2
COL JOSEPH WINSTON
DR. WINSTON’S ADDRESS AT
GUILFORD BATTLE-GROUND
CELEBRATION.
FOURTH OF JULt CEREMONIES.
A Sketch of the Life ami Times of Col.
Joseph Winston Bora in Virginia
and a Kinsman ot Patrick Henry,
He Came to North Carolina in His
24th Year—As Soldier, Statesman,
Scholar He Served His Country Well
Battle of King’s Mountain.
Rarely is it granted a man to serve his
country as soldier, statesman and
scholar, to carve with sword the founda
tions of a commonwealth and cement
them with blood, to teach wisdom from
the woods and give home spun lessons
to statesmen clad in ermine, to guide a
new born nation into paths of peace and
learning, and demonstrate to the world
the power, wisdom and glory of govern
ment not by kings and nobles, not by
priests and scholars, but “government
by the people, of the people and for the
people. ” Such was the privilege of
Joseph Winston. At the age of seven
teen he entered the service of his coun
try, and guarded it for fifteen years
against Indians, Tories and British, or
guided it as counselor in halls of legis
lation, or as Trustee of the University.
In the first battle of the Revolution
fought upon the soil of North Carolina
his deadly rifle drove into submission the
Scotch Tories of the Cape Fear and de
layed for four years the invasion of
Cornwallis. Five years later on a day
most memorable in our annals, March
15, 1781, upon yonder MU. as his daunt
less volunteers long lingering on this
bloody field fired fatal farewells at the
sorrowing victors, the gleaming sword
of Winston flashed defiance in the face
of Cornwallis and drove him to his doom
at Yorktown. Though less conspicuous
as a statesman, he was no less active
and faithful. A member of the Pro
vincial Congress which met at Hillsboro,
August 20, 1775, he aided in legislation
which severed the province from the
mother country, drove from its borders
its last royal governor and equipped it
for the war of independence. As a mem
ber of the first House of Commons of the
new-born State, eight times a State Sen
ator, thrice a Representative in the
National Congress, twice a Presidential
Elector and for six years a Trustee of
the State University he manifested his
patriotism, his courage and his fidelity to
country no less than on the immortal
field of Guilford.
For this varied, useful and honorable
career Joseph Winston was well equipped,
not only by early training but especially
by heredity. His father was Samuel
Winston, Louisa county, Virginia, whose
sister Sarah was the mother of Patrick
Henry, the great orator of the Revolu
tion. Joseph and Patrick, being cousins
aDd born near to each other, were friends
and playmates, enjoying together the
sweet pleasures and stimulating dangers
of the chase, a favorite pastime with
Virginia gentlemen of that day. “The
family of Winston,” says Mr. Sparks,
“was among the most distinguished of
the colony, and so far as the eloquence of
Patrick Henry may be supposed hered
itary, it seems to have been transmitted
through the female line.” Os Sarah Win
ston, Mr. Wirt says, “She possessed in
an eminent degree the mild, benevolent
disposition, the undeviating probity, the
■correct understanding and easy elocu
tion, by which that ancient family has so
long been distinguished.” Besides Sarah,
mother of Patrick Henry, and Samuel,
father of Joseph Winston, there was a
brother, William Winston, who, in his
day, was almost as famous an orator as
his nephew Patrick a generation later.
“During the French and Indian war,
after Braddock’s defeat, when the
militia were marched to the frontier
against the enemy, William Win
ston was lieutenant. The mili
tia, poorly clad, without tents
and exposed to severe weather, were on
the point of mutiny, when William Win
ston, mounting a stump, denounced
them with such powers of ridicule and
invective and aroused their drooping
spirits with such eloquence on liberty
and patriotism that they all cried out
“Lead us on! lead us against the
enemy!”
