President Herbert Hoover prolifically described the Battle of King’s Mountain when he stated, “History has done scant justice to its significance, which rightly should place it beside Lexington and Bunker Hill, Trenton and Yorktown, as one of the crucial engagements in our long struggle for independence.” (The American Presidency Project, 1930) It was a little battle and a little army that fought it, but it was of enormous importance.
Following the two major British victories at Charleston and Camden, it appeared that American resistance was at an end as General Charles Cornwallis looked to have a clear path all the way to Virginia. By September 1780, Cornwallis was making plans to invade North Carolina. Before he could attack Colonial
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The militias marched swiftly and in feverish pace. They marched all night October 6, continuing to press onward until their arrival at King’s Mountain on the afternoon of October 7.
The attack would come as a total and complete surprise. At 3:00 PM, Colonel Campbell pointed his sword at the British encampment and yelled, “There they are, men! Shout like hell and fight like devils!” (The Battle of Kings Mountain) Fight they did! One hour later, there were 290 dead, 163 wounded, and 668 taken prisoner. (Scribe, 2014) Major Ferguson lay dead. The next day, Cornwallis received Ferguson’s plea for help.
President Hoover summarized “Here less than a thousand men, inspired by the urge of freedom, defeated a superior force intrenched in this strategic position. This small band of patriots turned back a dangerous invasion well designed to separate and dismember the united Colonies.” (The American Presidency Project, 1930) The Battle of King’s Mountain put an end to the possibility of an eventual peace with England under such terms as might have resulted in the United States of America having only ten colonies, not thirteen, and also set in motion a series of events leading to the end of the Revolutionary