Kings Mountain National Military Park

On By nationalparkswithtIn South Carolina

NPTC Southeast Convention Road Trip➤

My friend Patty and I travelled to Asheville, North Carolina for the 2023 National Park Travelers Club Convention. The convention rotates to a different region each year. For 2023, it was in the Southeast region. On the way down, during the convention and on the way home we visited nine National Park Service units and some other parks. On the fourth day of our road trip we took the club’s Revolutionary War Bus Tour. The tour stopped at Kings Mountain National Military Park and Cowpens National Battlefield.

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Revolutionary War Campaigns in the South ➤

Often, when we think about Revolutionary War historic sites, we recall the battles in the North, like Bunker Hill and Saratoga. But the National Park Service maintains several Revolutionary War sites in the South. These sites played a pivotal role in the American victory at Yorktown. These sites include Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, and Cowpens National Battlefield.

After France allied itself with the Patriots, the British shifted their strategy to the southern colonies. They planned to bolster their numbers by recruiting loyalists and reclaiming their profitable colonies. Under General Cornwallis, their strategy enjoyed success initially. But the engagements at King’s Mountain, Cowpens, and Guilford Courthouse shifted the tide of war in the south and made the victory at Yorktown possible.

Kings Mountain ➤

The British Troops southern strategy was challenged by a sudden battle in the wilderness, altering the course of the conflict. A group of mountain Carolinians and Virginians, predominantly of Scottish-Irish ancestry, took up arms against British Major Patrick Ferguson and his loyalist battalion, motivated by a deep-seated resolve to confront their adversary head-on.

As England intensified its military efforts in the South, clashes between loyalists and patriots escalated, plunging the region into brutal warfare. General Lord Cornwallis tasked Major Patrick Ferguson with rallying loyalist militias to support the British cause. However, Ferguson’s presence in the Carolina upcountry stirred the frontier patriots into action. Following a defeat at Camden, South Carolina, and sensing an opportunity, these frontier militia returned home to fortify their ranks, laying the groundwork for a pivotal confrontation.

In October 1780, the tide turned decisively at King’s Mountain, a rocky spur of the Blue Ridge. Led by Colonel William Campbell and other patriot leaders, a determined force of riflemen launched a stealthy assault on Ferguson’s position. Despite facing stiff resistance, the patriots’ guerrilla tactics and marksmanship prevailed. Ferguson fell in battle, marking a significant turning point in the war. The Overmountain Men’s victory showcased their resilience and determination, dealing a decisive blow to England’s ambitions in the South and shaping the course of the nation’s history.

The rangers welcomed our bus and ushered us into the auditorium for a talk and to watch the park film. The film mentions that Ferguson kept two women in his camp, both named Virginia. One Virginia died on the mountain, while the other told the militia how to identify Ferguson on her way out of the battleground. After the film, we visited the museum and walked the 1.5 mile loop up the mountain.

Southeast Convention Posts➤

Location: 2625 Park Rd, Blacksburg, SC
Designation: National Military Park
Date designated/established: March 2, 1917
Date of my visit: August 4, 2023

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