"Oddities of King's Mountain" Topic

Recent posts got me curious about the Battle of King's Mountain, 7 October, 1780, in North Carolina. I do NOT study, collect or paint for the AWI – main interests are 7YW Old Glory 15's; and 28-30mm Napoleonics, and only for the Peninsular War. But I did buy a used copy of "Uniforms of the American Revolution," Blandford Press 1975, at a small WWII wargame convention in Maryland many years ago. An oddity in itself?

Narrative in the book notes that Major Patrick Ferguson took post on top of King's Mountain with 1,100 men, and that he was killed by 1,400 "mountain men' and militia from Virginia, and North Carolina. I was puzzled, for I could not accept that a mere 1,400 militia could successfully attack up hill against 1,100 men. So I started "mining the internet."

Several sources note that the rebels came across the mountains west of King's Mountain from what is now northeast Tennessee, and the western point of Virginia – Bedford country and the like. 900 were mounted of a force of about 1,800. When 2 of their number disappeared on the march, the rebels correctly surmised that they had ridden ahead to warn Ferguson that this force was coming for him.

Oddly, Ferguson pulled back to King's Mountain while sending sending for help from Cornwallis. But he stayed in place instead of continuing to fall back to join Cornwallis.

The rebels decided to put their best 900 men on the 900 horses and pursue. With their hunting experience, and probably fighting natives, they were able to surround the loyalists, and started an uphill attack. 900 vs 1000 in defense = even more unlikely to succeed.

Continued next post.

It wasn't an attack in the conventional sense. They didn't try to close with Ferguson's troops. They got close enough to shoot and kept it up from behind trees. Ferguson ordered repeated bayonet charges which didn't catch the militia. They just returned and kept shooting. This was the one battle of the war that went according to the old myth – but the militia were the tough frontiersmen, really irregular light infantry.

There is conflicting information on the exact number of troops per side at the Battle of King's Mountain. However, all agree it was close to equal numbers and more or less about a thousand on each side.

As vtsaogames stated it was not the most conventional of attacks or battles for that matter. Then again few engagements of the American Revolution could be considered conventional as defined by warfare on the European continent. Ferguson believed he might be outnumbered and/or was being set upon by more than one force. I used to live in the area of Kings Mountain and have spent a good deal of time studying both the battle and the terrain. At the time period of the battle this area was primal forest with towering oaks and poplar. There was little ground cover except for a thick carpet of leaf detritus and the eve of the battle it had rained. The trees were in full color for the cool autumnal time of the year and the combination of damp, leaf canopy, and thick mulch would have made it difficult to hear much less detect/see men used to moving quietly and with stealth in this backwoods country, who would have been wearing buckskins or linen hunting shirts that would have camouflage. Also the Over the Mountain Men had good intelligence of where Ferguson had camped both from locals providing information and the fact Ferguson made no attempt to mask his camp fires.

Kings Mountain literately juts out and is a readily noticeable promontory among what is otherwise mostly foot hills with the exception of Crowder's Mountain which is close by.

Ferguson had only set up pickets who did not detect the Rebel forces until they had almost completed getting into position. Also Ferguson did not attempt to clear the area on the slopes of trees. The top of the Kings Mountain was a cleared area for grazing cattle. In the afternoon sun Ferguson's men were back-lit making excellent targets for men who were all sharp shooters and had rifled muskets. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

As vtsaogames also noted Ferguson attempted multiple downhill bayonet charges only to have the Over the Mountain Men fade back into the dense forest to regroup. As one charge would fail to make contact another side of Ferguson's position would come under heavy marksmen fire and using a whistle he would recall the units that had just charged downhill. Running uphill to meet the new threat the Frontiersmen who had just retired would then begin to fire and pick off the formed ranks marching or running back to the mountain top. Again those who made it back and were order to now charge down the other side got the same treatment. Imaging wearing all that woolen kit and carrying a heavy Brown Bess plus your lead shot on a warm autumnal day and never being able to come to blows with your foe.

Keep in mind also that Ferguson did not have an entire force of British regulars. No, he had about two hundred men who were considered Queens Guards who were loyalist who would have been well trained and drilled. The majority of his force were loyalist militia mostly of landed gentry or tradesmen who while having received basic training and drill were not even on a par with the Over the Mountain Men for stamina and skill with their weapons.

Ferguson in a set piece open field engagement would most likely have sent the Over the Mountain Men packing. Ferguson also would have been correct to make his stand where he did taking advantage of the high ground and daring his enemy to march up and match bayonets with him. But this was a case were the enemy was not going to play by Ferguson's or conventional rules.

The battle lasted a little over an hour with Ferguson attempting a break out which is where he lost his life as every one of the Over the Mountain Men was looking for that Checkered shirt and once they saw it they demonstrated their lethal skill with their rifle muskets. I forget how many wounds Ferguson was said to have.

According to legend, Ferguson was hit 6-7 times with shot that came from 8-9 soldiers tasked to bring him down.

Having walked Kings Mountain battlefield, it is easy to see why Ferguson picked it for his defense. But I can see where charges down the slope would not have discouraged the militia for long and would have done a lot to tire out the defenders. I am in good shape from plenty of exercise and carrying only a camera, I was still tired at the end of the day. Even the Park Rangers drive UTVs around!

The slopes are steep and the ground greatly favors the attacker. You can also see Ferguson's cairn where he fell. he definitely was taking the least steep angle off the mountain when he was shot. He is supposed to be buried with the second "Virginia" and ground radar does show a second female body inside the cairn with him.

A neat battlefield and one probably remarkably unchanged since the battle – LOL – outside of the very necessary blacktop circling the hill!
Larry