Kings Mountain

https://www.nps.gov/kimo/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Mountain_National_Military_Park Kings Mountain National Military Park is near Blacksburg, South Carolina, along the North Carolina/South Carolina border. The park commemorates the Battle of Kings Mountain, a pivotal and significant victory by American Patriots over American Loyalists during the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson considered the battle "The turn of the tide of success." Thomas Jefferson called it "The turn of the tide of success." The battle of Kings Mountain, fought October 7th, 1780, was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major patriot victory to occur after the British invasion of Charleston, SC in May 1780. The park preserves the site of this important battle. Kings Mountain National Military Park is located on South Carolina Highway 216. From Greenville, SC travel on I-85 North to NC Exit #2. Turn right onto Hwy 216. From Charlotte, NC travel on I- 85 South to NC Exit #2. Turn left onto Hwy 216. Kings Mountain National Military Park The visitor center has a movie, a bookstore operated by America's National Parks, and a museum. The museum has artifacts from the battle and audio exhibits inside walk-in trees that resemble the 1780 battlefield. Kings Mountain National Military Park is located on South Carolina Highway 216. From Greenville, SC travel on I-85 North to NC Exit #2. Turn right onto Hwy 216. From Charlotte, NC travel on I- 85 South to NC Exit #2. Turn left onto Hwy 216. Ferguson's Grave An oval gravestone for Maj Patrick Ferguson is in front of his stone covered grave. Major Patrick Ferguson's Grave Patriot Rifleman A patriot rifleman stands ready to fire his weapon. A patriot rifleman stands ready to fire his weapon. Centennial Monument in Snow Snow covers the ground in front of the Centennial Monument. Centennial Monument in the Snow US Monument in Fall The US Monument is surrounded by trees that are turning orange and yellow. US Monument in the Fall Militia Marching with Arms Militia reenactors march with weapons on their shoulders as they prepare to demonstrate them. Militia reenactors march with weapons on their shoulders as they prepare to give a firing demonstration. Southeast National Parks Train 165 New Wildland Firefighters Between December 2011 and March 2012, Southeast Region national parks trained 165 new wildland firefighters in S-130/190 courses at four separate units, including Mammoth Cave National Park, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Cumberland Island National Seashore, and Everglades National Park. Trainees came from federal and state agencies, local fire departments, universities, and other partners. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Kings Mountain National Military Park, North Carolina Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. wooded hillside Women in Fire Science: Cynthia Worthington Cynthia Worthington is a fire effects monitor and has worked in several different units of the National Park Service during her career. The importance of collaboration with other fields and the built-in adaptability of fire programs is one of her favorite parts of working in fire that keeps her coming back. A woman in black rain gear stands with a clipboard in a meadow. Changing Attitudes Most women with disabilities hired by the National Park Service (NPS) in the 1970s and early 1980s had temporary jobs. Some built long-term careers with the bureau. Starting before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, these women experienced the opportunities and changes the law brought. It was their hard work and dedication to the NPS mission, however, that continued to change attitudes and educate coworkers and visitors alike. Ranger Shirley Beccue in her wheelchair and NPS uniform and flat hat looks out over the Everglades. The Fruits of Victory: Loyalist Prisoners in the Aftermath of Kings Mountain The story of the fate of Loyalist prisoners captured at the 1780 Battle of Kings Mountain. Alexander Chesney Learn about Alexander Chesney, a commanding officer for a Loyalist militia unit at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781. Portrait of Alexander Chesney 50 Nifty Finds #11: Carving a Place in NPS History Few employees have left as visible a mark on National Park Service (NPS) exhibits as John A. Segeren. His work has been enjoyed by generations of park visitors who never knew his name but appreciated his intricate wood carvings and playful animal figures displayed in parks throughout the system. A master woodcarver described by former President Lyndon B. Johnson as "a legacy to this country," Segeren carved out his own place in NPS history. Round wooden plaque with bison, globe, and waterfall Southern Campaign of the American Revolution Junior Ranger Program Explore the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution with this Junior Ranger program that features five units of the National Park Service! Green cover of Junior Ranger Program with five photographs of different parks. Horseback Riding Discover horseback riding trails at Kings Mountain National Military Park! Camping Discover camping options around Kings Mountain! Battlefield Trail, 1.5 Mile! Explore the Battlefield Trail at Kings Mountain National Military Park. Visitors walk toward U.S. Monument Backcountry Trails Explore backcountry trails! Birding Discover Birding at Kings Mountain National Military Park! Stay Active at Kings Mountain! Explore ways to stay healthy and active at Kings Mountain National Military Park! Overmountain Victory NHT Junior Ranger The Junior Ranger program booklet for Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail A book cover showing people crossing a river Thomas Young Discover the life of patriot soldier, Thomas Young. Tombstone of Thomas Young The Adventures of Ranger Cow! Follow Ranger Cow's journey to American Revolutionary War sites! Crochet Cow in Park Ranger uniform 50 Nifty Finds #43: Environman It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … Environman? While it may sound like a Saturday morning superhero, Environman was a National Park Service (NPS) symbol for its environmental education activities in the 1970s. Beginning in 1967 the NPS became a leader in environmental conservation education, which then-Director George B. Hartzog, Jr saw as crucial to the survival of the parks and the planet. Many of those key ideas echo in today’s NPS climate change education. Environman symbol above the word NEED Black Powder Weapons of the Southern Campaign Discover black powder weapons of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. Grasshopper cannon with blue wheels Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park System To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Abingdon Muster Grounds The Abingdon Muster Grounds is one of the partner locations along the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, a 330-mile route used in a key Patriot victory of the American Revolution. Project Profile: A Strategic Approach to Building Forest Resiliency in Southeast Parks The National Park Service is addressing the climate change vulnerability of southeast park ecosystems. Fall-colored trees on a mountain slope. A tree is in the right-side foreground.

