Battle
The battle opened on October 7, 1780, around 3 p.m. when 900 Patriots (including John Crockett, the father of Davy Crockett), approached the steep base of the Western ridge of Kings Mountain. The rebels formed eight groups of 100 to 200 men. Ferguson, completely unaware that the rebels had caught up to him, was at the top of the ridge with some 1,100 men. Ferguson was the only Briton in his command, which consisted entirely of Loyalist militia, save for around 100 red-uniformed Loyalist soldiers from New York state. Most of the Loyalists were of both Carolinas' origin. He had not built any fortifications on his position. As the screaming Patriots charged up the hill, Captain DePeyster turned to Ferguson and said "These things are ominous—these are the damned yelling boys!". Two parties, led by Colonels John Sevier and William Campbell, assaulted the "high heel" of the wooded mountain, the smallest area but highest point, while the other seven groups, led by Colonels Shelby, Williams, Lacey, Cleveland, Hambright, Winston and McDowell attacked the main Loyalist position by surrounding the "ball" base beside the "heel" crest of the mountain. They caught the Loyalists by surprise; Tory officer Alexander Chesney admitted that he didn't know the Patriots were in the vicinity until the shooting started.
No one amongst the Patriot army was in command once the fighting commenced; each group fought independently in accordance with the plan to surround and destroy the Loyalists. The Patriots crept up the hill and fired on the Loyalists from behind rocks and trees. Ferguson rallied his troops and launched a bayonet charge against Campbell and Sevier's men. With no bayonets of their own, the rebels retreated down the hill and into the woods. Campbell rallied his troops, returned to the base of the hill, and resumed firing. Ferguson launched two more bayonet charges during the course of the battle. This became the pattern of the battle all around the Loyalist position; when the Patriots would charge up the hill, the Tories would form and charge down the hill with fixed bayonets, driving whatever Patriots they found down the hill and into the woods. Whereupon the Tories would withdraw when the charge was spent, and the scattered Patriots would reform in the woods, return to the base of the hill, and charge back up the hill again. During one of the charges, Colonel Williams was killed and Colonel McDowell was wounded. It was hard for the Loyalists to find a target because the Patriots were constantly moving and using cover and concealment. Additionally, the downhill angle of the hill caused the Loyalists to overshoot.
After an hour of combat, Loyalist casualties were heavy. Ferguson rode back and forth across the hill, blowing a silver whistle he used to signal charges. Shelby, Sevier and Campbell reached the top of the hill behind the Loyalist position and attacked Ferguson's rear. The Loyalists were driven back into their camp at the toe of the hill, where they began to surrender. Ferguson drew his sword and hacked down any small white flags that he saw popping up, but he apparently knew that the end was near. In an attempt to rally his faltering men, Ferguson shouted out "Hurrah, brave boys, the day is ours!", gathered a few officers together and attempted to cut through the Patriot ring, but Sevier's men fired a volley and Ferguson was shot dead from his horse. When the rebels found his corpse they counted seven bullet wounds.
Seeing their leader fall, all of the Loyalists began to surrender. Tory Captain Abraham DePeyster, in command after Ferguson was killed, sent out an emissary with a white flag, asking for quarter. Eager to avenge the Waxhaw Massacre, where Banastre Tarleton's men had killed a sizeable amount of Abraham Buford's Continental soldiers after the latter had surrendered, some rebels did not initially want to take prisoners while others were unaware that the Loyalists had surrendered. The Patriots rejected DePeyster's white flag and continued firing, many of them shouting, "Give 'em Tarleton's Quarter!" and "Give them Buford's play!". After a few more minutes of bloodletting in which a significant amount of the surrendering Loyalists were killed, DePeyster sent out a second white flag and a few rebel officers, including Campbell and Sevier, ran forward and took control by ordering their men to cease fire, giving quarter to around 700 Loyalists.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Kings Mountain
Famous quotes containing the word battle:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I remember the scenes of battle in which we stood together. I remember especially that broad and deep grave at the foot of the Resaca hill where we left those gallant comrades who fell in that desperate charge. I remember, through it all, the gallantry, devotion and steadfastness, the high-set patriotism you always exhibited.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)