The Presbyterian "Rebels"

       In my last post, we took a look at a description of the Tories (the American-born men who fought for the British) who comprised the bulk of the forces of Patrick Ferguson at the battle of King’s Mountain.  Let us now turn our attention to a description of the Patriot forces that are beginning to close the noose around Ferguson’s neck!

       In the confronting ranks was a very different class of men. Those from the Holston, under Campbell, were a peculiar people—somewhat of the character of Cromwell's soldiery. They were, almost to a man, Presbyterians. In their homes, in the Holston Valley, they were settled in pretty compact congregations; quite tenacious of their religious and civil liberties, as handed down from father to son from their Scotch-Irish ancestors. Their preacher, Rev. Charles Cummins, was well fitted for the times; a man of piety and sterling patriotism, who constantly exerted himself to encourage his people to make every needed sacrifice, and put forth every possible exertion in defense of the liberties of their country. They were a remarkable body of men, both physically and mentally. Inured to frontier life, raised mostly in Augusta and Rockbridge Counties, Virginia, a frontier region in the French and Indian war, they early settled on the Holston, and were accustomed from their childhood to border life and hardships ; ever ready at the tap of the drum to turn out on military service; if, in the busiest crop season, their wives, sisters, and daughters could, in their absence, plant, and sow, and harvest. They were better educated than most of the frontier settlers, and had a more thorough understanding of the questions at issue between the Colonies and their mother country. These men went forth to strike their country's foes, as did the patriarchs of old, feeling assured that the God of battles was with them, and that He would surely crown their efforts with success. They had no doubts nor fears. They trusted in God—and kept their powder dry. Such a thing as a coward was not known among them. How fitting it was, that to such a band of men should have been assigned, by Campbell's own good judgment, the attack on Ferguson's choicest troops—his Provincial Rangers. It was a happy omen of success—literally the forlorn hope—the right men in the right place.

       Lacey's men, mostly from York and Chester Counties, South Carolina, and some of those under Shelby, Sevier, Cleveland, Williams, Winston, and McDowell, were of the same character—Scotch-Irish Presbyterians; but many of them, especially those from the Nolachucky, Watauga, and lower Holston, who had not been very long settled on the frontiers, were more of a mixed race, somewhat rough, but brave, fearless, and full of adventure. They were not a whit less patriotic than the Virginians; and were ever ready to hug a bear, scalp an Indian, or beard the fiercest Tories wherever they could find them. Such, in brief, were the salient characteristics of the mountaineers, and the men of the up-country of the Carolinas, who were about to engage in deadly conflict with Ferguson and his motley followers.

       The decisive moment was now at hand, and the mountaineers were eager for the fray. Campbell and his corps commanders had arranged their forces into two divisions, as nearly equal as they could conveniently form them, each party to attack opposite sides of the mountain.   Campbell was to lead his Virginians across the southern end of the ridge, and south-east side, which Shelby designates as the column of the right center; then Sevier's regiment, McDowell's and Winston's battalions, were to form a column on the right wing, north-east of Campbell, and in the order named, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sevier. Of these, Winston had, it will be remembered, made a detour some distance to the south of Ferguson, in order the more promptly to gain the position assigned him, and per-adventure lend a helping hand in retarding the enemy, should they conclude that a hasty retreat was the better part of valor.

       Shelby's regiment was to take position on the left of the mountain, directly opposite to Campbell, and form the left center—Campbell's left and Shelby's right coming together; and beyond Shelby were respectively Williams' command, including Brandon, Hammond, and Candler ; then the South Carolinians under Lacey, Hathorne, and Steen, with the remainder of the Wilkes and Surry men under Cleveland, together with the Lincoln troops under Chronicle and Ham-bright, all under the direction of Colonel Cleveland. By this disposition was the patriot force arranged in four columns—two on either side of the mountain, led respectively by Colonels Campbell and Sevier on the right, and Shelby and Cleveland on the left. It is reasonable to presume that, as Winston had been detached, when a mile away, to gain his assigned position on the right, that Chronicle and Ham-bright were also early ordered to gain the extreme left portion of the mountain, so that these two parties should meet each other, and thus encompass the enemy on that end of the ridge.

       Before taking up the line of march, Campbell and the leading officers earnestly appealed to their soldiers—to the higher instincts of their natures, by all that was patriotic and noble among men, to fight like heroes, and give not an inch of ground, save only from the sheerest necessity, and then only to retrace and recover their lost ground at the earliest possible moment. Campbell personally visited all the corps; and said to Cleveland's men, as he did to all, "that if any of them, men or officers, were afraid, to quit the ranks and go home; that he wished no man to engage in the action who could not fight; that, as for himself, he was determined to fight the enemy a week, if need be, to gain the victory.''  Colonel Campbell also gave the necessary orders to all the principal officers, and repeated them, so as to be heard by a large portion of the line, and then placed himself at the head of his own regiment, as the other officers did at the head of their respective commands.  Many of the men threw aside their hats, tying handkerchiefs around their heads, so as to be less likely to be retarded by limbs and bushes when dashing up the mountain.

       At length the several corps started for the scene of conflict, marching two men deep, led on by their gallant officers. Both the right and left wings were somewhat longer in reaching their designated places than had been expected. When Winston's party had marched about a mile, they reached a steep hill, losing sight of the other columns, and evidently of King's Mountain also. Some men riding in view directed them to dismount from their horses, and march up the hill, which was immediately done, with the anticipation of meeting the enemy on its summit; but, before they had advanced two hundred paces, they were again hailed, disabused of their error, and directed to re-mount their horses and push on, as King's Mountain was yet a mile away. They now ran down the declivity with great precipitation to their horses, and, mounting them, rode, like so many fox hunters, at an almost break-neck speed, through rough woods and brambles, leaping branches and crossing ridges, without a proper guide who had a personal knowledge of the country. But they soon fell upon the enemy, as good luck would have it, at the very point of their intended destination.  ¹

       Kind of exciting, isn’t it?  Props to those Presbyterians!  No wonder the British called the War for Independence a “Presbyterian rebellion.”  I love Draper’s description of these men; mostly all Presbyterians but some more educated, some more “rough.”   No matter what their respective socio-economic conditions, all were united in their common belief that Christ was King and that to resist tyrants was to obey God.  How will it all turn out?  Lord willing we’ll look at the conclusion of this battle in my next post.

Christ, not man, is King!

Dale

1)      Lyman C. Draper, King’s Mountain and Its Heroes (Cincinnati, OH: Peter G. Thomson, 1881), p. 242-6.