King's Mountain, Battle ofi
14-
a a
1�e 10j,��
&T e l /rCTPPys -
Davie County PubNc Libran
Mocksville, NC
Davie Casr'v Public Libra
hi cksvilie, feC
McDowell accepted this theory. What's more he offered to cavy
a written request to Gates at Hillsborough, where the general was
still trying to collect the remains of his "Grand Army." The offer
was quickly accepted. The letter Was drafted during the evening. It
is dated from "Rutherford County, Camp near Gilbert Town,"
and the date is "October 4, 1780." Addressed to Gates, it says:
Sir:
We have collected at this place about 1,500 good
men, drawn from Washington, Surry, Wilkes, Burk of
Mocl,.sville, NU
'Tomas on a pleasant mountain
the Tory heathens lay
With a doughty Major at their head,
one Ferguson, they say
Cornwallis had detached him
a thieving for to go
And catch the Carolina men
or lay the Rebels low
L):.v;a Crmjrj�v'public Library
i ocksvillc, NG
THE NEW MONUMENT, KING'S MOUNTAIN.
Public LibrarY
NC
Davie Cromty Public Library
(rlocksviile, NC
1i.'1:1 �� -
, a'.
N
V.
. jIll
Ai
A
1'
RAIN ON THE JUST 117
North Carolina, and Washington County, Virginia, and
expect to be joined in a few days by Colonel Williams
of South Carolina with about a thousand more. As we
have at this place called out Mlitia without any order
from the executives of our different States, and with a
view of expelling out of this part of the country the
enemy, we think such a body of men worthy of your
attention and would request you to send a General
Officer immediately to take the command of such
troops as may embody in this quarter. Our troops
being Militia, and but little acquainted with discipline,
we would wish him to be a gentleman of address, and
be able to keep a proper discipline without digesting
the soldiery. Every assistance in our power shall be
given the Officer you may think proper to take com-
mand of us. It is the wish of such of us as are ac-
quainted with General Davidson, and Colonel Morgan
(if in service) that one of these Gentlemen may be ap-
pointed to this command.
We are in great need of ammunition, and hope you
will endeavor to have us properly furnished.
Colonel McDowell will wait on you with this, who
can inform you of the present situation of the enemy,
and such other particulars respecting our troops as you
may think necessary.
Your most obedient and very able servants,
Benj. Cleveland
Isaac Shelby
John Sevier
Andw. Hampton
Wm. Campbell
Jo. Winston
•�\vV1 ,I., 1C_ IU1
1fVCoaLs h r
StJOi►L9 j' i�
}
e� R4cuuc 4 A R `A`^ WILKE580R0
tq
to
�A /�� n �' h'`" • •AKER N.C.
�!-�
K
G11.BERT
rowN •9t
_ _ e1t�IlLOTTL
r
r r GE Wr� j� 1 _ •i• ���
i.i : �w�� • n•� itIH65
MOUNTAIN
MAIN MRKH----- •�---- /�
CLEVELAMWS ROM •••••• r
BLUE RIMt i -m AAAAA �•"'
1 IM
sEvr. zs-aT t, izao
LINE OF MARCH -BACKWATER MEN
Davie C0UJ9'.Y Public Library
JP
ell
6
Captain William
Battle of Kings
Lenoi is Company and the
Mountain, 1780 by William Doub Bennett
r
w
�,...��..... ... ..... ..............
,o,, A� �j►� r � �;�♦ ~fin a ♦ .
�► APA- A .Hill boyo
Catawba a NORTH
r •Salisbury O
A•� ,enc ...... .charlotte CA O L IZp1--A
14
�► q 9 aw
Wilmington
• �°° e� Six
SOUTH A R O L (N A 1 1
G E O R G I A rgetown
The North Carolina Mountain Frontier about 1779-80
[rTM. DUCTION (by Editor): Following the crushing defeat of American Major General Horatio
GATES' forces at Camden, South Carolina in mid-August 1980, the British initiated a three -prong
invasion of the North. One detachment moved toward Wilmington, NC, to open the port for British
supplies and troops. British General Charles CORNWALLIS pursued a course towards Charlotte, N.C.
