we have described thronged in. Some were on foot, but
the greater part on horseback. Some were in homespun garb; but the most
part in hunting-shirts, occasionally decorated with colored fringe and
tassels. Each man had his long rifle and hunting-knife, his wallet, or
knapsack and blanket, and either a buck’s tail or sprig of evergreen in
his hat. Here and there an officer appeared in the Continental uniform
of blue and buff, but most preferred the half-Indian hunting-dress.
There was neither tent nor tent equipage, neither baggage nor baggage
wagon to encumber the movements of that extemporaneous host. Prompt
warriors of the wilderness, with them it was “seize the weapon—spring
into the saddle—and away!” In going into action, it was their practice
to dismount, tie their horses to the branches of trees, or secure them
in some other way, so as to be at hand for use when the battle was over,
either to pursue a flying enemy, or make their own escape by dint of
hoof.
There was a clamor of tongues for a time at Gilbert-town; groups on
horseback and foot in every part, holding hasty council. Being told that
Ferguson had retreated by the Cherokee road toward North Carolina, about
nine hundred of the hardiest and best mounted set out in urgent pursuit;
leaving those who were on foot, or weakly mounted, to follow on as fast
as possible. Colonel William Campbell, of Virginia, having come from the
greatest distance, was allowed to have command of the whole party; but
there was not much order nor subordination. Each colonel led his own men
in his own way.
In the evening they arrived at the Cowpens, a grazing neighborhood. Here
two beeves were killed and given to be cut up, cooked and eaten as quick
as possible. Before those who were slow or negligent had half prepared
their repast, marching orders were given, and all were again in the
saddle. A rapid and irregular march was kept up all night in murky
darkness and through a heavy rain. About daybreak they crossed Broad
River, where an attack was apprehended. Not finding the enemy, they
halted, lit their fires, made their morning’s meal and took a brief
repose. By nine o’clock they were again on the march. The rainy night
had been succeeded by a bright October morning, and all were in high
spirits. Ferguson, they learnt, had taken the road toward King’s
Mountain, about twelve miles distant. When within three miles of it
their scouts brought in word that he had taken post on its summit. The
officers now held a short consultation on horseback, and then proceeded.
The position taken by Ferguson was a strong one. King’s Mountain rises
out of a broken country, and is detached, on the north, from inferior
heights by a deep valley, so as to resemble an insulated promontory
about half a mile in length, with sloping sides, excepting on the north.
The mountain was covered for the most part with lofty forest trees, free
from underwood, interspersed with boulders and masses of gray rock. The
forest was sufficiently open to give free passage to horsemen.
As the Americans drew nearer, they could occasionally, through openings
of the woodland, descry the glittering of arms along a level ridge,
forming the crest of King’s Mountain. This, Ferguson had made his
stronghold; boasting that “if all the rebels out of hell should attack
him, they would not drive him from it.”
Dismounting at a small stream which runs through a ravine, the Americans
picketed their horses or tied them to the branches of the trees, and
gave them in charge of a small guard. They then formed themselves into
three divisions of nearly equal size, and prepared to storm the heights
on three sides. Campbell, seconded by Shelby, was to lead the centre
division; Sevier with McDowell the right, and Cleveland and Williams the
left. The divisions were to scale the mountain as nearly as possible at
the same time. The fighting directions were in frontier style. When once
in action, every one must act for himself. The men were not to wait for
the word of command, but to take good aim and fire as fast as possible.
When they could no longer hold their ground, they were to get behind
trees, or retreat a little, and return to the fight, but never to go
quite off.
Campbell allowed time for the flanking divisions to move to the right
and left along the base of the mountain, and take their proper
distances; he then pushed up in front with the centre division, he and
Shelby, each at the head of his men. The first firing was about four
o’clock, when a picket was driven in by Cleveland and Williams on the
left, and pursued up the mountain. Campbell soon arrived within rifle
distance of the crest of the mountain, whence a sheeted fire of musketry
was opened upon him. He instantly deployed his men, posted them behind
trees, and returned the fire with deadly effect.