There were doubtless other brothers
and sisters besides William and Sarah
and Samuel; for the Winstons were not
only orators and warriors in time of
war, but in time of peace w ? ere God
fearing men and conscientious husbands,
the size of whose families demonstrated
their loyalty to home and their con
stant reverence for the Divine command
to “be fruitful and multiply and re
plenish the earth”. “More than two
hundred years ago five brothers, Win
ston, of Winston Hall, Yorkshire, Eng
land, animated by a spirit of adventure,
emigrated to the colony, and settled in
Hanover county, Virginia, stocking that
State with a stalwart and prolific race,
the offshoots founding fresh hronches in
Kentucky, Mississippi and North Caro
lina.” Since the days of the “five
brothers”, founders of the “Gem Win
stoniana Ameiicana" 1 there has been a
tradition in every Winston family that
neither wealth nor power, fame nor
honor will ever fall to the lot of a Win
ston family whose family altar is not
guarded by at least five handsome and
stalwart sons. One Winston matron,
under the stimulating spell of this patri
otic superstition and striving at one
bound to burst the barriers of tradition,
presented to the nation three sons at a
single birth, each of whom attained to
over six feet of superb manhood.
Samuel Winston, loyal to the tradi
tions of his family, became the father
of seven sons, each of whom was
actively engaged on the side of
American Independence. Doubtless one
or more of this patriot band fought by
the side of their brother, Joseph, at
King's Mountain or Guilford. There
were also several daughters, of whom
the youngest, Mary, is honorably con
nected with Americas History. Having
married Augustine Seaton she gave to
her country William Winston Seaton, a
name that is indissolubly, linked with
whatever is best and noblest in Ameri
can journalism. Beginning his career
as joint editor of the “Raleigh Register”
with Joseph Gales, Sr., he soon trans
ferred his labors to the National Capital,
where for more than half a century, as
sociated with his brother in-law, Joseph
Gales, Jr., he edited the “National Intel
ligencer,” a journal unsurpassed in clear
views of public men and measures, in
fearless advocacy of public interests, and
in steady pursuit of the loftiest journal
istic ideals. In William Winston Seaton
the journalist was ever a patriot and
gentleman, the welfare of whose journ
al was gauged by the welfare of his
country. No wonder that such a man
was a power in national life; the friend,
companion and counselor of Webster
and Clay, of Choate and Everett, of
Mangu&i and Graham and Gaston and
Badger.
Such was the family of Joseph Win
ston. "When we consider the services of
this family, the courage and eloquence
of William Winston, the transcendent
oratory and wise statesmanship of Pat
rick Henry', the valor and patriotism of
Joseph Winston and the wise unerring
pen of William Winston Seaton, we may
wonder that one family could make such
varied, splendid and mighty contribu
tions to the establishment of American
Liberty and the perpetuation of the
American Union.
Not only by heredity but also by early
training was Joseph Winston equipped
for his great career.
He was born in Ix>uisa county,
Virginia, June 17th, 1746. His edu
cation was limited to such branches as
were taught in the Virginia Academies
of the day, which somehow produced
speakers, writers and thinkers. His time,
however, was spent largely in the forest,
where in pursuit of the bear, the fox and
the deer, be learned lessons of courage
and endurance, of quickness, self-con
trol and self-reliance which afterwards
enabled him to keep his saddle for forty
hours without rest or slumber and face
the fire of Ferguson’s riflemen, leading
his volunteers to victory and glory up
King’s Mountain’s rugged rocks. His
boyhood was spent during the “French
and Indian War,” when the genius of
Washington and the eloquence of Wil
liam Winston were filling Virginia with
love ot liberty and heralding the dawn
of the Revolution, Sitting by the fire
side of bis father’s mansion after a day
spent in the pleasures and perils of the
chase, the lad would hear recounted hor
rors of Indian warfare, the miseries of
Braddock’s defeat, the wise heroism of
the youthful Washington and the cour
ageous eloquence of William Winston.
His heart was stirred and thrilled. He
longed to serve his country and to use in
noble conflict the powers hitherto em
ployed in the chase. The opportunity
soon came, and put his mettle severely to
the test. An uprising of Indians on the
border called for punishment. A com
pany of rangers formed, and Joseph
Winston, not yet out of his teens by four
years, enlisted as a volunteer in defense
of his country. The expedition was not
successful, but it gave young Winston a
taste of war, and showed what manner
of man the boy would make. The com
pany fell into an ambuscade and was cut
to pieces. Joseph received two balls, one
in his thigh and the other in his body.
