The End of Southern History?

Remember as children when we were taught about the first Thanksgiving?

Pilgrims came over from England so they could go to the chruch they liked best, but once here, they almost died. Thankfully, the Indians came with food and saved the Pilgrims from starving. They had dinner and became friends.

As we got older, we learned real history was more involvled than this. On January 20th, Congress will pass a law deciding the Southern campaigns during the Ameirican Revolution needn't be taught by private citizens or businesses. All educational needs will be met by the National Park Service.

Like the Pilgrims, the parks often glaze across only the most basic points, forgetting the varied, intertwining stories making up the pattern of history.The military park in South Carolina maintains the grounds where the battle of Kings Mountain was held. In its auditorium a synopsis of the battle is shown several times a day. The gift shop offers an array of books about the battle.

What is forgotten are the contributions of black slaves and free blacks like Ismael Titus. Why would a man in bondage fight for his masters cause? Why wouldnt he shoot his captors and give the British a chance?

The Cherokee Indians excelled at guerilla warfare, blending into the forest as to be invisible, a tactic the British found barbaric. These skills were learned so well by Frances Marion, a settler dubbed "swamp fox" by his enemies. He is known as the father of guerilla warfare. The Cherokee inspired him , but what inspired the Cherokee to choose a side in a war where they had little to gain?

What was in the hearts and minds of these people who chose to take up arms for a group of people who looked down on them?

Women were never passive during the war effort. In Carthage, NC is a house riddled with holes where redcoats fired into the homestead. The lady of the house took a hatchet and bent the barrel of the rifles that were sticking through the walls, rendering the weapon useless. Let none of thier stories be forgotten.

To leave a comment with congress about this issue, post by Jan 20

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/soca

The Battle of Kings Mountain

It was 1780 when Cornwallis gave the command to take the southern colonies. He appointed a handsome soldier by the name of Patrick Ferguson to march across Virginia toward North Carolina and meet him in Charlotte.

Ferguson was confident most settlers were loyalists anxious for peace to be restored to their chaotic towns. Some refer to this as the first civil war because politics began to divide the people so intensely that violence broke out on both sides, breaking up friends and families.

Loyalists wanted to keep England in power, while patriots wanted to break from the mother country, about a third of the populace really didn't care, they just wanted to be left alone. The British cause was hurt by the means some officers took to quell rebellion Resistance was met with brute force and no quarter was given, the patriots were hanged. Despite the stories of oppression, Ferguson was certain loyalists would flock under his banner as he made his way toward the small town of Kings Mountain.

While some loyalists followed him, resistors, called mountain men followed with the intent of attack. Ferguson sent a threat to the settlers of North Carolina to either sign an oath of allegiance to the crown or their land and homes would be laid to waste, while their leaders were hanged.

This did not promote loyalty.

As Ferguson made camp on the top of King's pinnacle, the towns people promised to bring him down and reclaim what was theirs. While it was assumed the mountain top would give an advantage in battle, the gun fire sailed over the heads of patriots charging the hill. The mountain men used "Indian tactics" instead of fighting out in the open, they hid behind trees and rocks, advancing the whole time.

Said George Hanger of Ferguson's Provincial Corps:
"This distinguished race of men are more savage than the Indians, and posses every one of the vices, but none of the virtues. I have known these fellows to travel 200 miles through the woods never keeping any road or path, guided by the sun by day, and stars by night, to kill a particular person of the opposite party."

True to the reputation, men flocked to unseat Ferguson's troops, coming from miles around. Some kept their horses a mile from the battle ground and walked toward the skirmish, gun in hand.

The mountain was surrounded, the battle raged for about an hour before the English tried to surrender. White flags were raised, but some ignored them, while others may not have understood its meaning. Most of the Loyalists were shot down.

Ferguson rode his horse issuing commands the whole time. He was shot nine times and fell from his horse. He is buried on the mountain to this day.
The battle was commemorated by Thomas Jefferson as the battle that turned the tide of war. In later years, a memorial stone was erected in Ferguson's memory. He was a man of honor and we remember those who fell. Glad to commemorate the battle and our lasting friendship with the British Empire. The monument was erected in 1930.