Overmountain Men
Founding
Americans settlers of largely Scotch-Irish descent settled "over" the Smokies onto the west so therefore became known as the "Over Mountain" Men. They united into a separately governed entity and declared independence from British rule about four years before the US Declaration of Independence.
Military History
The Overmountain Men united as American colonial militiamen in the American Revolutionary War from west of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains (part of the Appalachians), what is now northeastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia. They played an important role at the Battle of Kings Mountain, and also fought at the Battle of Cowpens and elsewhere.
Kings Mountain
After the defeat of Horatio Gates's army at the Battle of Camden, British General Cornwallis was convinced that Georgia and South Carolina were under British control, and he began plans to move into North Carolina. However, a brutal civil war between colonists continued to rage in South Carolina. The Whig frontiersmen, led by a group of self-proclaimed colonels of the rebellion—Isaac Shelby, Elijah Clarke, and Charles McDowell—conducted hit-and-run raids on Loyalist outposts. To protect his western flank, Cornwallis gave Major Patrick Ferguson command of the Loyalist militia.
Cornwallis invaded North Carolina on September 9, 1780, and reached Charlotte on September 26. Ferguson followed and established a base camp at Gilbertown and issued a challenge to the Patriot leaders to lay down their arms or he would, "Lay waste to their country with fire and sword." But the tough-talking words only outraged the Appalachian frontiersmen, who decided to bring the battle to Ferguson rather than wait for him to come to them.
They met at Fort Watauga in what is now Elizabethton, Tennessee and other locations and crossed over the Great Smoky Mountains at the present day location of Roan Mountain, Tennessee. They formed about half of the colonial forces at Kings Mountain. The total forces numbered about 1000 men on each side with the British having the strategic hilltop position. Due to "Indian" style fighting tactics versus assembled, synchronized firing lines and the use of more accurate though slower-to-load rifles than muskets the battle was a resounding victory for the colonials. 180 British men were killed while 28 Overmountain men were killed. The remaining British surrendered and the British commander was killed while attempting to escape through the battle lines.
Colonel John Sevier, who later became governor of the State of Franklin and Tennessee, commanded a group of Overmountain Men from Washington County, Tennessee at Kings Mountain.
After the battle, Joseph Greer of the Watauga Settlement undertook a 600 mile (950 km), month-long expedition to notify the Continental Congress of the British defeat at the battle; he arrived in Philadelphia on November 7, 1780.[1][2] Greer's report of the American Patriot victory at Kings Mountain "re-energized a downtrodden Continental Congress."[3]
They are the subject of the play Liberty: The Saga of Sycamore Shoals as well and the subject of the book "The Overmountain Men" by Pat Alderman.(ISBN 0-932-80716-X)
See Also
External links
- Roan Mountain Citizens Club, who celebrate the Overmountain Men
- Gorp.com hike about the Overmountain Men
- History of the Kings Mountain
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