His horse was killed under him, and he
almost fell into the hands of the Indians;
but bravely dragging his wounded body
into the neighboring underbrush, he was
overlooked by the Indians in the eager
ness of their pursuit. He lay in pain
and peril, and goon must have perished
had not a comrade discovered him. On
the back of his faithful friend he was
carried through the forest for three days
with no food except the berries of the
wild rose. The friendly cabin of a fron
tiersman restored him to life One of
the bullets which he then received was
never extracted, but remained a source
of suffering to the end of hia days.
In the year 1770, at the age of 24,
Joseph Winston moved to Surry (now
Stokes) county, North Carolina, and set
tled near the forks of the Dan liver.
From this time forward until his death,
in 1814, bis ea eer is an epitome of most
that is best in the life and character of
North Carolina.
His first public service in bis adopted
State was as a delegate from Surry coun
ty to the Provincial Congress in Hills
boro, August 20, 1775. It was the most
critical period in the history of North
Carolina. The long struggle of a hun
dred years was drawing to a close. The
sturdy people who had driven Proprte
tary Governors from their borders so
often that they ‘ thought they bad a
right to drive them out,” who “valued
a Lord Proprietor no more highly than a
ballad singer,” who defied the Royal
Governors and set up courts of their
own for their own protection, were now
moving forward to the total overthrow
of British authority and the establish
ment of American liberty. In defiance
of the proclamation of Josiah Martin,
the Royal Governor, and acting under
the call of Samuel Johnston, of Edenton,
the people of Non h Carolina, in public
meetings throughout the colony, now
elected two hundred and fourteen dele
gates to a Provincial Congress, whose
well known purpose was to put the prov
ince in a state of defence. Every county
and every borough town was represent
ed. Among the delegates from Surry
were Joseph Winston and Martin Arm
strong, two patriots who stood shoulder
to shoulder from that day forward until
six years later upon yonder hill they
fired the last shots in the battle that
practically ended the Revolution.
The Hillsboro Congress began by
adopting an oath of allegiance to main
tain and support all the acts, resolutions
and regulations of the Continental and
Provincial Congresses. This oath was
signed by every member present. Hav
ing thus sacredly bound themselves to
mutual loyalty and to the support of the
American cause, they proceeded with
grim humor and sarcastic effrontery to
declare that Josiah Martin, Royal Gov
ernor of North Carolina, then a fugitive
for hia life on board the sloop-of-war
Cruiser, at the mouth of the Cape Fear
river, had, “by reason of his absence,
produced a silence of the legislative pow
ers of the government and rendered ne
cessary some other plan of government,”
and thereupon cooliy proceeded to ap
point a committee to devise and report
a new plan of government. Having
thus disposed of Josiah Martin, late
Royal Governor, declaring him, as it
were, to be officially dead, they held a
sort of funeral service over th® guberna
The News and Observer, Friday, July 5, SBPS
torial corpse by bringing out his royal
proclamation forbidding the Congress to
meet and having it publicly burned by
the common hangman. The Congress
then ordered a census of the province to
be taken and reported in sixty days;
provided for the immediate raising and
equipping of one thousand troops for
the Continental line and three thousand
minute men, and ordered that the mi
litia throughout the province be at oi.*.c
reorganized and put upon a war footing.
To meet these expenses #126,000 in pro
vincial currency was issued. And,
finally, in anticipation of a long
war and a troublesome blockade
liberal bounties were offered for the pro
duction of such articles as were needed
both in the line of battle and on the
farm. The Congress adjourned after a
brief session of twenty days, but its ac
tion was all that could be desired. Tt
cast the die of war and made North
Carolina a self governing commonwealth.
Her people were now ready with lives
and fortunes to defend their liberties
and the liberties of all the colonies.
Already in open battle on the banks of
the Alamance, four years before, bad
the regulators defied the royal authority.
Already had the men of Mecklenburg
declared themselves “a free and inde
pendent people,” “a sovereign and self*
governing association under the control
of no power but Almighty God and
the Continental Congress, solemnly
pledging to each other their lives, their
fortunes and their most sacred honor.’
