Shout like hell
Fight like devils
Don’t Mess with My Men
After the battle at Williamson’s Plantation, a number of local women came to administer aid to the wounded. Colonel Edward Lacey sent for the Adairs so he could take them to North Carolina where they could be safe. When Mrs. Adair arrived, she went in to see a severely wounded Captain John Adamson who had threatened her family during his “visit” the day before. When she saw the captain she remarked, “Well Captain, you ordered me last night to bring in my rebel sons, here sir, are two of them.” The Captain, a good deal chagrined, replied “yes madam, I have seen them.”[1]John Adair, Jr to MA Moore
Colonel Lacey remained with Sumter fighting at Rocky Mount (loss), Hanging Rock (win), and Fishing Creek (loss). Earlier that summer, General Williams arrived at Sumter’s camp with no men, but eager to serve. Sumter gave him command of 25 men and four teams and wagons under Major Charles Miles. Shortly after the battle at Hanging Rock, Williams decamped along with his men without a word to Sumter, taking with him several horses and provisions.
Lacey, one of Sumter’s best officers, was dispatched with a small guard in pursuit of Williams to, at the very least, return with the public property. When he caught up with them, he invited Williams to take a walk with him. When they were out of reach of the others, Lacey “presented a pistol at his breast, threatening him with instant death if he should make the least noise, or call for assistance. With his pistol still aimed, Lacey expostulated with him on the baseness of his conduct.” Williams vowed to return the property and Lacey let him go. However, Williams never lived up to his word. Instead, he returned to Smith’s Ford and joined McDowell’s forces in the expedition at Musgrove’s Mill. [2] Life of General Edward Lacey by M.A. Moore
General vs. General
Sumter’s men encountered Williams several more times throughout the coming months and the distrust grew to the point where in early October, when Sumter’s forces were pursuing the British commanded by Ferguson, Williams was working against Sumter rather than with him. He had devised a plot to lure the Loyalist army toward his camp so they could plunder the Tories. When Sumter confronted him he said, “The North Carolinians can fight them or not but it is the business of the South Carolinians to fight for their own country.”
Following this conversation, Sumter told Colonel Lacey what Willams had been doing. They had to inform the Overmountain men right away or Ferguson may escape. At 8 o’clock that night, Lacey mounted Colonel Hill’s horse, a good night traveler, and started off with a guide who was acquainted with the countryside. At one point they strayed from the trail and Lacey became suspicious of the guide, twice cocking his gun to kill the suspected traitor who pled his innocence. The ride was eighteen to twenty miles and they finally reached camp before daybreak.
Lacey was blindfolded and taken to the Colonel’s quarters where he had to prove his own loyalty. He gave them Ferguson’s location and details about the strength of his forces and urged them to advance immediately.
Meanwhile, Malcom Henry was with Col. Graham’s regiment elsewhere and Graham had sent him to find Col. Shelby so they could meet up and join forces. It had been decided that they would all rendezvous at the Cowpens, expecting that they would find Ferguson and his Tories close by at Tate’s Ferry.[3]Malcolm Henry’s pension application, 1834
Back at Sumter’s camp, Williams was trying to give orders to Sumter’s men to prepare a march for Ninety-Six, while Colonel Hill was following behind telling the men to stay put until Lacey returned. Around ten o’clock that morning, Lacey returned and they took a vote, follow Sumter’s plan to attack Ferguson at King’s Mountain or head toward Ninety-Six with Williams. Sumter’s men out-voted the others and the troops renewed their march toward the original meeting place, Cowpens, with Williams and his men following on their heels, being shouted at and having rocks thrown back at them.
At the British camp, Ferguson had received word that the Backwater men were on their way in great force. He sent a dispatch to Cornwallis to send reinforcements. The dispatch was sent through two men, Abram Collins and Peter Quinn, instructing them to make “the utmost expedition and deliver the letter as soon as possible.” They made their way down the mountain, arriving at the property of Alexander Henry. They disguised themselves as patriots and stopped for refreshments. They were so anxious to hurry on their way afterward that they sparked the suspicion Mr. William Henry and he sent two of his son’s to follow them. The boys followed so closely that Collins and Quinn had to hide during the day and travel stealthily at night, delaying their arrival to Cornwallis till the morning of October 7 – the day of Ferguson’s defeat at King’s Mountain.
William Henry and two of his sons spent the night before the battle moulding rifle balls. [4]Letter from Robert Randolph Henry (grandson of Francis Henry), Tazewell, VA 1915
Battle at King’s Mountain
October 7, 1780. Ferguson’s men were camped on a ridge at the highest point of King’s Mountain. They were less than a day’s march from the safety of Charlotte but decided to rest and await reinforcements from Cornwallis. 900 Patriots approached the steep base of the western ridge. They surrounded it on all sides. It has always been the tradition in the King’s Mountain region, that inasmuch as Colonel Lacey rode the express and gave the patriots at Green River the true situation of Ferguson, Colonel Campbell gave him the honor of commencing the battle. Lacey, Shelby, Williams, Cleveland, Hambright, Winston, and MacDowell attacked the main position, surrounding the base beside the crest of the mountain. Sevier and Campbell assaulted at the heel. As screaming Patriots charged up the hill, Loyalist Captain Abraham de Peyster turned to Major Ferguson and said, “These things are ominous – these are the damned yelling boys!”
