Page Four
THE DAILY TAR HGEL
Ssnday,. April 13, 193a
II p liiUUli 11111 oiJtui"ijiiiiiiiiiiriii
RECALLS FAME OF FIVE LEADERS
o ; - -
Sevier, Benjamin Cleveland, Joseph Winston, Joseph
McDowell and Frederick Hambright Among Those Who
Performed Deeds of Glory in Historic Fight.
. o-
John
(Editorial Note: . This is the
second of a series of two articles
giving biographical sketches of
commanders at the Battle of
Kings Mountain, a decisive con
flict that turned the tide of the
Revolution in favor of the Col
onists. Jn view of the fact that
the sesqui-centennial of that bat
tle is to be celebrated on Next
October 7 at exercises which
President Hoober has tentative
ly accepted an invitation to at
tend, these articles are regarded
as particularly timely.)
(By John A. Lang)
In all probability Colonel
John Sevier had had more fron
tier experience and had become
more thoroughly saturated with
us democratic meaiSjtnan any
other American commander at
King's Mountain. This man had
lived on the frontier for years
before this battle, and he had
become so thoroughly embued
with its ideals that he courage
ously urged on and led his fellow-pioneers
in a great on
slaught against British oppres
sion wherever he got a chance to
strike a blow.
John Sevier was born Sep
tember 23, 1745, six miles from
the present town of New .'Mar
ket, in what is now Rockingham
county, Virginia. His father,
Valentine Sevier, the son of a
Huguenot refugee and an Eng
lish mother, had come to Vir
ginia from London between 1730
and 1740, settling first in Cul
pepper county and removing
then to the Valley; his mother,
Joanna Goode, was the grand
daughter of John Goode' who
immigrated by way of Barba
does in 1650 from England to
Virginia.
After securing at Staunton
the best education obtainable on
the border, Sevier married in
his seventeenth. year Miss Sarah
joseph Mcdowell
Hawkins. Sevier took some part
in the French and Indian War
and was appointed a militia cap
tain by Lord Dunmore, the last
Royal Governor of Virginia. Af
ter making two trips to the in
fant settlement on the Holston
river in what is now Tennessee,
Sevier moved his family there in
1773 ; from the day of his arrival I
in this section, he was, a marked
man. His primacy on the bor
der for the next forty years is
an indisputable fact, and his
long service rendered to Tenn
essee, during its frontier days,
is unexcelled by that of any
one else. In 1777 Sevier was
made lieutenant-colonel of the
Washington county militia, and
full colonel, to succeed Colonel;
John Carter, on February 3,
1781. Between 1777 and 1793
Sevier was in thirty-five battles
or skirmishes with the British
and the Indians and was never
once defeated. The mere list of
Sevier's civil and military serv
ices would fill a page. V
Never Knew Defeat
The thing that most particu
r y , .
, ' X1-' , s vw
' -V 1 ?
mmmxM&ZL. -, , I
larly interests us here in Sev
ier's career is his part in .the
Battle of King's Mountain. It
was due to Sevier's courage and
driving-power that his frontier
followers were found in the
thickest J and hottest parts of
this battle. Sevier did not know
what the words surrender and
defeat meant, so he boldly
drove his men right into the vi
tales of the British force and
made their lines quiver and
break. A fellow soldier said of
Sevier's appearance during the
battle: "His eyes were flames of
fire, and his words were electric
bolts, crashing down the ranks
of the enemy."
After the Battle of King's
Mountain, John Sevier received
a vote of thanks and a present
of a sword and pistol from the
legislature of North Carolina.
After the Revolution, Sevier
dedicated his services to helping
Tennessee become a separate
state in the Union and the suc
cess of the movement was
largely due to his efforts.
When the state of Tennessee
was established, he was elected
the first governor in 1796, and
served three terms. In spite of
his old age, Sevier was ap
pointed by President Monroe in
1815 to act as United States
commissioner to settle the boun
dary line between Georgia and
the Creek territory in Alabama.
