American Revolution in the South

Primarily the Years 1780 & 1781

The King's Mountain & Cowpens Campaigns

Mostly the Carolina Back Country

• Battle of King's Mountain, South Carolina, October 7, 1780
• Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina, January 17, 1781
• Ninety-Six (96), Strong Point in South Carolina's Back Country
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Patriot Route to King's Mountain
• Gilbert Town, Strong Point in Western North Carolina
• Battle of Cane Creek (Cowan's Ford), North Carolina, September 12, 1780
• Battle of Allen's Mountain, Disputed Skirmish in Summer/Fall, 1780
• Battle of Pacolet River (Earle's Ford), North Carolina, July 14, 1780
• Battle of Musgrove's Mill, South Carolina, August 18, 1780, Defeat for Ferguson
• Charles McDowell, North Carolina Militia Leader Who Rallied Patriots to Pursue Patrick Ferguson to King's Mountain
• William Campbell, Virginia Militia Leader Technically in Command at King's Mountain
• Isaac Shelby, the Patriot Mastermind of King's Mountain
• And Other People & Events, Yet Not Identified!
  
  Sponsored by nonprofit organizations interested in the Carolina backcountry during the American Revolution, this site deals with the well-known events at the battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens, as well as lesser known battles and sites.
  
  Welcome! Keep checking back to see what's here as we build the site.
  
  The Web nest is open!

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This site is sponsored by these nice folks:
1. The Historian's Office of Rutherford County, North Carolina
2. The Rutherford County Historical Society
3. The Battle of Kings Mountain Brigade of Friends,
   a support organization for Kings Mountain National Military Park
   
   Participation on this site is open the nonprofit & historical societes interested in the Kings Mountain & Cowpens campaigns, the Revolution in the South, or the history of the area. Interested organizations should E-mail the editor for further details.
   
   
   
   

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The King's Mountain Campaign begins with the British capture of Charleston, South Carolina, in May, 1780, and ends with the release of the prisoners at the end of the war. The main events cover the summer, fall, and winter of 1780, 1781:
  • Fall of Charleston
  • Battle of Waxhaws
  • Battle of Earle's Ford (Pacolet River)
  • Cooperation of Georgia, South & North Carolina Militia
  • Battle of Musgrove's Mill
  • Battle of Camden
  • Return of Shelby to West of the Mountains
  • Ferguson's Invasion of North Carolina
  • Battles of Cane Creek & Allen's Mountain
  • McDowell's Flight West of the Mountains
  • Formation of Overmountain Army
  • Return on the Overmountain Victory Trail
  • Ferguson's Retreat to King's Mountain
  • Patriot Army's Assembly at King's Mountain
  • Ferguson's Army at King's Mountain
  • Battle of King's Mountain
  • Trials at Biggerstaff's Old Fields
  • Transport of Prisoners to Hillsboro, North Carolina


Of course, the end of the battle of King's Mountain also began the Cowpens Campaign. When Cornwallis learned of King's Mountain, his British army pulled back from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Winnsboro, South Carolina. Nathanael Green, the new Continental Army Commander in the South, began to try to regain the momentum in the south. Danial Morgan was sent to march on Ninety-Six. That brought him and Banastre Tarleton to Cowpens on January 17, 1781.

We'll look into Cowpens and Ninety-Six as time goes on.

Here ae some items that are related to the Southern Campaign, but don't fit easily into our main categories:
  • The Patriot army and Ferguson's British army at King's Mountain
  • The death of Major James Dunlap, one of Ferguson's Provincial officers
  • General Griffith Rutherford
  • The "Rutherford Trace"
  • The namesake of Gilbert Town, William Gilbert
  • Rutherford County's militia commander, Andrew Hampton
  • African-Americans in the Southern Campaign
  • Finally, some fun scrambled words about King's Mountain and colonial life

It's easy to remember the date of the annual celebration of the battle of Kings Mountain. It's always October 7th, the historic date. The commemorative program begins at 3 p.m., the same time the actual battle began. There are activities all day, though, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kings Mountain National Military Park. It's the perfect day to tour the battle ridge. On the weekend nearest the historic date, There are living history groups on hand to give a glimpse at 18th century life.