The Battle
The Patriots had split into groups to surround the mountain. Approximately 1,100 men were there to fight, most of them militia, including William Henry and his eldest sons. Orders had been given to the right and left wings, that when the center columns were ready for attack, they were to give the signal by raising a regular frontier war-whoop, and rush forward, doing the enemy all the injury possible; and the rest were to follow suit. The first shots actually came from the enemy, spotting the Patriots before they were in position. Colonel Campbell threw off his coat and exclaimed at the top of his voice,
“Here they are, my brave boys; shout like hell and fight like devils!”
“Here they are, my brave boys; shout like hell and fight like devils!”
The Patriots charged up the hill firing at the loyalist militia. Ferguson’s men returned with a bayonet charge down the mountain chasing the Patriots back into the woods, covering behind trees and rocks and reloading before charging up the hill again. This pattern repeated for about ten minutes before the right and left flanks arrived and completely encompassed the enemy. Malcom Henry headed up his company with the right wing troops. Ferguson did not have the advantage he had thought. The summit his men were positioned on was bare of timber, whereas the back-woods riflemen had trees for protection as they advanced on the enemy.
The battle was raging all around the mountain. Bailie Peyton of Tennessee said, “the mountain appeared volcanic; there flashed along the summit, and around its base, and up its sides, one long sulphurous blaze.”[5]Mr. Peyton’s speech in Congress, January 16th, 1834
Colonel Lacey and his men rushed forward to share in the fight. At the very first fire of the enemy, Lacey’s horse was shot out from under him, but the South Carolinians he commanded had earned a high reputation from the previous battles they had fought and they proved themselves worthy that day.
The battle raged on for just over an hour. Malcolm had lost more than one third of his men. Finally Ferguson, trying to make his escape, charged on his horse with his sword in his left hand and attempted to cut down anyone in his path. He was shot seven times and dragged by his horse behind Patriot lines. Loyalist Captain de Peyster sent out a white flag. The British had lost 157 men and had 163 wounded. 700 men were taken prisoner.
The Patriot spent the night on the battlefield and the Henry family, living just at the base of the mountain, came the next day with provisions for the weary troops. Francis Henry even transported water to the wounded in a wool hat.
King’s Mountain and the Battle of Cowpens, fought a few months later, were considered the turning points of the war. General George Washington proclaimed to his own army that, “The crude, spirited, hardy determined volunteers who crossed the mountains served as proof of the spirit and resources of the country.”
Ballad of King’s mountain
Ballad of King’s mountain
A tragical story you quickly shall hear
Of Whigs and of Tories, how they bred a great strife,
When they chased old Ferguson out of his life,
Brave Colonel Williams from HIllsboro’ came,
The South Carolinians flocked to him amain,
Four hundred and fifty, a jolly brisk crew,
After old Ferguson we then did pursue.
We marched to the Cowpens – brave Campbell was there,
And Shelby, and Cleveland, and Colonel Sevier,
Taking the lead of their bold mountaineers,
Brave Indian fighters, devoid of all fears.
They were men of renown – like lions so bold,
Like lions undaunted, ne’er to be controll’d,
They were bent on the game they had in their eye,
Determined to take it – to conquer or die.
We marched from the Cowpens that very same night,
Sometimes we were wrong – sometimes we were right,
Our heart’s being run in true Liberty’s mold,
We regarded not hungry, wet, weary, not cold.
Early next morning we came to the ford,
Cherokee was its name – and “Buford” the word,
We march’d thro’ the river, with courage so free,
Expecting the foemen we might quickly see.
Like eagles a hungry in search of their prey,
We chas’d the old fox the best part of the day,
At length on King’s Mountain the old rogue we found,
And we, like bold heroes, his camp did surround.
The drums they did beat, and the guns they did rattle,
Our enemies stood us a very smart battle,
Like lightening the flashes, like thunder the noise,
Such was the onset of our bold mountain boys.
The battle did last the best part of an hour,
The guns they did roar – the bullets did shower,
WIth an oath in our hearts to conquer the field,
We rush’d on the Tories – resolv’d they should yield.
We laid old Ferguson dead on the ground,
Four hundred and fifty dead Tories lay round –
Making a large escort, if not quite so wise,
To guide him to his chosen abode in the skies.
Brave Colonel WIlliams and twenty-five more,
Of our brave heroes lay roll’d in their gore,
With sorrow their bodies we laid in the clay,
In hopes that to heaven their souls took their way.
We shouted the victory that we did obtain,
Our voices were heard seven miles on the plain,
Liberty shall stand – and the Tories shall fall,
Here’s an end to my song, so God bless you all!
King's Mountain and its Heroes
There are a lot of great stories about the men who fought in this battle. I would have loved to put them here but since the focus is on our ancestors, I had to keep it to Lacey and the Henry men. If you’d like to read more about King’s Mountain, this is the best book by far. It was originally published in 1881.
Nothing but Blood and Slaughter series
This series recounts battles and skirmishes in chronological order with introductory details about the officers involved and the casualties on each side. The first book in the series covers 1771 – 1779, and volumes 2, 3, & 4 cover 1780, 1781, and 1782 respectively.
The Patriot
The Patriot is a fictionalized story revolving around the war in the Carolinas but after reading so much about the battles and incidents in this region, I could see the ties to the story. Col. Tavington, played by Jason Isaacs, is a character based on the real life Tarleton and the battle at the end of the movie is a composite of the battles at King’s Mountain and Cowpens. I have enjoyed watching this movie over and over while reasearching this part of our family’s history.
Great research – great writing. I really enoyed it, – doc