He died while engaged in this
work, September 24, 1815. To
day, we can truthfully say of
John Sevier that his long public
career was one of immense sac
rifice and intrepid service to his
country.
Benjamin Cleveland
Colonel Benjamin Cleveland
with his Wilkes county fron
tiersmen made it hot for the
Tories at King's Mountain. Ben
jamin Cleveland came from a
sturdy English family that mi
grated to Virginia from Eng
land in the early part of the
eighteenth century and settled
on the since famous Bull Run,
in vPrince William county. Ben
jamin Cleveland was born May
26, 1738, and while yet a young
boy, moved with his father,
Alexander Cleveland, to a Vir
ginian border settlement on the
Blue Run near the Orange coun
ty line of North Carolina.
At a rather early age, Cleve
land married Miss Mary Graves
of Orange county, North Caro
lina. Tradition tells us that
Cleveland took an active part
in the French and Indian War,
but the particulars of this are
lost to history. He, no doubt, in
that frontier conflict became
fully initiated into military life,
which proved a preparatory
school for his services at King's
Mountain and all through the
Revolution. About 1769, Cleve
land removed with his father-
in-law and family to North Caro
lina and settled near the foot of
the Blue Ridge in what is now
Wilkes county, North Carolina.
In the summer of 1772 Cleveland
made a rather adventurous trip
into Kentucky. He and his
party were plundered by the
Cherokees and releived of their
necessities. However, Cleveland
and his friends managed to get
back safely to North Carolina.
Active from Start of War
Benjamin Cleveland took an
active part in the Revolution
from the very beginning of the
struggle. In the summer of
1776 he served as a captain in
a scouting regiment on the
western frontier of North Caro
lina. Cleveland rendered great
service to the cause of American
independence by his campaigns
against the hostile Indians and
Early
x
An artist has conceived King's
acter of the peak as well as the
Tories in western North Caro
lina. . In March, 1778, when the
new County of Wilkes was or
ganized, Cleveland was placed at
the head' of the Commission of
Justices and was also made Col
onel of the militia. Later on in
1778, he represented his county
in the House of Commons and
was regarded as one of the popu
lar leaders of the mountain re
gion of the state. "
Cleveland next served as a
colonel in General Rutherford's
campaign against the British in
Georgia. The American forces
having suffered defeat in Geor
gia, Cleveland returned to North
Carolina to represent his county
in the state Senate. . In the
summer of 1780, . he was con
stantly employed in suppressing
the Tory uprisings in the west
ern part of this state.
Then followed Cleveland's
King's Mountain campaign the
great service of his life- in
wnicn ne commanded nis regi
ment heroically. This command
er was heard to say many times
in this battle the following
phrases : "Now, by God's grace,
we have these Tories ! the snare
is -subtley set; the game is
bagged ; we hold them safe - as
pheasants in a net." Besides
having assigned to him, by gen
eral consent, one of Ferguson's
war horses, which lived to -an
uncommonly old age, Cleveland
carried home with him a snare
drum, to which he pointed with
pride as a . King's Mountain
trophy, as long as he lived.
During the remaining months
of the Revolution, Cleveland
continued his work of driving
out the Tories from the west
ern counties of North Carolina.
After the Revolution he moved
to South Carolina and served as
judge for a number of years in
Pendleton County in this state.
In his 69th year Cleveland died
in October, 1806. The muse; of
history will not willingly let die
the name and memory of Ben
jamin Cleveland to all Tories
the terror of terrors, and to all
others, the jolly "Old Round
About" of the Yadkin.
Joseph Winston
Joseph Winston was born in
Louisa County, Virginia, on
June 17, 174(6. He received a
fair education for that day; Vrid
at the age of 17, joined a com
pany of rangers under Captain
Phillips. This company was
drawn into an ambuscade fight
with the Indians on September
13, 1763, and was forced to give
way, scattering as best it could.