Kings Mountain Kings Mountain National Military Park South Carolina National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior By 1780 the northern campaign of the American Revolutionary War had been fought to a stalemate, ^ and England turned its military strategy toward the ' South. The tactic seemed simple: re-establish the southern royal colonies, march north to join loyalist troops at the Chesapeake Bay, and claim the seaboi But a sudden battle in the wilderness exposed the foil}'' of England's scheme and changed the course of t h i s ^ , ^ I n late September 1780 a column of mounted Carolinians and Virginians headed east over the Appalachian mountains. They wore hunting shirts and leggings, with long, slender rifles of the frontier across their saddles. They came full of wrath, seeking their adversary of the summer—British Maj. Patrick Ferguson and his loyalist battalion. This time, they came to battle him to the finish. These men hailed from valleys around the headwaters of the Holston, Nolichucky, and Watauga rivers. Most were of Scots-Irish ancestry, a hardy people who were hunters, farmers, and artisans. Years earlier they had formed settlements that were remote and nearly independent of royal authority in the eastern counties. Fiercely self-reliant, they were little concerned or threatened by the five-year-old war fought primarily in the northern colonies and along the coast. Britain's Thrust to Regain the South In early 1780 England turned its military efforts to the South. At first the British forces seemed unstoppable. In May Sir Henry Clinton captured Charleston, S.C., the South's largest city. The British quickly set up garrisons, using military force to gain control. Before 1780 only scattered incidents of torture and murder had occurred in the Carolinas, but with the return of the British army the war in the South became brutal. Loyalists (tories) plundered the countryside; patriots (whigs) retaliated with burning and looting— with neighbors fighting each other. The British believed that the southern colonies teemed with loyalists, and they were banking orf those supporters to persuade reluctant patriots to swear allegiance to the Crown. Gen. Lord Cornwallis ordered Maj. Patrick Ferguson, reputed to be the best marksman in the British Army, to gather these loyalists into a strong militia. Ferguson recruited a thousand Carolinians and trained them to fight with muskets and bayonets using European open-field tactics. In the summer, as Ferguson roamed the Carolina upcountry, frontier patriots swept across the mountains to aid their compatriots of the Piedmont. In August Cornwallis routed Gen. Horatio Gates and patriot forces at Camden, S.C. Learning of the defeat, the frontier militia went home to harvest crops and strengthen their forces. Taking advantage of their departure, Cornwallis mounted an invasion of North Carolina. He sent Ferguson, commander of his left flank, north into western North Carolina. In September Ferguson set up post at Gilbert Town (see map below). From here Ferguson sent a message to the "backwater men" (over-mountain patriots) threatening to kill them all if they did not submit. Enraged, they vowed to finish Ferguson once and for all. On September 26 returning over-mountain forces gathered at Sycamore Shoals under Cols. William Campbell, Isaac Shelby, Charles McDowell, and John Sevier. The next morning they began an arduous march through mountains covered with an early snowfall. They reached Quaker Meadows on October 1 and joined 350 local militia under Cols. Benjamin Cleveland and Jo- seph Winston. Ferguson, learning from spies that the growing force was pursuing him, headed toward Charlotte. The patriots reached Gilbert Town on October 4, but soon discovered that Ferguson had abandoned his camp. They rode on, reaching Cowpens on October 6, where they were joined by 400 South Carolinians led by Colonel Williams and Colonel Lacey. Ferguson's trail had been hard to follow, but now they learned that he was near Kings Mountain—only about 30 miles away. Ferguson reached Kings Mountain on October 6, where he decided to await his enemy. Kings Mountain—named for an early settler and not for King George III—is a rocky spur of the Blue Ridge rising 150 feet above the surrounding area. Its forested slopes, sliced with ravines, lead to a summit, which in 1780 was nearly treeless. This plateau, 600 yards long by 60 yards wide at the southwest and 120 yards wide at the northeast, gave Ferguson a seemingly excellent position for his army of 1,000 loyalist militia and 100 red-coated Provincials. Turning Point in the Carolina Wilderness Fearing that Ferguson might escape again, the patriots selected 900 of the best riflemen to push on, with Campbell of Virginia as commander. They rode through a night of rain—their long rifles protected in blankets—and arrived at Kings Mountain after noon, Saturday, October 7. The rain, now stopped, had muffled their sounds, giving Ferguson little