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Pag* 4B-KIIfGS MOUNTAIN HEHALD-Tunday. October 7. 1980
Despite Wound^ Hambright Fought On
One mile southwest of Grover
in an ancient and almost forgot
ten cemetery lies the grave of
Col. Frederick Hambright, a
Revolutionary War patriot,com
mander of the Whig forces at
Kings Mountain in October
1780, and a statesman.
The cemetery was formerly
the burial ground of the Shiloh
Presbyterian Church until the
church house was sold some
years ago to the Shiloh AMK
Zion Church of Grover and is
located about a quarter mile
from the present AME Zioti
Church.
The cemetery contains the
bodies of many of those great
and near great in the affairs of
the counties of old Tryon and
later Rutherford, Lincoln,
Gaston and Cleveland.
Descendants of Colonel
Frederick Hambright are ex
pected to return to this site as
they celebrate their reunion on
Oct. 7th, coming to Kings
Mountain for Celebration ac
tivities beginning Oct. 5th when
they plan to attend the outdoor
drama at the Battleground and
reminisce of the history of Ham
bright.
The old grave markers of a
time just previous to and shortly
after the Revolutionary War
gives an impressive glimpse of
the time when the state was
young. Aged marked tombstones
raise grey heads all through the
cemetery, but frequently there
are unmarked lonely spots which
have sunk into the earth,
denoting that he who lies
beneath played his little part in
life’s drama-perhaps marching to
martial music, perhaps singing a
song of patriotism, perhaps a
simple part of being only in the
crowd- but having played his
part, received a plaudit of
flowers, which withered and died
and decayed and forgotten, even
as he.
Many familiar names appear
upon the aging stones. One of
the most familiar is that of Col
onel Frederick Hambright. Near
the center of the cemetery stands
an aged stone, the letters almost
obliterated by the passing of the
seasons of a century or more.
1 he stone, nearly four feet in
height, bears the following in
scription:
In Memory of
Colonel Frederick Ham
bright
Who departed this life
March 9, 1817,
in the ninetieth year of his
age.
Adieu to all both for and
near
My loving wife and
children dear.
For my immortal soul is fl
ed.
1 must be numbered with
the dead.
Col. Hambright was born in
Germany in 1727. At age 11
he was brought to Penn.sylvania
by his parents. Little is known of
his early life, but considering the
place he made for himself in the
political and military affairs of
North Carolina in later life, it is
presumed that his educational
advantages were equal or
superior to the average of his
day. He moved to Virginia about
1755 where he married Sarah
Hardin. He again moved about
five years later, settling in old
Tryon County in that portion
w hich was later formed into l.in-
coln County.
He won the esteem of his
fellow citi/ens in Tryon County
and was an interested participant
in all liK-al affairs. After the in
tolerant attitude taken by
England, North Carolina, along
with the other colonies, called
the Provincial Congress, or state
convention of 1774. At the Third
Congress and possibly the most
important of the five, each coun
ty, where possible was
represented by six men. The
counties were appealed to send
only the most reliable and
trustworthy citizens, and of the
six who attended from Tryon,
Col. Hambright was one, and
received the unanimous vote of
the county’s Committee of Safe
ty.
Hambright’s military career
began in 1776, when the western
frontiers suffered from the In
dian raids. In June of that year,
he served as captain against the
Cherokee, and in the Fall of that
year he was an officer under
Griffith Rutherford in his noted
campaign against the turbulent
Cherokee nation.
In 1779 he was made lieute
nant colonel and went to the
relief of Charleston with a
detachment, serving in Lill-
ington’s Brigade, but retired
before the surrender of that
place. In the summer of the next
year his activities were confined
to the Broad River under Col.
McDowell who was gathering
recruits and doing what he could
to embarrass the enemy.
In September and October
1780, Major Patrick Ferguson
was in the western part of the
state, harassing the populace and
gathering recruits for his army.
His demeanor provoked the ire
of the Whigs and a movement
was begun to drive him from the
country. This resulted in
Ferguson abandoning his camp
at Ciilbertown, near Rutherford-
ton, and marching to Kings
Mountain. The Whigs under
Colonels Campbell, Williams,
Graham, (Hambright, second in
command), Shelby, Cleveland,
Sevier, McDowell, Winston and
Lacey rendezvoused at Cowpens
Oct. 6th.
A night march was begun
which brought them within
striking distance of their prize on
Kings Mountain about 3 p.m.
the following afternoon. Col.
Graham, who was at the head of
the Lincoln County men, was
unexpectedly called away an
hour before the battle and Maj.
William Chronicle was placed in
command, through preference of
Hambright, although he was se
cond in command. Chronicle,
being a young and active officer,
was thought to be better fitted
for the post than the aging Ham
bright.
The position of Maj. Chroni
cle’s South Fork boys was at the
northeast end of the mountain.
When they marched up the hill
for the first charge with Chroni
cle some ten paces in advance, a
ball struck him and he fell mor
tally wounded, along with one of
his privates. Thus, at the very
outset of the battle, Hambright
was forced into command
through Chronicle’s death. He
was described as a brave officer
Near the close of the conflict
the Colonel, while encouraging
his men, received a shot through
his thigh, cutting one of the
arteries, which filled his boot
with blood. His men offered to
assist him from his horse, but he
declined, saying it would divert
the attention of the men and
that he did not feel faint or sick.
He then ordered another charge
and pressed forward at the head
os his men, shouting in his
broken Pennsylvania German:
“Hussa, m’brave boys, fight on a
few minutes more and battle will
be over.”
Although Hambright’s wound
was a serious one, he remained
at the head of the command un
til the conclusion of the battle.
Some of the sinews of the thigh
were cut and he walked with a
limp the remainder of his life.
The Battle of Kings Mountain
apparently ended his active
military service. A few years
later he built a large two story
log house on some bottom land
near the mountain, which he
had acquired before the war.
Col. Hambright was twice
married, first to Sarah Hardin,
the second a Dover. He was the
father of 22 children by his two
marriages, 12 by his first wife and
10 by his second. There are hun
dreds of this intrepid officer’s
descendants today residing in
Cleveland, Lincoln, Cherokee,
and York Counties, in addition
to other areas of the country.
In recent years, the descen
dants of Hambright erected a
handsome marker at his grave
which reads:
Colonel Frederick Ham
bright
Born 1727 in Germony
Died 1817 in York County.
S.C.
Photo by Gary Stewart
HAMBRIGHT GRAVE - Col. Frederick Hambright. Kings
Mountain Battle hero, is buried at the old Shiloh Presbyterion
Church cemetery near Grover. His most recent grave marker
wos erected by the Kings Mountain Chapter oi the DAR.
Migrated to Pemuylvonia
in 1738
Removed to Tryon County.
N.C. before 1750
A true patriot he rendered
notable civil and military
service for the cause of
Freedom.
7BD 2Dntli
Anniucri^r,
®attlc "
OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET...
THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT
FIBER
INDUSTRIES
INC.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER M F
rv y.'
Paying tribute to our forefathers who
fought at the
Battle of Kings Mountain
200years ago.
i>
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