Young Winston received two
wounds which rendered him
helpless, but he managed to con
ceal himself until the Indians
had retired. A comrade later
came to his aid and carried him
to a friendly frontier cabin
where he recovered.
In 1769 Winston migrated to
North Carolina, locating in what
is now Stokes County, In 1775
he was a member of the Third
Provincial Corigress, which met
fat Hillsboro, and in February,
1776, he went on the expedition
View of King's Mountain
,' .i'3rv.v.:.v -
Mountain in his mind as appearing above. The bald-faced char
mountain in general is apparent
against the Scotch Tories at
Moore's Creek Bridge. In this
same year he was appointed
Ranger of his county, Surry, and
Major in the militia, serving on
Rutherford's expedition against
the Cherokees. In 1777 Winston
was a member of the House of
Commons and a Commissioner
to treat with the Cherokee In
dians.- in 7 u ne served , m
Colonel Davidson's expedition in
pursuit of Bryans' Tories, and
he was later with Cleveland
against the Loyalists on New
River.
Joseph Winston ably com
manded a portion of the right
wing at King's Mountain. His
men very often testified to his
courage and ability in directing
his part of this campaign. For
his effective services rendered
in this battle, Winston was voted
an elegant sword by the Legis
lature of North Carolina. In
1781 Winston led a party against
a band of Tories. Shortly af
terwards, he joined General
Greene with a hundred riflemen
and shared in the Battle of
Guilford Courthouse. In 1792-3
and again from 1803-7 Winston
represented his district in Con
gress. He was a Presidential
elector in 1800, voting for Jef
ferson, and again in 1812, vot
ing for Madison. He was chos
en three times as a member of
the state Senate from Surry and
when Stokes County was organ
ized, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel
and was five times
elected to the state Senate. Col
onel Winston died on April 21,
1815, in his 69th year. Joseph
Winston was a man of stately
form and commanding presence,
and his part in helping this
country win its independence
was quite a considerable one.
Joseph McDowell
Joseph McDowell, of Scotch-.
Irish descent, was born at Win
chester, Virginia, in 1756. Jo
seph McDowell's father, Joseph
McDowell, Sr., moved his fam
ily into the Catawba Valley re
gion of North jCarolina about
1760. In February, 1776, Jo
seph, Jr., young as he was, went
into the regiment of his brother,
Charles McDowell. This regi
ment was actively engaged in
helping to suppress the Scotch
Tories in the Cape Fear section.
In July of this same year the
Cherokees burst upon the Ca
tawba settlements, killing 37
persons on the 10th and 11th of
that month, and they also be
leaguered a fort in which were
Charles and Joseph McDowell.
After a long fight the McDowell
brothers with their nine follow
ers beat the Indians back. Jo
seph by this time had become a
major and served during the
ensuing fall of 1776 in his
brother's regiment on Ruther
ford's campaign "... against the
Cherokees. In 1779 he served
on the Stone expedition, and
early in 1780 he was campaign
ing against the Tories at Ram
seur's Mill.
Fought At Cowpens
After serving in the American
4
air A
4-r
jwn r
- .v.. - ...'j)
from this view.
forces at Earle's Ford on Paco
let and Musgrove's Mill, Joseph
McDowell had command of the
regiment of his brother at King's
Mountain. As acting-commander,
Joseph McDowell displayed
great military ability. After
this battle, he served in the
American forces at Cowpens. In
the spring of 1781, . he fought
against Cornwallis. In August,
1781, and again in March, 1782,
Major Joseph McDowell led ex
peditions to chastise the Chero-'
kee, and in the fall of 1782 he
served in a similar campaign
against the Cherokee. McDowell
served in the North Carolina
House of Commons five different
times after the Revolution. He
was a member of the , United
States House of Representatives
from 1793 to 1795 and again be
tween 1797 and 1791. McDow
ell took an active part in the de
bates of that body against the
Alien and Sedition Laws. Jo
seph McDowell c died from apo
plexy on August 11, JLSOl'in the
45th year of his age. He is re
puted to have been the recog
nized leader of the" Democratic
Republican party in his section
of North Carolina, 7
NEW YORK CRITIC
ADDRESSES STATE
DRAMA MEETING
( Continued from' page one ) .