Be sure to join us at the Kings Mountain Forum each year at Kings Mountain National Military Park. It's a whole day of talks, demonstrations, music on the colonial period and the campaigns associated with Kings Mountain.
Check the date and details on the park's special events page.
Join us for lots of 1780!

Cowpens National Battlefield celebrates the battle on the Saturday nearest the historic date, January 17th. The Cowpens Forum takes place that day, with talks on the battle & the Revolutionary time. There are tours of the battle ground, too. Join us from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Yes, plan to stay until after dark for the special lantern-light tour with visits to the camps of partictpants in the battle! Living-history groups portray the Patriot militia, the American Continental Line soldiers, Loyalist militia, British regular soldiers, British commander Banastre Tarleton, and American general Daniel Morgan, the participants in the battle.
Check the date and details on the park's special events page.

Ninety-Six National Historic Site does not have a quick, easy date on which to celebrate the events there or the unsuccessful Patriot siege. They do celebrate with talks, special displays, and living-history groups dealing with Cherokee culture, the colonial life, as well as the militia and regular soldiers who fought there.
Check the date and details on the park's upcoming events page.

Need Books on the Revolution?
The Eastern National book stores at the parks offer many titles that are hard to find elsewhere. And the best part is that the proceeds go to the parks! A recent policy change requires Eastern National to do all shipping from their warehouse in Pennsylvania, but you can still shop locally at the parks. The parks can also help you locate the item you need and take your order. Or you can order through Eastern National. Check the brief Eastern National on-line catalogs:
King's Mountain National Military Park    Revised Link
Or you can call Kings Mountain at 864-936-7921.

Cowpens National Battlefield    Revised Link
Or you can call Cowpens at 864-461-2828.

Ninety-Six National Historic Site    Revised Link
Or you can call Ninety-Six at 864-543-2828.

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area    New Link
Or you can call Sycamore Shoals at 423-543-5808.

Gilbert Town, the first platted town in the area, was the first county seat of Rutherford County, North Carolina, when it was formed in 1779. A log court building was erected by William Gilbert.  Lt. Anthony Allaire, one of Ferguson's officers, reported a dwelling, a barn, a blacksmith, and several outbuildings at Gilbert Town.

Gilbert Town is most famous as the one place where both armies that fought at Kings Mountain camped.

In September, Patrick Ferguson moved across the nearby northern boundary of South Carolina to try to suppress the militia units sheltering along the border. He left the area about September 27th, taking a roundabout track to King's Moutain, where he arrived October 6th, the day before the battle.

The Patriot army arrived at Gilbert Town on October 4th, spending that night and passing on toward 96. Their roundabout route was through Cowpens, arriving at King's Mountain at 3 p.m. on October 7th, the beginning of the battle.

Throughout the Revolution, Gilbert Town was an important point in western North Carolina, somewaht similar in importance to 96 in South Carolina. A hospital was established there & wounded from Rutherford's Cherokee campaign, Ferguson's campaigns, Kings Mountain, and Cowpens were treated there. British (and Loyalist) prisoners from both King's Mountain and Cowpens were brought to Gilbert Town. Both Banastre Tarleton and Daniel Morgan passed through Gilbert Town.

Gilbert Town is a certified historic site associated with the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. In addition, properties in the area of Gilbert Town are elligible for the Nationa Register of Historic Places, work being done by the Rutherford County Historical Society.

More information is in material prepared by the Rutherford County Historian, Nancy Ellen Ferguson.

• Kings Mountain National Military Park
  
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
  
• Cowpens National Battlefield
  
• Ninety-Six National Historic Site
  
• Historic Burke Foundation, Morganton, NC
  
• Cemeteries of the Carolina Backcountry
  
• The Museum at Appalachian State University
  
• Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University
  
• Museum of Frontier Culture includes English, Ulster, and German farms, like those 18th century settlers left to come to the colonies.
  
• The Wisconsin Historical Society that holds the Draper Archives.  (Sorry, Draper's not available on-line. The site describes the Draper collection, but does not provide any extensive index or search capability. The site's changed several times in the last three years, so this may change. Please report by e-mail any changes you notice.)
  
  
• Last, But Not Least, A Site for Loyalists
  

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