“The cause of Boston is the cause of all”
had been officially resolved at Newberu
by the first representative Convention
ever assembled in America save by royal
authority. The echo of these words sped
in ship loads of provisions to beleaguered
Boston, free offerings from Wilmington
and Newbern. The patriotic speech of
the immortal Henry was firing the Con
tineutal Congress and welding thirteen
colonies into one united people. “ I am
not a Virginian; I am an American. The
distinctions between tho colonies are no
more. We are all one.” From no quar
ter issued a nobler response to this senti
rnent than from North Carolina. Within
sixty days after the adjournment of the
Hillsboro Congress she had sent to Nor
folk under Robert Howe a regiment of
Continentals to aid in the defeat of Duu
more and enjoy the honorable distine
tion of being the first troops sent 1 eyond
the borders of their province to fight for
the common defense against the British
invaders.
In less than twelve months North Car
olina had put into active service in the
field nearly ten thousand men, having
sent troops three times beyond her bor
ders to the relief of Virginia and South
Carolina. “When the Provincial Con
gress at Halifax, April 12, 1776, before
any other colony, instructed the North
Carolina in the Continental
Congress to vote for Independence, one
third of her adult male population was
already in the field.” When we consider
the absence of cities within her borders,
the scarcity and size of her villages,
the remoteness from one another of her
farm houses, the lack of roads or other
facilities for transportation, and the
very inadequate provisions for transmit
ting news, we may well woDder that
such a people responded so boldly and
so promptly to the call of war, sending
one man in three from the plow-share to
the field of b ittle.
They are gathering, they are gathering,
From mountain and from plain,
Resolved in heart,, of purpose high,
A bold and fearless train.
No for eful mandate calls them out,
No despot bids them go;
They obey the freeman’s impulse,
But to strike the freeman’s blow.
A century later in the greatest war
that history records North Carolina lev
eled more rifles than she counted voters,
and yielded upon the field of battle more
than one third of her fighting population.
Letotiera tell of noble deeds -’tis Corc
lina’s part to do them.
The British invasion of North Carolina
was planned as early as 1775. No sooner
had Governor Martin fled from his pal
ace at Newbe n, and taken refuge under
the guns of a British sloop of-war
than ho conceived plans for the subjuga
tion not only of North Carolina but of
all the Southern colonies. His plans
were far reaching and dangerous. They
embraced the sending of large forces
from New York and Boston,the sailing of
reinforcements from England, the rous
ing of all the tories in the province, the
inciting of negro slaves to insurrection
and murder, and the stirring up of In
dians on the frontier to pillage and mas
sacre. In accordance with these plans,
in January, 1776, Sir Henry Clinton
with 2,000 men sailed from Boston to
the mouth of the Cape Fear River,where
they awaited tho arrival of another fleet
under Sir Peter Parker, having on board
seven regiments of soldiers, commanded
by the ablest Bri ish Generals engaged
in the Revolution, Charles Earl Corn
wallis. Continued storms delayed the
arrival of the fleet. Meanwhile the
Scotch Tories on the Cape Fear, stimu
lated by constant communication with
Governor Martin and by the liberal dis
tribution of arms, ammunition and gov
ernment commissions, were gatberiug
from many directions at Cross Creek,
now Fayetteville. By February nearly
2,000 were asrembled, armed and equip
ped, under the command of General
Donald McDonald, a veteran officer who
had fought at Culloden, and Colonel
Daniel McLeod, a British officer who had
come from Boston to visit his sweetheart
recently arrived in the Cape Fear
country from Scotland. Besides this for
midable array of Tories and British, the
negro slaves throughout the province
and the savage Indians beyond the
mountains were anxiously awaiting an
opportunity fox vengeance and destruc
tion. Never did greater dangers threaten
the people of North Carolina. But North
Carolinians are bravest when dangers
are greatest. The signal of alarm was
sounded. The patriots of the Cape Fear
under Moore, Kenan, Ashe and Lilling
ton marched against the Tories. From the
Western countries came troops of volun
teers riding two hundred miles to defend
the Eastern borders. In that noble com
pany were those inseparable and uncon
querable patriots, Martin Armstrong and
Joseph Wmston. Coming upon the
Tories at Cross Creek they set them in
retreat towards Wilmington. Twenty
miles above the city •at Moore’s Cn ©'<
bridge they were checked by Richard
Caswell, and here on February 27, 1776,
was fought the first battle ot the Revol
ution on the soil of North Carolina. The
patriots won an overwhelming victory.
