Two Hundread, Twenty-Seven Years Ago......

[Flesh Thorn]

Free Americans began the march from Watauga, in what is now upper East Tennessee, to engage the Loyalist forces under the command of British Major Patrick Ferguson in the Carolinas. The Battle of King's Mountain took place on October 7, 1780. The battle lasted approximately one hour and resulted in the decimation of the Loyalist force and the death of Major Ferguson.

American casualties: 28 killed, 62 wounded

Loyalist casualties: 157 killed, 163 wounded, 698 captured (numbers vary slightly depending on source. )

[RTO]

A thousand men and 70% of them captured in an hour? WoW.

[DixieRat]

That was a key victory for the Americans at the time. An interesting side note is that MAj. Ferguson was the inventor of the Ferguson Rifle, which was an early breech loading rifle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson_rifle

[Darksaga]

Pastor... can we get your AAR on this battle.

[Looon]

"Two Hundread, Twenty-Seven Years Ago......"

Abell9 was born?

[Glenn, MSG Ret.]

I think I remember that. Maybe I was there.

That's some gooood fightin'

[Darksaga]

"Two Hundread, Twenty-Seven Years Ago......"

Abell9 was born?

Well thats the "official" story or so I am told.

[cams]

Damn, another news story, I read the title and thought it was one of the FOGS birthday threads.

[rgrpuck]

Patrick Ferguson, the British commander at Kings Mountain, is best known for his rifle. Ferguson improved on an earlier design to produce a breech-loading rifle. This weapon was loaded from the rear, and did not require a ramrod. It could be loaded while lying or crouching, which was impossible with traditional muzzle loading rifles.

Ferguson's rifle combined the speed of a musket with the accuracy of a rifle. During a test before the King and Queen, he fired 6 shots a minute.

Only about 100 Ferguson Rifles were produced. Ferguson was given command of a special rifle corps as an experiment in 1777. They fought at the Battle of Brandywine, PA, where Ferguson was severely wounded. During his recovery, the corps was disbanded. It is not known if any Ferguson rifles were with him at Kings Mountain, as he commanded new troops in the South. His death at the battle ended efforts to promote the rifle.

The original Ferguson Rifle on display at the park is one of only a few on public display

Kings Mountain is also unique in that large numbers of riflemen fought here. Rifles were not used much by the armies. A rifle was a hunting weapon, used by families on the frontier. The American militia that fought here mainly used rifles; the Loyalist troops had mostly muskets.
The difference between a rifle and a musket is speed versus accuracy. A rifle is slow to load, but very accurate. Riflemen can hit a target at 200 or 300 yards. Yet the rifle can only be fired once a minute. A musket, with a smooth bore, is easy to load but inaccurate. Muskets have an accurate range of about 100 yards, but can be fired up to three times a minute.

This is the reason that the British fired from two ranks in a Bn formation. Massed Firepower and manuver, with a following Bayonet Charge would make any rifleman go home. The myth of the Americans hiding behind rocks and trees is just that ...a myth. It was only after Baron Von Stuben initiated his train the trainer program and developed the American Army into a somewhat professional force did the Americans start makeing head way. However this myth probably originated with this battle.

The battle opened on October 7, 1780, when 900 frontiersmen (including John Crockett, the father of Davy Crockett), approached the steep base of King's Mountain at dawn. The rebels formed eight groups of 100 to 200 men. Two parties, led by Colonels John Sevier and William Campbell, assaulted the 'high heel' of the wooded mountain, the smallest area but highest point, while the other seven groups, led by Colonels Shelby, Williams, Lacey, Cleveland, Hambright, Winston and McDowell attacked the main Loyalist position by surrounding the 'ball' base beside the 'heel' crest of the mountain.

The Patriots crept up the hill and fired on the scarlet-clad Loyalists from behind rocks and trees. Ferguson rallied his troops and launched a bayonet charge against Campbell and Sevier's men. With no bayonets of their own, the rebels retreated down the hill and into the woods. But Campbell rallied his troops, returned to the base of the hill, and resumed firing. Two more times, Ferguson launched bayonet attacks. During one of the charges, Colonel Williams was killed and Colonel McDowell wounded. But after each charge, the frontiersmen returned to the base of the hill and resumed shooting. It was hard for the Loyalists to find a target because the Patriots were constantly moving using cover and concealment similar to training in use today.

After several hours of combat, Loyalist casualties were heavy. Ferguson rode back and forth across the hill, blowing a silver whistle he used to signal charges. Growing desperate, he slipped on a plaid shirt to cover his officer's coat. A soldier saw this and alerted his comrades immediately. At the crest, as the Patriots overran the Loyalist position, and Ferguson fell dead from his saddle with eight rifle balls in his body.

Seeing their leader fall, Loyalists lost heart and began to raise their arms in surrender. Eager to avenge defeats at the Waxhaw Massacre and elsewhere, the rebels were in no mood to take prisoners. Rebels continued firing and shouted, "Give 'em Tarleton's Quarter!" But after a few more minutes of bloodletting, the colonels asserted control and gave quarter to around 700.

This fight kept initiated the bloodest fighting of the war in the most fought over state in the American Revolution, South Carolina. for the Next two years the British would be bled white by the Partizan leaders, Marion, Pickens, Clark, and Sumter.


Yeah the Rev War is my favorite time period in American History. it is absolutly facinateing.


Moral of the storey ....dont tell a bunch of redneaks with guns that you are going to burn them out and make widows of the women. They get pissed of at shit like that.