Scotty," and then demonstrated
the construction of the actual
scenery. r f
ine omcers ior tne coming
year, elected at tne business
meeting of the association held
Saturday morning, included
practically all the former offi
cials. Paul Green was elected
honorary president, R. C. Rob
inson of the Wayne Community
Players of Goldsboro, president,
and Sue Ethel Rea of the cen
tral high school of Charlotte,
vice-president. Members of the!
executive committee . are : Fred
erick Koch; Hubert Heffner, as
sistant director of the Carolina
Playmakers ; Elmer Hall, tech
nical director of the Playmak
ers; R. M. Grumman, director of
the extension division; W. R.
Wunsch, Asheville; P. G. Gal
lop, Whiteville; Kate Hall,
Greensboro; Mrs., Herbert Har
ris, Seaboard ; Pearl Setzer, dra
matic director of Lenoir-Rhyne
College; and Elba Henninger,
dramatic director of Greensboro
College.
Throughout the three days
various high school, college and
civic 'dramatic organizations
presented plays, both original
and by nationally known play
wrights. From time to time
various group discussions and
conferences were held. A "cos
tume review conducted by Elba
Henninger, dramatic director 5f
the Greensboro College Players,
closed the program for Satur
day afternoon. Pearl Setzer,
director of the Lenoir-Rhyne
College Players, acted as toast
mistress at the directors' supper
held at the Carolina Inn, Satur
day evening. N
Tar Heel Meeting
Bothv the reportorial suid
editorial staffs of the Daily
Tar Heel are requested to
meet in the Tar Heel office
in the basement of the Alum
ni building tonight at seven
o'clock. Important announce
ments will be made, in addi
tion to changes that will be
inaugurated.
CANADIAN THINKS
U. S. WILL ENTER
LEAGUE FINALLY
(Continued from page one)
fully settled and since then the
Facisti party in Italy has coop
erated with the league at all
times. Sir Herbert thinks that
the league council's ability to
come to - a unanimous agree
ment on the countless number
of problems which arise within
the jurisdiction of the league
speaks more favorably of the
success of the- league- than any
other point. x
In discussing the finance of
the league Sir Herbert stated
that.it was a difficult matter to
handle the various kinds of
money which come to Geneva.
All money is converted into its
equivalent in American dollars
through New York drafts, and
then handled by the league on
the basis of the French gold;
franc.
Canadian- Prohibition
Sir Herbert thinks that the
government distribution of li
quor in Canada is working with
comparative success. With the-
government of the dominion
controlling production and ex
port ation of whiskey and the
governments in - the various
provinces controlling the con
sumption, Sir Herbert believes
that they have an efficient
method for enforcement.. He
further pointed out that man
agers of the dispensaries are
paid on a strict salary basis so
that there will be no reason for
them to boost sales, and cited an
instance where a manager of a
dispensary had been fired for
selling a greater quantity of
whiskey than should have been
sold in that section.
The Canadian visitor thinks
that smuggling along the Cana-
, dian border will decrease now
that the Canadian Parliament
has passed an act forbidding the
exportation of whiskey to any
country where the importation
of beverages is illegal.
Many other problems concern
ing the relations of the league
with Central and South Ameri
can and Scandanavian states
were discussed; in the round
table meeting at the Carolina
Inn yesterday morning.
dr. LEAvrrr to speak
Dr. Leavitt, head of the Span
ish department, will speak at the
United Church at 7:30 tonight.
Dr. Leavitt has recently re
turned from a leave of absence
in Spain, and the subject of his
talk will relate to his experiences
while away.
c
I
EASTER IS
ALMOST HERE
We Have the Most Com
plete Line of Cards
for this Season
Come In and Select
Yours Now
Easter Comes Next Sunday
Students Supply Store
"Everything in Stationery"
-
: