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TuMday, October 7. 1980-KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Pog* 71
By GARY STEWART
Starr Writer
Whether you’re a Revolutionary War
history nut, or just a history nut in gen
eral, much information on our heroes of
the past can be found simply by touring
some of the old family and church ceme
teries in the area.
11110 writer visited two family plots and
two of the older church cemeteries in the
area and found not only the gravesites of
many persons who fought in the Battle of
Kings Mountain, but heroes from at least
three other wars and-or battles.
The old Shiloh Presbyterian Church
cemetery near Grover is the resting
place of many persons who fought at
Kings Mountain, including one of the
battle’s best-known heroes. Col.
FYederick Hambright.
Also buried there are participants of
the Civil War and Major Frederick
Hambright Jr., Col. Hambright’s son
who fought against the Indians in Geor
gia.
Others buried there who fought at
Kings MouiAain include three brothers,
William, Thomas and Arthur Patterson
Jr.
Needless to say, many persons still
living in the area are direct descendents
of these fighters.
Most of the old gravestones visited
which are still clearly readable contain
poetic verses, such as the graves of the
two Frederick Hambrights.
Col. Hambright’s grave has two
markers, the original and a newer one
which was erected several years ago by
the local chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution.
Hambright’s original marker, now
imbeddedon the topof his grave, has this
verse written in old English spelling;
“Adieu to all boath far and near. My
loving wife and children dear. For my
immortal soul is fled, I must lie num
bered with the dead.”
Major Hambright’s stone reads;
“Look here you see my sufferings have
been great. But now there through I bid
adieu and change my mournful state.”
“The Col. Frederick Hambright
Family,” a history compiled in 1969 by
Bonnie Mauney Summers of Kings
Mountain, contains much information On
both Hambright soldiers.
Col. Hambright (1727-1817) was de
scribed in a letter written in 1872 by
Abraham Hardin of the Antiodi com
munity as “a man of ordinary stature —
say five feet eight or nine inches, well
porportioned, fair complexion, full rouid
face, keen penetrating brown eyes, open
generous countenance, genteel and
graceful appearance, (quick spoken for a
Germaner); and if he had bem of some
aristoaatic family he would have been
eulogized to the hipest degree and
promoted to the highest honors and of flee
Mrs. Summers book says Major Ham
bright (1768-18M) was an Indian fighter
and went on at least one expedition in
Georgia against them. It is not known if
his title of “Major” was a military title or
a nickname
Kings Creek the morning preceding the
battle. Also arrested was a friend, James
Lindsay.
They were taken to Ferguson’s camp
and placed under guard
The Pattersons’ father, Arthur Sr.,
went to the camp to try to free his sons.
Meanwhile, the battle began and in the
confusion, the three Patterson brothers
and Lindsay dashed to freedom. The
older Patterson was killed and buried on
the west slope of the mountain.
Also buried at Shiloh is a Civil War vic
tim, Charles H. Christmast, who was
killed in Charleston, S. C., Mar. 25, 1862.
He was 21 years old.
There are several others who lived
during the KM battle buried at Shiloh but
it couldn’t be determined whether or not
they were involved. ’Ihey include;
Alames Patterson, who died in 1840 at
the age of 70.
—Mary C. Ettress, who died in 1817 at
the age of 70.
—Nancy Patterson, who died in 1863 at
the age of 87.
—John Randall, who died in 1827 at the
age of 60.
—Ann Patterson, who died in 1842 at
the age of 80.
Pvt. Preston Goforth, who was sup
posedly slain by his own brother at Kings
Mountain, is buried in a bmily cemetery
off Highway74near the West Gate Plaza.
Nearly is his cabin. Both it and the
cemetery are to be restored.
Goforth’s head stone is not an original,
having been placed there 3540 years ago
by the DAR, according to Attie Mae
Gerforth, whose late husband Tim was a
direct descendent of Preston.
Mrs. Goforth says she’d always been
told that Preston’s widow went to the
battlefield to claim her husband’s body
and returned it to her home.
Mrs. Goforth said there are 21 persons
buried in the family plot. Some grave
markers have een destroyed. Others lie
broken on the ground. Others stiU stand,
many of which are clearly readaUe.
The oldest original stone there is of
George Goforth, who died Oct. 8, 1869 at
the age of 93. He was four years old at the
time of the battle.
At the Antioch Baptist Church Ceme
tery near Grover stand a number of
stones bearing names of persons who
lived during the time of the KM battle.
None, however state whether or not per
sons buried there took part in the battle.
Persons buried there who would have
been old enough to have taken part in
clude;
—Joseph Brown, who died in 1758 at the
age of 75.
—Rebecca Hambright, who died in 1831
at the age of 85.
—Nicholas Whisenant, who died in 1831
at the age of 92.
—Benjamin Jones, who died in 1840 at
the age of 77.
—Faithy Jones, who died in 1859 at the
age of 97.
—Jane Wallace, who died in 1815 at the
age of 68.
Buried there is at least one Civil War
victim, Sgt. James Borders, who died
Dec. 14, 1861, at the age of 22. His stone
reads;
“He was among the first to respond to
his country’s call and tho he did not fall
on the battlefield, spent his life in her de
fence.”
Buried closeby is Col. Eldward Bird,
who died in 1856 at the age of 75. Since he
was too young to fight at Kings Mointain
and died before the Civil War, it is
assumed he fought in the War of 1812.
Another family cemetery visited, but
one which does not show the graves of
any KM victims, is the Wells family plot
near the battleground
It does carry an interesting story,
however.
J. N. Hughes, former owner of the
property the plot is located on, said he’d
been told that a man who lived at the spot
where the plot is located, heard of the
battle, grabbed his rifle and started
walking to the battlefield.
By the time he got there, the hour-long
battle was history.
('.ourtexY Of Philip Baker
1911 Re-enactment Of Battle
PROUD
OF OUR HISTORICAL
COMMUNITY
Abridges hardware co.j
100 (’.ansler St.
^ Kings Mountain
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
200years ago
our forefathers fought
and won a great battle
at Kings Mountain.
We are indebted to them for the
freedom we enjoy today. We are
proud to pay tribute to these great
men in the Battle of Kings Mountain
200th Anniversary Celebration
Scissors and Styles
bySandi
Shelby Highway 739-7856
Hwv. 161 & 1-85
welcomes
all the participants in the
Battle of Kings Mountain
200th Anniversary
Celebration