Battle of King's Mountain

The Battle of King's Mountain was a fight in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, fought on October 7, 1780. American militia forces overwhelmed the loyalist militia, led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Theodore Roosevelt in his history The Winning of the West described King's Mountain as, "This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution."

Revolutionary War -- Southern Campaign -- List of Battles
Battle before: Battle of Camden - after: Battle of Cowpens

Battle of King's Mountain
Conflict	American Revolutionary War
Date	October 7 1780
Place	Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Result	Decisive American victory
Combatants Loyalist Militia Rebel Militia Commanders Colonel Patrick Ferguson The Colonels Strength 1,100 (+200 nearby) 900 (+500 nearby) Casualties 157 dead, 163 wounded, 698 captured 28 dead, 62 wounded

From the American perspective, this might be called The Battle of the Colonels. There was no overall command structure. Colonels William Campbell, John Sevier, Joseph McDowell, Benjamin Cleveland, James Williams, and Isaac Shelby each appeared in command of parts of their militia units. Even some of lesser rank, such as Captain Joseph Winston, Edward Lacey, and Frederick Hambright commanded largely autonomous units.

Background

Forces

Description of the battle

Aftermath

In 1931, Congress created the King's Mountain National Military Park on the site of the battle. The park is headquartered in Blacksburg, South Carolina and hosts over a quarter of a million visitors each year.