Existing comment:
Kings Mountain Battlefild Trail
If you follow the trail to your left, you will circle the base of Kings Mountain, as gathering patriot forces did on the afternoon of October 7, 1780. The path climbs to a rock-strewn ridge line which was defended by more than 1,000 American loyalists, under the command of one British officer, Major Patrick Ferguson. The fighting tree-to-tree was sharp and short-lasting only one hour, about the time you may spend walking. At the end, both Ferguson and British hopes for a quick victory in the South were dead.
Battlefield Trail
• Trail is paved, 1.5 miles round-trip
• Allow one hour to walk.
• Moderate to steep grades
• Use wheelchairs or strollers with caution
• Please stay on trails to prevent erosion.
• Relic hunting or damaging resources is prohibited. Report any suspicious behavior to a ranger.
Ironically although an army loyal to the king fought here in 1780, this mountain was not named for King George, but for a local settler family.
Patriot leader and future President John Adams once guessed that during the American Revolution about one-third of the population supported independence, one-third supported the King, and one-third stayed out of the fight. The bitter fighting here in South Carolina reveals that the Revolution was Americas' first civil war. |