The third prong was cananded by Major Patrick FEizGUSON, who acted as a protecting flank for
CORNGRUIS at the base of the South Carolina Blue Ridge. As word reached the American frontiers-
men of FERGUSON's approach, several groups of militia mountain patriots under Cols. Isaac SHELBY,
John SEVIER and William CAMPBELL pursued FERGUSON. The latter turned back to the South and on 6
October made camp on a spur of the Blue Ridge called "Little King's Mountain" in South Carolina
near the North Carolina state line. The battle began on the next day and resulted in a complete
victory for the Americans.
There are few lists extant of those who participated in this campaign, so the Journal seizes upon
even scraps of information which document the names of the participants. It appears that few of
LINOIR's men actually participated in the assault on the battle site, but they did have good in-
tentions.]
When Archibald D. MURPHEY was planning a: history of the Revolution, he requested General William
LENOIR to write his version of the Battle of Kings Mountain. LENOIR wrote: "when a report was
circulated that a detachment of the British Army had advanced through the State of South Carolina
and a part of North C. as far as Cane Creek where a strong party of them were repulsed by the
neighboring Militia, chiefly Burke County under the ccm w d of Col. Chas. McDOWELL & Major Jo.
McDOWELL: the active Whigs of the Western part of North Carolina, and scone from the near part of
Virginia, like Patriots at a mcments notice without any call from the Government turned out and
concentrated in Burke County, without any aid from public stores of clothing, arms, ammunition
or any article of camp equipage, not having a single tent or baggage wagon amongst them, and ad-
vanced to Green River near the southern limits of Rutherford County..."
At this time, LENOIR was a Captain of a comlmy of foot soldiers. According to his statement,
"I was Capt. of a Cwipany of foot men & left them at Green River with my Lieut. except 6 of then
procured horses & went with us. I went as a common Soldier and did not pretend to take command
1The Papers of Archibald D. Murphey, edited by William H. Hoyt (Raleigh: North Carolina Histor-
ical Commission, 1914), pp 225-226.
NCGSJ - Nov 83
234
aav;P- rcunt-Y Public Library
Mocks-ville, NC
of
ri
A
(F
ar,
NC
b,
-r those that belonged to my centpany, but fell in immediately behind Colo. WINSIM in front of
: iaht hand column. "Z
list of the menbers of Capt. LENOIR's Canpany can be found in the Peter Thompson Collection
:.C. #1377) filed at the N.C. State Archives. . The following men are listed in subject ccnipany
,md were residents of what was then Wilkes County and which covered the northwestern corner of
'rrth Carolina.
Ian. RENOIR, Capt.
Elijah VICKAS
Gabriel SME=
John PARKES, Lieut.
David BURN
Abraham HUNT
&md JOHNSON, Ensign
Charles HARDMAN
Wm. JONES
Win. JOHNSON, Sergt.
Bailey CHANDLER
Elisha REYNOLDS
iron. OVERSTREAT, Sergt.
Deveruex BALLARD
Joseph POUR ER'
John BURN, Corpl.
Hezek ah BARKER
James REYNOLDS
John WHITAKER, Corpl.
Noses TOI VER
Jonah CHANDLER
Jahn JOHNSON
Reubin SDErHER
Daniel HOLEMAN
Pleasants PROFIT
Jesse SLIVER
Leonard HELAND
Alexander GILREATH
John VICKAS
John TOWNZEN
Ift YEATES
George PARKS
Charles REYNOLDS
Charles BURNS
John NORRIS
Thos. JOHNSON
Joel CHANDLER
Joseph HOLEMAN
John BATTRIPS
Joseph M1000K
Travis ALEXANDER
Wm. CARTER op. 40P.
