Hello! Welcome back to our blog on the National Park
Service. In this post we travel south to
the location of a major turning point in the American War of Independence, the
battle of Kings Mountain.
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| Entrance Sign |
BACKGROUND:
While
the situation of the American War of Independence had reached a stalemate in
the northern colonies, the British had seen major successes in the south in
1779 and 1780. Beginning with the
capture of Savannah, the British had marched from to victory to victory, essentially
evicting American forces out of Georgia, capturing Charleston, South Carolina,
and shattering the only major American army in the south at the Battle of
Camden.
With
American forces routed, the British hoped to capitalize on the greater amount
of Loyalist support among the southern populace. The British strategy called for Loyalist
militias to shoulder the bulk of maintaining order in the south while the
British regulars would march north, rolling up the colonies from the south and
eventually pinning and destroying George Washington’s army in the north. To do this, the British sent out veteran
Major Patrick Ferguson, a noted marksman who had patented a new rifle design,
to raise Loyalist troops and crack down on American supporters. Ferguson’s heavy-handed tactics alienated the
populace and galvanized American militiamen in the mountains of western North
Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
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| The densely wooded forest in which the battle was fought. The hilltop of Kings Mountain is at the center of the photo. |
In
October of 1780, swarms of militiamen converged on Ferguson’s position at Kings
Mountain, near the border between the two Carolinas. Ferguson initially believed his position atop
the prominent hilltop to be advantageous, but it soon turned into a death trap
as the American militia completely encircled the Loyalists. The militiamen charged up the hill, using
frontier tactics to whittle away the Loyalist defenders. At the height of the fighting, Ferguson fell
from his horse, riddled with bullets from a volley of fire. Loyalists began to attempt to surrender, but
chaos reigned in the heat of battle and militiamen continued to gun down
Loyalists until American commanders were finally able to regain control of the
situation.
With
the destruction of Ferguson’s Loyalist force, the British strategy took a major
blow as local support dried up and American forces engaged in a guerilla
campaign. The delay to British plans
allowed the American army to regroup, leading to the decisive victory at Cowpens
in January of 1781.
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| A monument atop Kings Mountain dedicated on the centennial of the victory in 1880. |
THE MILITARY PARK:
Kings
Mountain National Military Park was established in 1931 following massive celebrations
commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the battle the year prior. The park preserves a huge tract of land
surrounding the eponymous hill on which the battle was fought. The park was originally much larger, but the
entire eastern half was given over the state of South Carolina and converted
into a state park. The park is located
in a very rural area and the combination of this and the sheer size of the park
has allowed the battlefield to remain in near the same condition as it was
during the battle. In addition to the
visitor center and the Battlefield Trail, the park includes horseback riding
trails which overlap with the adjacent state park, and a backcountry
campground. The park is also the terminus
of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, which traces the routes
used by militiamen to reach the battlefield at Kings Mountain.
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| Artifacts belonging to American militiamen who fought in the battle on display in the visitor center. |
TRAVEL TIPS:
Kings
Mountain National Military Park is located in northern South Carolina, roughly
a forty-five-minute drive west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is possible to visit and walk the
battlefield in less than two hours. The
visitor center contains a short film and exhibits on the battle including
artifacts used by participants. The Battlefield
Trail is paved and handicapped accessible. Passport stamps can be found in the visitor
center.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| The trace of the colonial road which once ran past the hill. |
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| A marker commemorating the 150th Anniversary celebrations in 1930 which were presided over by President Herbert Hoover. |
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| A stone on the hilltop marking the spot where the British commander Major Ferguson was killed during the battle. |
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| A topographical light board in the visitor center which reconstructs for visitors the events of the battle. |
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| The grave of Major Ferguson, located at the base of Kings Mountain. |
