The Battle Of Kings Mountain 235th Anniversary Service (1780 - 2015)

Members of the South Carolina Sons of the American Revolution
(SC SAR) and other members and reenactors honoring those
men who fell at the Battle of Kings Mountain (Oct. 7, 1780).

On Wednesday, October 7th of this year, I had the opportunity to visit one of my favorite historical site in the South Carolina upcountry, the Kings Mountain National Military Park and observe the 235th Anniversary of the Battle Of Kings Mountain (October 7, 1780). 

Traveling along with me was my brother, Alex, who helped take some of the following photos of the trip along the park trail and the Laying of the Wreaths ceremony that took place at 11 AM on the battlefield site.

The following photos chronicle this little adventure. 

Kings Mountain National Military Park Visitors Center.

Clothing of the type worn by the Patriot Militia from
the backcountry and Over-The-Mountain Regions at the battle.

Also typical clothing worn by both the Patriot Militia
and the British Loyalist Militia at the battle.

Uniform of the American Volunteers.
These were men of the Provincial Regulars: American Loyalists who
formally enlisted in the British Army. About a hundred of the Loyalist
forces at the battle wore uniforms, leading to the myth that all those
loyal to the Crown at Kings Mountain wore the red uniform.
Aside from a company of these Provincial Regulars, all other
British Loyalists at Kings Mountain wore civilian militia clothing.
The only actual British Regular soldier at Kings Mountain was
Major Patrick Ferguson, commander of the Loyalist Militia forces.

Portrait of Colonel William Campbell of Virginia,
who was elected overall commander of the Overmountain Men and
Patriot Militia forces at Kings Mountain.
He was a militia commander and not a regular Continental officer.
In fact, no regular Continental soldiers fought in the battle.
The battle that effectively turned the tide of the war in America's
Southern Theater was fought entirely by Patriot militiamen.

The famous "Ferguson Rifle" designed by Major Patrick Ferguson.
The story of this rifle I chronicled in a previous blog post.

Map detailing the British Campaign in South Carolina
in the summer and fall of 1780.

Your humble blogger standing on the Kings Mountain Battlefield Trail.

My brother Alex Wallen.

The Chronicle Marker.
The spot where Patriot Major William Chronicle fell
during the battle.

These two markers are dedicated to Major William Chronicle and his men.
The one to the left with the Betsy Ross flag is the old
marker - now time-worn - that was placed at the site in 1815.
It is one of the oldest Revolutionary War monuments in the nation.
To the left is the marker placed there in 1915 with the same inscription.
Both monuments read:

Sacred to the memory of Maj. William Chronicle, Capt. John Mattocks,
William Rabb, and John Boyd, who were killed at this place on
the 7th of October, 1780, fighting in defense of America.

Both during and after the battle, men on both sides
used this creek as a source of water.

As my brother and I walked the trail around the site where the Patriot forces surrounded the base of the large, rock-covered hill that makes up the Kings Mountain battlefield, I could not help but look at the early autumn foliage and remember that it was on the same date 235 years before that the battle took place.

The American Loyalists and the Patriot Militiamen who fought here on that afternoon must have seen some of the same fall colors. For some of them it would have been their last sight as they lay wounded or dying. 

In point of fact, I would like to add that in the fall of 1780 Kings Mountain itself was covered with an old growth forest with trees far thinker -- in some cases almost redwood sized -- than the forest that surrounds the battlefield today. Those old trees were so thick and wide, the Patriots could take cover and be safe around them as they fired up at the Loyalists silhouetted against the sky on top of the large hill, which was then and still is barren of trees. 

This simple stone and bronze plaque marks the site of US President
Herbert Hoover's grandstand during the park's formal dedication
ceremony on October 7, 1930 -- the 150th year anniversary of the battle.
He delivered an address in front of a estimated crowd
of nearly 80,000 people.

The Centennial Monument.
Dedicated during the 1880 celebration, this monument stands at the
highest point along the trail. The marker honors the American
officers and several of the Virginia troops who fell in the battle. 