AT LEAST Tiny DAVID IVEY/IVYs in the Rev. War, NC
itle Camntittee on Claims to whom was refered the resolution in favour of the heirs of David IVY
for a Military Land Warrant for one thousand acres of Land ... have had the same under considera-
tion and beg leave to Report - From the facts which your Committee have at some trouble been en-
abled to obtain are these.... that there were two persons by the same name, who Entered the Ser -
%•ice during the Revolutionary War ... One [was] an Private whose warrant was issued and drawn by
himself on the 8th of May 1784 .. No. 821 for 274 acres - The other David IVY was a Musician
who ranked as a Non -Commissioned Officer who of Course would have been Entitled to 1000 acres of
land - Your Committee are of of opinion therefore that the application is a Just one, and
should not be withheld by the Legislature, and have directed me to report the same without amend=
rent and reeamend its adoption - All of which is most Respectfully Submitted...
/s/ = H. DRAKE Cher. Raleigh 27th Decr. 1844.
(Fran North Carolina Legislative Papers, 1844-1845, (Box # L.P. 609) at the NC State Archives.4W
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
NATHAN MUSSELWFIITE, REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER
The following draft of part of a request for a Revolutionary War pension was lined out, but was
followed by a draft of "A Bill to An Act Passed in the Year [1824] to settle the Finances of
Robeson County, N.C. (filed in Robeson Co., NC, Miscellaneous Papers, Stack file # C.R. 83.928.1
at the N.C. State Archives) .
"On this day of November in the year 1832 Personally appeared in Open Court before the Court
of Please and quarter sessions - now sitting held for the County of Robeson North Carolina at
the Courthouse in Lumberton Joseph REGAN and Matthew POWERS Esqr being called on by the Applicant
Nathan MUSSELxq= in this case ... the said Joseph REGAN and Matthew POWERS being duly sworn ac-
cording to law make the following statement on their oath that they the said Matthew POWERS and
Joseph REGAN has been acquainted with the appl-i-eat [crossed out) applicant Nathan MSSELWHITE
for forty or fifty years ..that they believe the said applicant Nathan MUSSELWHITE to be of the
age of seventy three years and that he is reputed and believed on the neighbourhood to have been
a revolutionary soldier... Sworn to and subscribed in Open Court..." .4o.
2Ibid, p. 229.
NOGS7 - Nov 83
Davie County Pubiic Libre
235 Mocksville, NG
�J
lg KING'S MOUNTAIN
1775
mARca 17—
Cherokees sell Kentucky and the lands along the
Watauga at big gathering on the river.
1776
FEBRUARY 27 --
Highland Scots rise in support of British and are
defeated at Moore's Creek Bridge by Patriot militia.
JULY 20—
Watauga men defeat Cherokees at Island Flats as
war rages all along the frontier. In September, com-
bined forces of three states invade and ravage the
Cherokee Nation.
1780
mARcs 29—
British attack Charleston as war returns to the
South.
MAY 11—
Charleston and the only Continental army is the
South surrender to British.
mAY 29—
Col. Banastre Tarleton slaughters Patriot detach-
ment at Waxhaws, and makes "Tarleton's quarter" a
synonym for butchery.
JUNE 5—
Sir Henry Clinton sails north, leaving the British
army in the South in the hands of Lord Charles
Cornwallis.
r
CHRONOLOGY 19
juwE 20—
Patriots defeat Tories at Ramseur's MilL
JULY 14-
Pacolet fight where Noah Hampton is murdered.
JULY 30—
Isaac Shelby wins battle of Fort Thickety.
AUGUST 16 -
Cornwallis destroys American army under Gen.
Gates at Camden, leaving South seemingly in his
hands.
AUGUST 18 --
Shelby and his hillbillies win decisively at Musgrove
Mill, but flee toward the mountains on hearing .of
Camden.
