October 31, 2016
I'd wanted to visit Kings Mountain, like the Cowpens battlefield site, ever since I first read about it when I was a kid. King's Mountain, in northern South Carolina, was the site of an important battle during the Revolutionary War in October 1780.
This was a battle not between the Continental and British armies but rather, between the Patriot and Loyalist militias -- in other words, it was neighbor fighting neighbor. The Loyalists were led by the charismatic British major, Patrick Ferguson (the only British soldier who participated in the battle) while much of the Rebel militia had gathered here from distant places in the backcountry of Tennessee, Kentucky and the Carolinas. The Loyalist militia held the crest of King's Mountain and the rebel forces surrounded them, then the Americans slowly advanced uphill until they Loyalists were defeated. Major Ferguson was killed during the battle.
King's Mountain was a pivotal engagement because it provided a much-needed morale boost to the American forces in the south. Four months later, the Americans would defeat the British again at Cowpens battlefield nearby. And nine months after that battle, the British surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown, Virginia, which effectively ended the war. After six long years of conflict, the Americans had won.
To see my 360-degree panorama photo, click on the photo above.