Probably the last thing many would expect to find on
a Revolutionary War battlefield is a monument to a Confederate officer.
This marker and plaque recognizes Colonel Asbury Coward, a resident of
York, South Carolina who was instrumental in establishing the park.
Coward served as a colonel in the 5th South Carolina Infantry Regiment (CSA)
during the War Between the States and had opened the Kings Mountain
Military Academy at York before the war.
His cadets came to the battleground to drill annually.
After the war, with the support of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
Coward helped foster interest in a park at Kings Mountain.
The stone and plaque were placed here in 1931 to honor his memory.
*See a previous blog post here to see the grave of Colonel Asbury Coward
in York, South Carolina.

We both arrived at the US Monument at the top of the hill just in time for the beginning of the annual Laying Of The Wreaths ceremony celebrating the 235th Anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain. 

The event is sponsored by the North and South Carolina Societies of the Sons of the American Revolution.  Members of the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution from many states were in attendance and provided wreaths in memory of those who fought at the battle. Reenactors portraying the American Patriots (and a few American Loyalists) were also in attendance. 

After several speeches were made by representatives of the SAR and DAR, the wreaths were presented and the representatives of close to 100 chapters of both fraternal heritage organizations and various re-enactor groups. It was truly an amazing time and I know the photos I took cannot do it justice. 

Arriving at the large US Monument on top of the hill.
It was placed there in 1909 by the US Government on the site
where Ferguson's Loyalist forces surrendered in their campsite.

A wide shot of the massed colors and wreaths that honor the
fallen American Patriots who died during the battle and
the veterans who survived. 

Reenactors firing a ceremonial volley in memory of the fallen.

Closing Prayer.

Plaque dedicated to those Patriot Militiaman killed and
wounded during the battle.

Plaque dedicated to the victory at Kings Mountain.

Plaque that tells the story of the battle.
The plaque is historically inaccurate because it mentions
"British Regular Troops" -- aside from a hundred American Provincials
that were formally enrolled into the British army, the rest of the
British forces here were Loyalist militia commanded by a British officer.

Yours truly posing in front of the US Monument with the
Betsy Ross Flag representing the original thirteen united
States of America.

The arrival of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association reenactors.
These dedicated folks annually march the same path taken by the
Overmountain Men -- a two week trek from Abingdon, Virginia
following the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail to the
Kings Mountain National Military Park.

Marker dedicated to Patriot Colonel James Hawthorne
who died at the battle.

This stone placed here in 1909 marks the spot where British Major
Patrick Ferguson was shot off his horse and killed near the end of the battle.
(Note that while Ferguson had been promoted to the rank of colonel,
he did not formally receive the promotion before his death.
He was still technically a major when the battle took place.)

Some reenactors coming back down from the top in style.

The final stop on my trip was the grave of Colonel Patrick Ferguson, which sits not far from the spot where he was shot from his horse. The marker was placed there in the 1930s in memory of the fallen Scottish officer. Beneath the cairn of stones behind the marker lies Ferguson's grave.

Also buried beside Ferguson in an unmarked grave is a camp follower named Virginia Sal. She was believed to have been Ferguson's lover. Sal was shot and killed in the crossfire during the battle while tending to the wounded Loyalists -- her red hair possibly making her a target through the smoke.

Several reenactors placed stones as they passed by. I likewise placed two stones on the cairn out of respect for the fallen British officer from Scotland who died so far from his home, and for Virginia Sal. It is part of an old Celtic tradition to place stones on the graves of the dead in their memory. An old Scottish Gaelic blessing is: Cuiridh mi clach air do charn (which translated means: "I'll put a stone on your cairn"). 

Yours truly holding the Kings Colours at the grave and
cairn of Colonel Patrick Ferguson -- the flag of Great Britain
at the time of the American Revolutionary War.
The red saltier (St. Patrick's Cross) of Ireland would not be added
to the modern Union Jack until 1801.

Overall, I have to say a good time. It was an huge honor to be there to help pay tribute to the Southern-born Patriot militiamen - most of them Scots-Irish - who defeated the Loyalists on that early autumn day in October of 1780. America would not be the nation that it is without the efforts of those who fought there. Their success literally turned the tide of the American Revolution in the South in favor of the Continentals and Patriots.

I hope y'all enjoyed this blog post as much as I enjoyed writing it and posting the photos. Be sure to check out the links in the blog post to learn more about various aspects of the Battle of Kings Mountain and the men who fought there.