Col. McLeod was killed, pierced by twen
ty six bullets. General McDonald, with
850 soldiers and all his officers, was
taken prisoner. The captured spoils in
cluded 1,500 rifles, 350 guns, and #75,-
000 of British gold. But a singlo patriot
was killed. The consequences of this
battle were beyond calculation. A de
lay of two months would have brought
to the Capo Fear tho fleet of Sir Peter
Parker, united the forces of Cornwallis
and Clinton, added courage and power
to the Tories, drawn every patriot soldier
to the Eastern portion of the province
and left (its rear exposed to attack by the
largest and fiercest body of Indians on
the Atlantic coast. Tho probable result
of so powerful a combination is indicat
ed by tho easy conquest of Georgia and
South Carolina two years and four years
later. But “God l helps those who help
themselves;” and, so, the best laid plans
of the British during the American Rev
olution were frustrated by the prompt
and resolute courage of 1,000 men. All
honor to Moore and Caswell, to Kenan, ;
Ashe and Lillington, who faced the hor
rors of civil war, and dug up root and
branch the deadly tree of Toryism from
Eastern Carolina. All honor too to the
Western refiemen, to Joseph Winston
an 1 Martin Armstrong, who left their
homes exposed to the fury of savages in
order to repel from the coast the in
vading enemy.
Two months after the battle of Moore’s
Creek Bridge Joseph Winston was ap
pointed by the Provincial Congress Major
and commandant of militia for the coun
ty of Surry; and the same year, with
Armstrong as Colonel in Command of
the Surry riflemen, he served under
Griffith Rutherford in an expedition
against the Cherokee Nation. The In
dians were now on the war-path, acting
in concert with Cornwallis and Clinton
and Josiah Martin, who, baffled of their
purpose to invade North Carolina, were
now descending upon Charleston. On
the same day the British fleet began its
attack upon Charleston harbor, and the
Cherokee Indians, descending rapidly
fro n the mountains, fell unexpectedly
upon the frontiers of South Carolina and
murdered 200 settlers without regard to
age or sex. An expedition was sent
agaiut them, embracing 1,150 men from
South Carolina, 1,500 from Virginia and
3,200 from North ,Carolina. Os the troops
thus sent to protect the South Carolina
border it is noticeable that those from
North Carolina outnumbered the com
bined forces of the other two provinces.
It is equally noticeable that the inva
sion of North Carolina in the early part
of the same year had been prevented by
the overthrow of the enemy at Moore’s
Creek Bridge without the aid of a single
soldier, or the firing of a single gun, or
the spending of a single dollar by any
other colony. To her sister colonies and
her s ster States North Carolina has al
ways been been “a very present help
in trouble; - ’ but from her own mast-head
the signal of distress is never raised, un
til the storm is pitiless and the cause is
well nigh desperate.
The expedition against the Cherokee
Indians was entirely successful. Every
town in their country was burned, all the
cattle were killed and all the crops des
troyed. The power ot the nation was
broken forever. The frontier was now
safe, and the way was opened for King’s
Mountain and Cowpens, for Guilford
and Yorktown.
Joseph Winston returned to his home,
and was elected a member of the first
Honse of Commons in the Legislature of
the new-born State. By this body he
was chosen Commissioner, with Waight
still Avery and Robert Lanier, to ar
range a permanent treaty with the
Cherokee nation. This duty was suc
cessfully accomplished and peace was
established.
But the British were now at hand
The long threatened invasion was begun.
The Tories of the western counties were
in the field. The province was suffering
all the horrors of civil war. Friends,
neighbor?, and kinsmen were arrayed
agaiust each other In the counties of
Surry and Rowan 195 Tories had signed
and forwarded to Gov. Martin an ad
dress declaring their loyalty to the King
and their purpose to support his cause.
Similar addresses had come from Anson,
Guilford, and doubtless other counties.
Near the borne of Joseph Winston was a
desperate band. A story concerning
them is related by Caruthers, illus
trating not only the deadly character of
the struggle, but also the prompt cour
age of Joseph Winston. This band, con
sisting of 13 Tories, a free negro and an
Englishman, went for puposesof plunder
to the house of Ambrose Blackburne,
who lived about five miles r rom Joseph
Winston. Hav’ng plundered Black
burne’s premises and stripped his per
son of every garment except a single
shirt, they were going to depart, when
Blaekbwrne’a dog and a Tory dog began
a fight. Blackburne cheered ou his dog
and the Tories theirs; but the whig dog
was whipping, when the Tories pulled
him off As they then departed. Blaek
burne yelled after them, “Dam you, I
shall jet whip you, the way my dog
whipped yours.” This enraged the Tories,
so much that they started to kill him but
their captain prevented.
