Battle of King's Mountain, 7 October 1780
Battle during the American War of Independence. In an attempt to conquer North Carolina and secure the south, Cornwallis began a march north on 9 September 1780. His western flank was guarded by 1,000 Loyalists, commanded by Major Patrick Ferguson, the only non-American present at the battle. A month into the march, three groups of American frontiersmen commanded by militia officers isolated this force on the heavily wooded King's Mountain. While the direct American attacks were repulsed with bayonet charges, the frontiersmen, armed with rifles, were able to snipe accurately into the Loyalist forces. After an hour of fighting, Ferguson was killed, and with his death the Loyalists surrendered. The entire force was lost. The loss of his flanking force decided Cornwallis against continuing his march north, and he returned to Winnsborough, South Carolina. The aftermath was also notable for the savagery of the Americans, who executed several of their prisoners, probably in revenge for loyalist actions at the earlier battle of Waxhaws.
Middlekauff, Robert,
The Glorious Cause, The American Revolution 1763-1789. A very well researched book that is especially strong on the events that led up to the Revolution, which take up the first third of the book. Unlike many similar books it also covers the years immediately after the war and up to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J. (21 May 2003), Battle of King's Mountain, 7 October 1780, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_kingsmountain.html
Black, Jeremy, War For America: The Fight for Independence 1775-1783.
Provides a clear narrative of the war, taken year by year, with good chapters on some of the later years that are often skipped over. Also contains a good selection of quotes from participents in the conflict.
