Chapter II: Part 2

When Campbell realized the British were trying to persuade the Cherokee Indians to attack the frontier settlements, he feared for the safety of his mother and sisters. Disappointed in his hope of resigning his commission and returning home for their protection, he did find happiness at the time by winning Elizabeth Henry, a sister of Patrick Henry, for his wife.

In 1777, Washington County was formed from Fincastle and Campbell made lieutenant colonel of militia. He was promoted to the full rank of colonel in April 1780; this was the rank he held at the Battle of Kings Mountain. For his services there he received praise from Gates, Washington, the Virginia Legislature, and the Continental Congress. Virginia presented him with a horse, saddle, and sword at public expense. Lord Cornwallis, with oblique recognition of Campbell’s prowess as a foe, threatened him with instant death should he be captured by the British.

Before Campbell finally resigned his commission, on March 20, 1781, he and his command, a small force of riflemen, fought well at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. He then enjoyed a brief term of office as a member of the House of Delegates from Washington County. Within a short time, however, he was recalled to duty, this time to serve under General Lafayette in Virginia. His military services were considered indispensable and the war was not yet won.

William Campbell’s final service to his country was brief for, on August 22, 1781, while on active duty, he died after a short illness. He was buried at Rocky Mills, Hanover County, Va. There his body remained until 1823, when it was removed to “Aspenvale” for interment in the family burial ground. He was survived by a daughter and his wife, who remarried and lived until 1825.

Such were some of the leaders in the drama—successful and honored in peace as in war. It is doubtful that any of them, however, reached greater heights than during that action, one October day, on the slopes of Kings Mountain.

_Maj. Patrick Ferguson_

On June 4, 1744, Patrick Ferguson was born to Judge and Ann E. Murray Ferguson at Pitfour, the family estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Patrick was one of a family of six children in which he had an older and younger brother and three sisters. Ferguson’s father, Lord Pitfour, the Second Laird, had restored the family fortune lost by the First Laird of Pitfour as a result of unfortunate speculation in the South Sea Company. His children did not lack for the comforts normally enjoyed by the offspring of gentry. They were fortunately endowed also with a family background of learning and culture.

With this background, it is not surprising that young Patrick’s education was started at an early age. Any hopes or expectations that his parents may have had, however, of developing him as a scholar were short lived. After finishing the little schooling he received at a military academy in London, Ferguson decided to use his ability as a horseman and hunter and to become a soldier.

At the age of 15 a commission was purchased for him, and he entered upon active service on July 12, 1759, as a cornet in the Royal North British Dragoons. With a slight frame, Ferguson was not an individual of commanding appearance, and it might have been thought that he was poorly suited to military service. This shortcoming was made up in soldierly determination, and he was also blessed by inheritance with a serious disposition, unusual ability, sound judgment, and energy in ample measure.

From the plains of Flanders and Germany to the spur of the Kings Mountain range, where he was killed, Ferguson demonstrated his soldierly qualities. For example, on June 30, 1760, he displayed his characteristic contempt for danger at the Battle of Minden. In this action he returned in the face of enemy hussars to retrieve a pistol which dropped from his holster as his horse jumped a ditch. Such an action was to be expected of him, if he was to be worthy of his name, which was derived from the Gaelic “Feargachus,” meaning one of a bold, haughty, and fiery disposition.

It was difficult for his mother to watch Ferguson embark on a military career at such an early age. On August 14, 1762, her brother, Maj. Gen. James Murray, wrote her from Quebec: “You must no longer look upon him as your son. He is the son of Mars and will be unworthy of his father if he does not give proofs of contempt of pain and danger.”

Sickness interrupted Ferguson’s service in the field from 1762 to 1768. He was not idle during the period of his recovery in Scotland and entered actively into public discussion of the extension of the militia laws of England to Scotland. This activity gave him some early insight into the problem and prepared him for the role he later played in the Carolinas as Inspector of Militia. He enjoyed a second leave of absence from military service just prior to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. In this period he pursued an intensive study of military science and tactics and developed the Ferguson rifle.

In 1777 Ferguson was sent to America with the reputation of being one of the best, if not the best, marksmen in the British army. At the time he held a captaincy, which was attained on September 1, 1768. He was in command of a corps of at least 100 riflemen, whom he had personally trained in the use of his new breechloading rifle. During the earlier years of his service in America, Ferguson participated in numerous actions in the North. Among these was the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, in which he was so severely wounded in the right arm that its usefulness was impaired during the remainder of his life.