On the departure of the Tuiy band,
Blackburne, clad in simple tunic, marie
the best of his way to Colonel Joseph
Winston’s residence; and, in response to
an invitation to come in, replied that
he could not, unless the Colonel should
throw him out a pair of breeches. The
required passport was furnished, and
Blackburne soon told his tale of woe.
Runners were immediately sent out and
fifteen men under Winston’s command
were summoned. Going at once in pur
suit of the Tories, they found them en
eamped on top of Chestnut Mountain
near the Virginia line. A fight ensued,
and every single Tory was killed except
ing their leader, who had saved Black
burne’s life and was now spared at his
request. These terrible scenes were not
uncommon in North Carolina. Hun
dreds of Tories were thoroughly armed
and in the field, while thousands were
watching tho wavering tide of war and
trimming their sails to catch the breeao
of victory. It is idle to belittle the Tory
I>ower or the Tory movement. The two
British invasions of North Carolina had
their main reliance upon the strength
and courage of her Tory population. The
two most decisive battles fought upon
her soil were battles between neighbors.
Whatever may be said of the Tories, to
their justification or infamy, does it pot
add lustre to the glory of the patriots
and gild their heroism with immortal
splendor that they fought andco quefhd
not only the bravest veterans of the
bravest nation in all the w< r!d, but also
men of their own country and heir own
neighborhood, trained to the same sfurdy
habits as themselves and taught in the
same hardy school of self-reliant and ar
duous experience? One hundred and
ninety five citizens of Rowan end Surry
had addressed Governor Martin in terms
of loyal devotion;but the patriots of Surry
under Martin Armstrong and Joseph
Winston, nothing daunted by tbe one
mics in their midst, had ridden two
hundred miles to the defence of the
Eastern coast and, returning, had gone
two hundred milos to the defense of the
Western frontier, leaving their wives
and little ones to the care of Him who
clothes the lily and watches the tall of
the sparrow. When the invasion of
North Carolina is again attempted by
Cornwallis and his Tory allies, we maj'
confidently predict that the Surry Rifle
men, under Martin Armstrong and
Joseph Winston, will lie found in the
front. That time was now at hand.
Georgia and South Carolina were in pos
session of tho British. Within three
months two American armies, under Lin
coln and Gates, had been destroyed.
New York was still in the hands of the
enemy and Benedict Arnold was plotting
treason to his country. The surrender of
West Point would have given the British
possession of the Hudson and separated
the New England colonies from the rest
of the country. The Continental eur
rency was almost worthless. An ordi
nary suit of clothes cost #2,000. One
hundred desertions a month were grad
ually destroying the Ameaican army.
The cause of the Colonies seemed almost
desperate. Even Washington had said
“I have almost ceased to hope.” One
crushing blow bj r the British forces
would doubtless have ended the strug
gle for American independence. But hu
man virtue is ever equal to human
misery, and deeds of noblest heroism
are always produced in times of greatest
peril.
On tie 7th day of October, 1780, the
crushing blow descended, but it fell
upon British heads; and tbe sun of vie
tory, rising from tho hills ot North Caro
lina, proclaimed the dawn of American
independence. It was the battle of
King’s Mountain, the scene of Joseph
Winston’s greatest service m behalf of
his country.
The British army, under Cornwallis,
flushed with victory at Camden, bad
entered the borders of North Carolina,
and were marching against Charlotte.
The Mecklenburg military and the
remnant ol Gates’ army, rallying under
the leadership of William R. Davie and
Joseph Graham, made bold but ineffect
ual resistance. Tbe British with over
whelming numbers carried the day, and
entered Charlotte September 26th. But
they had stirred up a nest of hornets.
The patriots of Mecklenburg buzzed
about them with unceasing annoyance,
captured their couriers, harassed their
foraging parties and cut them off from
the outside world. “Charlotte," said his
Lordship, “is an agreeable village, but
in a damned rebellious country.” The
left wing of Cornwallis’ army, about a
month before this, had been sent for
ward umder Patrick Ferguson, the bold
est officer in his army, to stir up the
Tories and ravage the Western counties.
