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Tuwday. OctobM 7, 1980-KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Pag* 3B
Arthur Patterson Killed hi Battle
t)
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vard, *
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” Cun-
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fr ■■
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•I
Rockefeller speaktt in 1975...
VP Rockefeller Substituted
For Ford At 1975 Event
• ^
The 195th anniversary
celebration of the Battle of Kings
Mountain remains fresh in the
minds of most people who par
ticipated in it.
But, someone picking up a
stored-away commemorative
program a hundred years from
now will think the President of
the United States was in atten
dance.
President Gerald R. Ford ac
cepted an invitation to speak at
ceremonies at John Gamble
Stadium. Before he backed out
just a few days before October 7,
the city published the com
memorative program.
There, on the front cover, is a
picture of the President. On page
three is a telegram from the
President, praising all the par
ticipants of the celebration.
And, on the day’s agenda,
printed on page eight, were all
the activities, in this order:
•The President’s arrival in
Charlotte.
•Presidential Motorcade from
Charlotte to Kings Mountain.
• Presidential Parade.
•Presidential review.
•Presidential address.
• President’s departure.
The Presidential limousine
was listed fifth in the parade
lineup.
But, of course. President
Ford, after the program had
been printed and too late to
prepare a new one, changed his
mind about coming to Kings
Mountain.
Vice-President Nelson
Rockefeller substituted for him
and spoke to over 10,000 people
at John Gamble Stadium. In
stead of arriving at Charlotte
and riding in a motorcade to
Kings Mountain, Rockefeller
landed by helicopter at a field ad
jacent to the stadium. He viewed
the parade from the speaker’s
platform.
His speech was as inspiring,
and his presence as exciting, as it
would have been had Ford ap
peared. And Rocky didn’t even
get his name in the program.
By RITA FALLS
(A Kinsman)
In 1780 Arthur Patterson
was an elderly Irishman who
owned a large farm south of
what is now the city of Kings
Mountain.
He had three boys, Thomas,
William and Arthur, Jr. Ar
thur, Jr. was a boy of 14 when
the Battle of Kings Mountain
was fought. He and his broth
ers and James Lindsey, a
neighbor boy, were on Kings
Creek hunting their father’s
cows the morning prior to the
battle when some of Fergu
son’s foragers came upon
them and figuring they might
tell their location, arrested the
boys and carried them to their
camp.
The boys were tied to trees,
but when the battle began they
all managed to free them
selves. 'niomas, who was 25,
snatched up a rifle that had
fallen from some wounded
soldiers’ hands and began
filing at the enemy. William,
20, also joined in the battle and
the N. C. Historical Society
has placed a tombstone at his
grave.
Arthur, Jr., bound tighter
than the others, was unable to
fight but was able to get loose
from the trees. With his feet
and hands tied, he rolled down
the mountainside and thus got
into our lines.
When the boys failed to re
turn home, their father, Ar
thur Patterson, Sr. searched
for them and when he was
near enough to hear the report
of the guns, he discovered
what was taking place. He
went immediately to the place
where the battle was raging
and entered into it with all his
might. His Irish blood took
over and he fought until he
died. His body was buried on
the western slope of the moun
tain and a small stone marked
the grave. The stone marker
was destroyed befn-e better
one could befound and now the
burial place is not known.
'nie old Arthur Patterson
Plantation is still in the hands
of the Beverly Patterson
family, a great grandson. It is
just a few miles south of town.
The Battlefield was visited
by those who lived near for
several weeks after the ar
mies had passed oa Many
souvenirs were picked up but
most of them have been de
stroyed. Arthur Patterson, Jr.
piciwd up a nice string of
beads which had been taken
from the neck of a woman in
Ferguson’s camp One of the
first to fall, the woman was
thrown upon a brush pile and
young Patterson found her
body. The beads were handed
down in the E. A. Patterson
family and used in the Cele
bration of 1880.
Thomas Patterson was born
in 1755. He died at age 58 in
1803, No. 13 in the battle.
Arthur Patterson, Jr. was
born in 1767. His wife was
Ellender. They had at least
two sons, Rufus and Arm
strong,-- and a book tells of
dau^ters. The Pattersons are
buried in the old Shiloh grave
yard in Grover where num
bers of the other heroes of the
battle are sleeping. The old
church was sold to a Negro
congregation many years ago
and the Negro Presbyterian
Church now occupies the spot
where the old church stood
and where the early heroes
worshipped. At that time the
church was called Calvary but
later named Shiloh. No fence
encloses the resting place and
few stones mark the graves of
the bravest men the earth has
ever produced
THE HANGING
A few days after the battle
was over a group of boys,
Arthur, Jr., William and
PARKDALE MILLS, INC.
I •
Plant No, 5
Kings Mountain,
North Carolina
•i
^ „78n 20011}
Anniucr
1^ lattU
!unf
■ 11
• #
Thomas Patterson, and some
friends were walking over the
battlefield when they came
upon a wounded member of
Ferguson's Army. The boys
were attempting to capture
him when he got his hands on a
gun a nd fired. No one was hit.
They grabbed him, hiaig him
to a tree and left him to die.
The body remained there until
it decayed and fell to 0ie
ground. For many years the
rope could be seen stUl barg
ing in the tree
CATTLE STEALING
Around Kings Mountain
some were still loyal to 0ie
British and didn't want free
dom. This resulted in neigh
bors, friends and even some
families fighting against each
other. Some stole cattle and
food from their neighbors to
help feed Maj. Patrick Fergu
son's army. It is still possible
Arthur Patterson's cows his
sons were looking for the day
of the battle had been given to
Ferguson or been pick^ up by
his scouts for food.
The Turning Point
Cont. from page 2B
Foilowing it, Cornwallis was
compelled to abandon North
Carolina and for a time to
assume the defensive. It put an
end to the possibility of an even
tual peace with England under
such terms as might have
resulted in the retention of the
southern provinces under British
rule. It is an exemplification of
American t^perations for self-
government and a display of
romantic hardihood and bravery
well worthy of the careful study
of American youth.”
Photo Cou rtesy Of Philip Baker
Central School In 1911
We are proud to be part of the historical
community of Kings Mountain