Ferguson was inured by years of service to such hardships. His loyalty was rewarded on October 25, 1779, when he was promoted to the rank of major. A few months later, at the start of the British expedition against Charleston, he was given the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel. His ability and personal magnetism enabled him to win the respect of all his associates, and his success as an officer was as notable in the South as it had previously been in the North.

This was his last campaign, and, in its course, he demonstrated a sense of fairness and a degree of humanity that earned him the respect of many of the people of the South. As the opportunity permitted, he attempted to persuade many of these Americans to renew their oath of allegiance to the King of England. His success won the admiration of his associates, among whom was General Stuart of Garth, who wrote upon the demise of this soldier: “By zeal, animation, and a liberal spirit, he gained the confidence of the mass of people....”

Even more revealing of his character are the following lines written from America by Ferguson to his mother to calm her fears for his safety: “The length of our lives is not at our command, however much the manner of them may be. If our Creator enable us to act the part of honour, and to conduct ourselves with spirit, probity, and humanity, the change to another world whether now or fifty years hence, will not be for the worse.”

_The Ferguson Rifle_

Great as Maj. Patrick Ferguson’s success was as a soldier, probably his most outstanding achievement was the development of the first breech-loading rifle to be used by troops in battle. This arm, which is known as the Ferguson rifle, was expected by its inventor to bring revolutionary changes to gunnery practices. In the patent, which was granted by the British Patent Office on December 2, 1776, Ferguson describes it as “... an arm which unites expedition, safety, and facility in using with the greatest certainty in execution, the two great dessiderata [sic] of gunnery never before united.”

This rifle corrected many inadequacies of earlier breechloaders. Its center of interest was the screw-plug attached to the trigger guard which passed directly through the breech of the barrel from the bottom to the top. This plug had from 12 to 14 rapid twist threads so that with one turn of the trigger guard the loading aperture in the top of the barrel could be opened or closed. The single-screw thread on breech plugs of earlier breechloaders made it necessary to rotate the trigger guard three or four times to open or close the breech. The Ferguson screw-plug had the further advantage of being so designed that it never came completely out of its socket.

For years prior to its invention, gunsmiths had given thought to the development of a rapid-firing rifle. Patrick Ferguson believed he had invented such an arm; he hoped it would prove its effectiveness when tried under battle conditions in the War for American Independence.

Firing tests of the new weapon were conducted in the summer of 1776 at the Blackheath and Woolwich Arsenals, in England. Because of its remarkable performance, it was also demonstrated before the King at Windsor. In the course of a series of tests, and with a high degree of accuracy, Ferguson fired 6 shots per minute at a target 200 yards distant from a stationary position and 4 shots when advancing at a 4-mile-an-hour pace. He then wet the inside of the barrel, and fired effectively after a minute to prove the worthiness of this weapon in inclement weather.

Ferguson missed the target only three times during these tests, which impressed most favorably the high army officers who witnessed them. The tests proved that the Ferguson rifle was a weapon of infinitely greater accuracy and rapidity of fire than the “Brown Bess,” the regulation musket of the British army.

After Ferguson was granted the patent on his rifle, arrangements were made for the manufacture of a limited number, probably 200 in all. The names of all the gunsmiths who produced this arm in the last years of Ferguson’s lifetime and for a short time thereafter are not known with certainty. They were made, however, by Durs Egg, Barbar of Newark, Barker of Birmingham, Innes of Edinburgh, Newton, and Wilson of the Minories. In all likelihood, Durs Egg completed the greater part of Ferguson’s order for the new military weapon with which to arm his rifle corps.

Three distinct types of rifle, depending upon the use intended for the weapon, were made—those with the proportions of a musket for the foot soldier, lighter models for the officers, and sporting arms. There was a variation of 48 to 60 inches in the length of these weapons; and a corresponding variation in the length of the barrels, which were either octagonal or round in shape. Their bores ranged in size from five-eights to three-quarters of an inch and were slightly larger than the usual bore of the long American rifle. Their rifling consisted of 6 or 8 grooves. These were equally spaced and completed at least three-quarters of a turn in the length of the barrel.

The earliest use of the Ferguson rifle was on American soil by riflemen whom Major Ferguson had personally trained. It was used at the Battle of Brandywine and is said to have been used later, with possibly a few having been in action at Kings Mountain. The successful use of this rifle in battle is sufficient proof that its inventor had made a notable contribution to military technology and developed a most effective arm. Unfortunately, it was at least 90 years ahead of its time.