They had penetrated beyond the present
site of Rucherfordton, arousing the loy
alists and taking vengeauce upon the
Patriots.
But the Mountain riflemen were not
asleep. Already they were in the field:
the McDowells w;th the men of Burke;
Shelby and Sevier with the “Watauga
boys,” Cleveland with the men of Wilkes,
and the Surry Riflemen commanded by !
Joseph Winston Leaving their mcun-l
tain homes they rode 200 miles, without
tent or knap sack, to crush Ferguson and
his Tory followers. With tbe swiftness
of eagles they swooped upon him.
Through mountain wilderness they rode,
or following narrow trails, as often
times before, intent upon their game, but
now they were hunting men. A rifle, i
a blanket and a wallet of meal were their
equipment. The wild woods was their
eommissary. Their coming was an- j
nounced to Ferguson by two deserters, j
and be retreated before them. But they ;
came upon him with the speed |
of hunters, riding for forty hours j
without sleep or rest and for 18
without food. They found his army in ;
trenched upon aspurof King’s Mountain
awaitirg the attack. “H‘Te,’ said Fer
guson, “I am king of tho mountain and
God Almighty cannot drive me off ” His
forces number d 1,100 men. all Tories,
and all but 100 citizens of North Caro
lina and South Carolina. The Patriots
number, d about tbe same. Equal in
numbers, but how unequal in spirit.
The one fighting for liberty and man
hood, the other for conquest and plun
der. In the Patriot ranks were enough
Presbyterian elders to organize a Gen
eral Assembly, ail God-fearing men,
who “trusted in Providence and kept
their powder dry.” They made frequent
appeals to the Deity on that memorable
day, but some were not learned from the
Shorter Catechism. Tho gallant Camp
bell, staunchest soldier aud staunchest
elder of them all, addressed the army
before the battle began, and told them
“if any of them, men or officers, were
a* - raid, to quit the ranks now aud go
home; that he wished no man to engage
in the action who could not fight; that,
as for himself, he was determined to
fight the enemy a week, if need be, to
gain victory.” In response to this speech
only one mau fell out of ranks, aflid he
marked that he was “going to look after
tho horses.” The Patriot army advanced
in four divisions, two on either side of
the mountain, Campbell and Sevier
commanding the right; Shelby and
Cleveland the left. Joseph Winston,
with the Surry Riflemen, was ordered to
ride around tho mountain and attack
Feigusou’s rear, a post of honor aud
danger, for that way Ferguson might
attempt retreat.
In making the detour Winston’s men
were lost in the woods, and, think
ing themselves at the base of
the mountain, got off their horses
and charged up the hill. But
ou reaching the summit they saw
their error and learned that King’s
Mountain was a mile away. Never did
tardy lover make greater speed to greet
his mistress. “Thoj' now ran down tho
declivity," says Draper, “with great pre
cipitation to their horses; and mounting
thorn rode, like so manj* fox hunters, at
an almost break neck speed, through
rough woods and brambles, leaping
branches and crossing ridges without a
proper guide who had a personal knowl
edge of the country. But they soon fell
upon the enemy, as good luck would
have it, at the point of their intended
destination." The men now rushed into
battle bare headed, and many of them
bare-foot. The gallant Campbell, throw
ing off his coat and rushing up the
mountaiu, shouted to his soldiers, ' Here
they are, my brave bovs, shout like hell
and fight like devils.” His brave boys
were quickly by his side making the
woods ring with the Indian war-whoop,
and striking terror into the hearts of the
enemy. At King’s Mountain was liorn
the “Robel j’ell and William Campbell
was its God-father.
The Patriots now swarmed up tho
mountain in all directions, fighting from
tree to tree and falling back to load their
rifles. The leaders were well in front,
rallying the men after each retreat.
“Now r boys," cried Shelby, “quickly re
load your rifl-*s, and let's advance upon
them aud give them another hell of a
hre.” As Cleveland led forward his eager
division he exclaimed with less fury but
greater dignity, “Yonder is your enemy
and the enemy of mankind.” Step by
step they forged their way to the top of
the mountain, exposing Ferguson and
his men to cross fire on its long and nar
row summit.