SEPTEMBER 7 -
Maj. Patrick Ferguson invades North Carolina as
Part of Cornwallis's master plan to end the war.
SEPTEMBER 15 --
Ferguson reaches headwaters of the Catawba River
at the foot of the Blue Ridge.
SEPTEMBER 18 -
Col. Charles McDowell's retreat before Ferguson
ends at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River near
present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee.
SEPTEMBER 20—
Cornwallis's main army reaches Charlotte, where he
pauses while supplies come up.
SEPTEMBER 25—
The Backwater Men rendezvous at Sycamore Shoals
and vow to "git' Ferguson.
74
20 KING'S MOUNTAIN
SEPTEMBER 26 -
Inspired by the prayers of the Rev. Samuel Doak,
the volunteer army begins its march across the
mountains.
SEPTEMBER 27—
Backwoodsmen climb above the clouds and cross
Roan Mountain in the snow as two desert to warn
Ferguson.
OCTOBER I—
East side of the mountains reached and junction
made with Wilkes and Surrey County men under
Col. Ben Cleveland. Ferguson issues his "Pissing
Proclamation."
OCTOBER 4 --
Col. William Campbell of Virginia takes nominal
command of Patriot army, and Ferguson retreats to-
ward Charlotte.
OCTOBER 5—
Patriots reach Green River, make contact with vari-
ous reinforcements.
OCTOBER 6 ---
Mountain men "streamline" their army, Ieaving
footmen behind, and begin desperate drive to catch
Ferguson. Stop at Hannah's Cowpens for a quick
dinner and push on through rainy night upon learn-
ing that Ferguson has camped on King's Mountain.
OCTOBER 7 -
March ends in mid-afternoon. Battle of King's
Mountain. Ferguson is slain and all his men killed or
captured.
OCTOBER 8 -
Retreat toward the mountains begins.
T
CHRONOLOGY
21
OCTOBER 14 ---
Cornwallis begins retreat from Charlotte in great
confusion, ending the first invasion of North Caro-
lina.
NOVEMBER 16 --
Col. John Sevier defeats the Cherokees at Boyd's
Creek after recrossing the mountains with his men.
1781
JANUARY 17—
Gen.
7Gen. Daniel Morgan with help from the King's
Mountain men, defeats Tarleton at Cowpens.
OCTOBER 19—
Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown. .i
.J
C9
V �
OL
ca
00
U
a�
ca
James Dysart's Powder Horn
Overall length, 12 114 in. or 31.1 cm.; maximum diameter, 2 5116 in. or 6.5 cm.
James Dysart, born in Ireland about 1744, came to America when he was
seventeen and settled in Washington County, Virginia. At King's Mountain he
served as a captain and was wounded in the left hand, which left him permanently
crippled. Late in life he moved to Rockcastle, Kentucky, where he died in 1818.'
Dysart's powder horn was made by joining two horns with a piece of wood that
was covered with a band, which originally was held in place by single, large,
round, brass tack. Several small nails have since been added. The closed end of the
horn is carved to resemble a head, including eyes, nostrils, and a mouth. Perhaps
the horns "head" is meant to symbolize Horne Head Castle, home of the earliest
traceable ancestor of the Dysarts.
About 1930 the horn was acquired by the present owner, a collateral descendant
of James Dysart through James's sister Frances marriage to John McAlister.
'Samuel Evans Massengill, The Massengills, Massengales, and variants, 1472-1931 (Bristol, Tenn.,
1931), pp. 854-55. cprl
12
•
tI1
�
N
o
t
m m
3g
P
OD
>0
a
3
gip'
d
0
>
11
;
�
N0
3
R�-IVS.1
X
�
C+
I
z
N
t+
.aS
at�,aP
2
3kip'
ano�
CD
m�
;,�4 pOr Libre .
2
W%�
a
N
o
t
OD
>0
a
�►
3kip'
ano�
CD
m�
;,�4 pOr Libre .
2
W%