What happened to these Ferguson rifles continues to be a matter of conjecture. While Ferguson convalesced after the Battle of Brandywine, his rifle corps was disbanded and his rifles put in storage by Sir William Howe. Later, an undetermined number were withdrawn from storage for further service. Though it can be assumed a number were destroyed in action and others carried off for use as new hunting rifles, a large number still remain unaccounted for.

Today there are only a few known specimens of this arm. Although those still in existence are largely in private ownership, there are several on public display in America. Two such arms are in the National Museum in Washington, one of which was originally given by Ferguson to Frederick de Peyster, the most important example in this country. The Rudolph J. Nunnemacher Arms Collection at Milwaukee, Wis., also has one of these weapons, as does the museum at the United States Military Academy, West Point, N. Y.

The National Park Service is fortunate in owning two Ferguson rifles. One of these, perhaps the second most important example in the United States, is in the museum at Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, N. J. It is marked with the initials P. F., indicating it was very probably inspected personally by Patrick Ferguson. The other is in the Kings Mountain National Military Park Museum. Though one occasionally hears of a Ferguson rifle for sale, their acquisition is a collector’s dream.

_Your Guide to the Area_

The battlefield ridge is the most outstanding feature of the park. Beginning at the Administration and Museum Building, numbered markers have been placed at the principal points of interest along the trail. These markers correspond with the numbered paragraphs below and with the numbers on the guide map. For the best story on the ground, it is suggested that you follow them in the order given.

1. THE ADMINISTRATION AND MUSEUM BUILDING.

Before you set out on the self-guiding, walking tour of the battlefield ridge, you will enjoy a visit to the park museum in this building. Colorful displays and exhibits explain simply and clearly the causes and results of the Battle of Kings Mountain and the turn of events that followed it in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. A series of exhibits trace the origin of the mountain men, tell the story of their uprising, and show their route of march to Kings Mountain. Other displays explain the progress of the British invasion of the South and the movement of Ferguson’s corps before the battle.

Among the featured exhibits are the battlefield diorama, typical arms of the mountain men, an electric map showing routes of the forces engaged in the battle, and examples of the Kentucky and Ferguson rifles. The diorama is a three-dimensional reenactment in miniature of a typical Kings Mountain battle scene. The original Ferguson rifle came from Scotland and is one of the park’s prized possessions.

2. THE FIRST SHOT.

Close to this location Tory soldiers fired upon the advancing frontiersmen. This was the first warning to Ferguson that he was about to be engaged in battle. Shortly before, other patriot units passed here toward assigned positions on the southwest and southeast slopes of the ridge. They followed an Indian trail closely paralleled by the route of the main park drive.

3. THE BATTLE BEGINS.

The first shot of the battle was the signal for all the patriot units that were in position around the base of the ridge to commence their attack. Here Sevier and Campbell merged their forces as they engaged Ferguson’s Provincial troops in bitter hand-to-hand fighting. They gained ground, only to lose it again, as they were repulsed by repeated bayonet charges. But by their heroic action near this spot, patriot troops on the northeast end of the ridge were enabled to complete the encirclement of Ferguson’s position.

4. HIGHEST PEAK OF THE BATTLE RIDGE.

This spot marks the southwestern end of Ferguson’s battle position, which extended the entire length of the ridge. The Centennial Monument erected in 1880 to commemorate the American patriots who defeated Ferguson is also located at this point. It is placed upon ground that was overrun by the men of Shelby, Sevier, and Campbell who, by their gallantry, forced Ferguson’s troops to retire toward the British campsite.

5. PATRIOT ADVANCE CONTINUES.

Bitterly fighting all the while, Tory forces were gradually pushed back along the top of the ridge in this area. Here Ferguson had hoped to establish a position from which he could better withstand the relentless attack of the mountain men.

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
MAJOR WILLIAM CHRONICLE, CAPTAIN JOHN MATTOCKS,
WILLIAM RABB AND JOHN BOYD,
WHO WERE KILLED AT THIS PLACE ON THE 7TH OF
OCTOBER, 1780, FIGHTING IN DEFENSE OF AMERICA.

COLONEL FERGUSON, AN OFFICER OF HIS BRITANNIC
MAJESTY, WAS DEFEATED AND KILLED AT
THIS PLACE ON THE 7TH OF OCTOBER, 1780.

_NOTE: THIS INSCRIPTION IS A COPY OF THAT ON
THE OLD MONUMENT ERECTED BY Dr. WILLIAM
MACLEAN IN 1815._

_THIS STONE HAS BEEN PLACED BY THE KINGS
MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION OF YORKVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA,
1914._

6. SITE OF THE SURRENDER.

After constant attack from all sides for nearly an hour, Ferguson’s troops were forced into the clearing at this point which has changed little since 1780. At this time Ferguson was killed and the command passed to Capt. Abraham de Peyster, who very shortly realized that further resistance was useless and in this area surrendered the remaining Tory troops.