Three times they fell back before the
gleamiDg bayonet, but their daring ritles
dealt death and destruction from every
bush and tree.
“Never shoot,” cried Shelby, “till
you see an enemy, and never see an
enemy without bringing him down.”
The mountain was covered with smoke,
and flashed and thundered with the
blaze and roar of rifle and musket.
No battle of the Revolution was blood
ier or more fiercely contested. “Rifle
men took eff riflemen with such exact
ness that they killed each other when
taking sight”; “their eyes remained af
ter death in the act of aiming, the one
shut and the other open.” Neighbors
killed neighbors, and kinsmen slew each
other. “Two brothers, expert riflemen,
were seen to present at each other, to
fire and fall at the same instant.”
“Boys, remember your liberty, - ’
shouted Campbell in the last victorious
charge, “Come on, come on, my brave
fellows ; another gun, another gun will
do it. Damn them, we must have them
out of this.” Ferguson now saw that all
was lost and made a desperate dash for
life. Sword in hand he cut and slashed
his way, apparently invulnerable, till
Robert Young, one of Sevier’s men, lev
elling bis beloved rifle, exclaimed, “I’ll
try and see what Sweet-lips can do," and
brought him to the dust. The white
flag was now run up, and everywhere
tbe Tories were crying for quarter.
“Damn you,” said Shelby rushing in
their midst, “if you want quarter, throw
down your arms.” The doughty Camp
bell in his shirt sleeves and bare-headed
was stalking around, with a handful of
captured swords, and several under his
arm. Calling the men around him, he
proposed three cheers for liberty. On
that lonely height, after a fast of 18
hours and a ride of 40 miles without
sleep or repose, after a battle rarely
equalled in the annals of war for endu
rance and ferocity, ragged, hungry,
bleeding and tired, the first act of
these rugged heroes iu the moment of
victory was to cheer for liberty.
They felt the joy of a mother over a
new-born babe. The battle had lasted
only an hour, but in that hour was born
a nation’s freedom.
For his gallantry in this battle Col.
Joseph Winston was voted a sword by
the General Assombly of North Carolina.
It was presented to him in joint session
by the Speaker of the House. His speech
of acceptance is a model of modest bre
vity and patriotism. He said:
“Mr. Speaker:—l am at a loss for
words to express my sense of the honor
which the General Assembly has confer
red upon me by this grateful present. I
trust that the sword, which is directed
to be presented to me, will never be
tarnished by cowardice, but be wielded
[continued on third page. ]
Rev. Dr. Par’cor
Lt the beloved pastor of tha l
etchnrch at Fargo, X. i>., id h.; -
x-su a pastor in Pro?idi e, it. i w
Turk City and Troy, X. Y.
“ I regard Hood’s Bar^apa - "'!!.’. . a .<est
blood purifier, acu i haw* jjooJ C;r
- this epiuion. I
a> l no*.v SO years
(f of Four year*
if fr'4 ago I was attacked
g& \v.M» ri • :r. atdsra
g® in »>• • -nd
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f-k •'••• •’ ' - ; T
< ' .-■« uo to
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l; ’.’ : V ’ •- */ 1-9-
r>. 4 . • ’ *■ t!:s
'-0- 4' f . ~ .
* ' * • ; . ' ;
A '""Vv: - tC' 4
, - j ■' ■* suu. x. »•’..• j-• -•
'■-> jf-rsm a v<■'!-••• ’ c»r.-
. LL.xiiig heard »'.■&. '• • s ch
h’kcV.L.3 wonderful cu’oj p. ->•- • by
Hoouti {Sarsaparilla I re >O re ’ to give it
a 4n‘d. 1 fallowed the til > ■ -n/.a * d be
fore .Lo fifth bottle was tluisfitU lu'J aj
pofc'.te was restored, I felt
Invigorated ar.t Gtror ;.
'tuamatio ■TViTouII : had entirely i.is-
r , 1 OSiiKOt hilt thi.VC \ v./y bH.■ 1 1 y
o£ Sood’a LirsavariHa.” J. It. PAuKEii.
Hood’s aar * a \ M
i &%***»»% partita
Be Sure eS
to Get Hood’s %y
~Kood’s PiUs arethe l&st family eathartic
autl fiver medicine. llarmlesss, reliable, sure.