Ferguson, exasperated at being thus hunted into this mountain fastness,
had been chafing in his rocky lair and meditating a furious sally. He
now rushed out with his regulars, made an impetuous charge with the
bayonet, and dislodging his assailants from their coverts, began to
drive them down the mountain, they not having a bayonet among them. He
had not proceeded far, when a flanking fire was opened by one of the
other divisions; facing about and attacking this he was again
successful, when a third fire was opened from another quarter. Thus, as
fast as one division gave way before the bayonet, another came to its
relief; while those who had given way rallied and returned to the
charge. The nature of the fighting ground was more favorable to the
rifle than the bayonet, and this was a kind of warfare in which the
frontier men were at home. The elevated position of the enemy also was
in favor of the Americans, securing them from the danger of their own
cross-fire. Ferguson found that he was completely in the hunter’s toils,
beset on every side; but he stood bravely at bay, until the ground
around him was strewed with the killed and wounded, picked off by the
fatal rifle. His men were at length broken, and retreated in confusion
along the ridge. He galloped from place to place endeavoring to rally
them, when a rifle ball brought him to the ground, and his white horse
was seen careering down the mountain without a rider.
This closed the bloody fight; for Ferguson’s second in command, seeing
all further resistance hopeless, hoisted a white flag, beat a parley,
and sued for quarters. One hundred and fifty of the enemy had fallen,
and as many been wounded; while of the Americans, but twenty were
killed, though a considerable number were wounded. Among those slain was
Colonel James Williams, who had commanded the troops of Ninety Six, and
proved himself one of the most daring of the partisan leaders.
Eight hundred and ten men were taken prisoners, one hundred of whom were
regulars, the rest royalists. The rancor awakened by civil war was shown
in the treatment of some of the prisoners. A court-martial was held the
day after the battle, and a number of tory prisoners who had been bitter
in their hostility to the American cause, and flagitious in their
persecution of their countrymen, were hanged. This was to revenge the
death of American prisoners hanged at Camden and elsewhere.
The army of mountaineers and frontier men, thus fortuitously
congregated, did not attempt to follow up their signal blow. They had no
general scheme, no plan of campaign; it was the spontaneous rising of
the sons of the soil, to revenge it on its invaders, and, having
effected their purpose, they returned in triumph to their homes. They
were little aware of the importance of their achievement. The battle of
King’s Mountain, inconsiderable as it was in the numbers engaged, turned
the tide of Southern warfare. The destruction of Ferguson and his corps
gave a complete check to the expedition of Cornwallis. He began to fear
for the safety of South Carolina, liable to such sudden irruptions from
the mountains; lest, while he was facing to the north, these hordes of
stark-riding warriors might throw themselves behind him, and produce a
popular combustion in the province he had left. He resolved, therefore,
to return with all speed to that province and provide for its security.
On the 14th of October he commenced his retrograde and mortifying march,
conducting it in the night, and with such hurry and confusion, that
nearly twenty wagons, laden with baggage and supplies, were lost. As he
proceeded, the rainy season set in; the brooks and rivers became
swollen, and almost impassable; the roads deep and miry; provisions and
forage scanty; the troops generally sickly, having no tents. Lord
Cornwallis himself was seized with a bilious fever, which obliged him to
halt two days in the Catawba settlement, and afterwards to be conveyed
in a wagon, giving up the command to Lord Rawdon.
In the course of this desolate march, the British suffered as usual from
the vengeance of an outraged country, being fired upon from behind trees
and other coverts by the yeomanry; their sentries shot down at their
encampments; their foraging parties cut off. “The enemy,” writes Lord
Rawdon, “are mostly mounted militia, not to be overtaken by our
infantry, nor to be safely pursued in this strong country by our
cavalry.”
For two weeks were they toiling on this retrograde march through deep
roads, and a country cut up by water-courses, with the very elements
arrayed against them. At length, after fording the Catawba where it was
six hundred yards wide, and three and a half deep, and where a handful
of riflemen might have held them in check, the army arrived at
Winnsborough, in South Carolina. Hence, by order of Cornwallis, Lord
Rawdon wrote on the 24th of October to Brigadier-general Leslie, who was
at that time in the Chesapeake, with the force detached by Sir Henry
Clinton for a descent upon Virginia, suggesting the expediency of his
advancing to North Carolina, for the purpose of coöperation with
Cornwallis, who feared to proceed far from South Carolina, lest it
should be again in insurrection.
In the mean time his lordship took post at Winnsborough. It was a
central position, where he might cover the country from partisan
incursions, obtain forage and supplies, and await the coöperation of
General Leslie.
[Illustration]