The impressive monument or obelisk at this location was erected in 1909 by the United States Government to memorialize the significant American victory at Kings Mountain.

7. TRADITIONAL SPOT WHERE FERGUSON WAS WOUNDED.

Near this spot and in the late stages of the engagement, Ferguson, riddled with at least eight balls, fell from his white charger. One battle account states that one of these balls was fired by Robert Young, who is reported to have said in referring to his rifle, as he took aim and fired at Ferguson: “I’ll try and see what Sweet-Lips can do.” The small marker stands where the British commander is believed to have been mortally wounded.

8. FERGUSON’S GRAVE.

This was first marked by the granite block to the northeast of the pile of stones. The tablet on the opposite side was dedicated October 7, 1930, by President Hoover on the occasion of the Sesquicentennial Celebration. The rock pile originates from the Scottish tradition of placing a cairn over the grave of a fallen Chieftain.

9. THE CHRONICLE MARKERS.

On July 4, 1815, Dr. William McLean visited the battlefield and dedicated the gray soft stone on your left. It stands at the grave of his friend, Maj. William Chronicle, who is buried here with Capt. John Mattocks, William Rabb, and John Boyd. It is one of the oldest battlefield markers in the country. One hundred years later, in 1914, the Kings Mountain Association of Yorkville (now York), S. C., erected the newer marker to preserve the time-and-weather-worn inscription on the original.

10. SPRING.

One of the principal advantages of Ferguson’s campsite was its water supply which continues to originate from several sources. This is one of two springs to which the wounded of both sides are believed to have made their way for water. About 200 yards ahead, where the trail makes a hairpin turn to the right, you will pass a second spring on your left which was probably also used during the battle.

11. POSITIONS OF SHELBY AND SEVIER.

As you move up the trail to the upper parking area, you pass through the lines of Shelby and Sevier, coorganizers of the patriot march to Kings Mountain. Along the way are points where they began their attacks which were timed with the movements of Campbell’s men on the opposite slope of the ridge.

_Establishment of the Park_

Kings Mountain National Military Park was established by act of Congress on March 3, 1931. This was the climax of years of effort by individuals and patriotic organizations to win national recognition for the area.

A series of dedicatory celebrations had previously focused public attention upon it. The first of these celebrations, in 1815, was primarily local in nature. It did, however, mark the date when the first memorial stone was placed on the battlefield. This was in memory of Major Chronicle and three other South Fork boys, who were buried in a common grave. It was also the forerunner of the more elaborate celebrations held in 1855, 1880, 1909, and 1930. Despite inadequate means of travel and few access roads, they were all well attended.

The centennial observance of 1880 is of particular interest. To insure a successful celebration, the Kings Mountain Centennial Association was formed in 1879, composed largely of men from the towns of Kings Mountain and York. These citizens sponsored the purchase of 40 acres of the battleground and the erection of an appropriate monument. Generous contributions were received from individuals and the State Legislatures of North and South Carolina, resulting in the acquisition of most of the battlefield ridge and the construction of the Centennial Monument.

Soon after the celebration, the Kings Mountain Centennial Association was disbanded. Ownership of the battleground was transferred to the Kings Mountain Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, with headquarters in York, S. C. These patriotic ladies used their influence to win the support of the Congress of the United States for the idea of establishing a national historical shrine at the battleground. They were encouraged also by increased public support for their project. When the Congress appropriated $30,000 on June 16, 1906, for the erection of a new monument, the reaching of their goal was not too far away. The monument was completed in time for the celebration of 1909 and was dedicated before dignitaries from Tennessee, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. It is an 83-foot obelisk of white marble and stands as a symbol of the recognition by the Federal Government of the significance of the Battle of Kings Mountain.

TO THE MEMORY OF
COL. PATRICK FERGUSON
SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT,
HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY.
BORN IN ABERDEENSHIRE
SCOTLAND IN 1744
KILLED OCTOBER 7, 1780
IN ACTION AT
KING’S MOUNTAIN
WHILE IN COMMAND OF
THE BRITISH TROOPS.
A SOLDIER OF MILITARY
DISTINCTION AND OF HONOR
THIS MEMORIAL
IS FROM THE CITIZENS OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
IN TOKEN OF THEIR APPRECIATION
OF THE BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND
PEACE BETWEEN THEM AND THE
CITIZENS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
ERECTED OCTOBER 7, 1930

The celebration of October 7, 1930, provided the final impetus to the movement for the establishment of a national military park at Kings Mountain. One year ahead of the celebration, President Hoover was invited to be the guest of honor. His address at the celebration was heard by an estimated 80,000 people and wide press coverage of the speech brought nationwide attention to Kings Mountain. His presence also gave the prestige of his office to the long-standing proposal that the area was deserving of greater national recognition.

Although Kings Mountain National Military Park was finally established 151 years after the battle it commemorates, the Federal Government did not at first own any of the land included in the park. In 1933, responsibility for the development of the site was transferred by Presidential executive order from the War Department to the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior.

On September 24, 1935, the Kings Mountain chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, located in York, S. C., donated the 40 acres of the battleground to which the chapter held title. This was the nucleus of the park, and additional lands acquired between 1936 and 1940 raised the total holdings within the area to the present 4,012 acres.

_How to Reach the Park_

The park is best approached over North Carolina Route 216 from U. S. 29, which is 4 miles to the north, and is equidistant from Charlotte, N. C., and Spartanburg, S. C. It is also accessible over South Carolina Route 161 from York, S. C.

_About Your Visit_

You may obtain further information about this and other areas of the National Park System at the Administration and Museum Building near the main parking area. With the exception of Christmas and New Year’s Day, this building is open daily, with museum hours from 8:30 a. m. to 5 p. m. on weekdays and from 9:30 a. m. to 6 p. m. on Sundays. Park personnel is available at this building to assist individuals and organized groups of visitors. To assure such assistance to large groups, it is advisable that arrangements be made in advance with the superintendent of the park.

A beautiful amphitheater is situated a short distance east of the battlefield ridge, near the main park road. An outdoor historical drama on the Battle of Kings Mountain has been presented here in late summer during recent years. Adjoining the park on the east is Kings Mountain State Park where you may picnic and swim in season.

_Related Areas_

Three other areas administered by the National Park Service are related to this park as a result of the sequence of events set in motion by the Battle of Kings Mountain. They are Cowpens National Battlefield Site, near Gaffney, S. C., Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, near Greensboro, N. C., and Colonial National Historical Park, Yorktown, Va.

To the west, the Blue Ridge Parkway, also administered by the National Park Service, runs through a part of the country which many of the mountain men crossed en route to the engagement at Kings Mountain.

_Administration_

Kings Mountain National Military Park is administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior. A superintendent, whose address is P. O. Box 31, Kings Mountain, N. C., is in immediate charge.

_Suggested Readings_

Alden, John Richard, _American Revolution 1775-1783_, The New American Nation Series, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1954.

Bailey, J. D., _Commander At Kings Mountain_, Gaffney, S. C., 1926.

Draper, Lyman C., _Kings Mountain And Its Heroes_, Peter G. Thomson, Cincinnati, 1881; Dauber and Pine Bookshops, New York, 1929.

Ferguson, James, _Two Scottish Soldiers, “A Soldier of 1688 and Blenheim, A Soldier Of The American Revolution,”_ D. Wyllie & Son, Aberdeen, 1888.

George, J. N., _English Guns and Rifles_, Small Arms Technical Publishing Company, Plantersville, S. C.

Scofield, John, “Patrick Ferguson’s Rifle,” _The American Rifleman_, December, 1941.

Wallace, Willard M., _Appeal to Arms, “A Military History of the American Revolution,”_ Harper & Brothers, New York, 1951.

★ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1972 0—487-136

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES

(Price lists of National Park Service publications may be obtained
from the Superintendent of Documents,
Washington 25, D.C.)

Antietam
Bandelier
Chalmette
Chickamauga and Chattanooga Battlefields
Custer Battlefield
Custis-Lee Mansion, the Robert E. Lee Memorial
Fort Laramie
Fort McHenry
Fort Necessity
Fort Pulaski
Fort Raleigh
Fort Sumter
George Washington Birthplace
Gettysburg
Guilford Courthouse
Hopewell Village
Independence
Jamestown, Virginia
Kings Mountain
The Lincoln Museum and the House Where Lincoln Died
Manassas (Bull Run)
Montezuma Castle
Morristown, a Military Capital of the Revolution
Ocmulgee
Petersburg Battlefields
Saratoga
Scotts Bluff
Shiloh
Statue of Liberty
Vanderbilt Mansion
Vicksburg
Yorktown

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.