Battle's of Ramsour's Mill and King's Mountain

                     These battles are not as well known as many others of the American Revolution.  But they played a big part in the turning of the Revolution, and insuring there would be 13 colonies rather than 10 should the British and the Loyalists had won and invaded North Carolina.

              The Battle of Ramsour's Mill took place on June 20, 1780 in or near Tryon Co. N.C. which is near present day Lincolnton N.C.  Where close to 400 American militia Patriots defeated 1,300 Loyalists militiamen.  This battle did not involve any regular army forces from either side, rather it was fought between families, neighbors, friends and in my family's case brothers.
             My Great Grandfather[6] Thomas Costner who was a Patriot / Whigs and Great Uncle[6] Peter Costner who was a Loyalists / Tories  fought in this battle.   Peter also had fought under General Cornwallis. Peter Costner was killed in this battle.
             Casualties were difficult to assign since almost no one was wearing any sort of uniform. Estimates of dead on each side were between 50 to 70, with about 100 wounded on each side. The battle in which muskets were sometimes used as clubs because of little ammunition.  In their defeat the Loyalists so badly demoralized that they never organized again in that area.

            King's Mountain ended up being  a pivotal moment in the history of the American Revolution.  This battle fought on Oct.07,1780 by up to 900 Patriots (Overmountain men) without orders, formal military training, uniforms or provisions, and with no promise of pay, against a force of over 1,100 Loyalists lead by the only British soldier in the force Major Ferguson.
            The Patriots surrounded the Loyalists who were on the top of the mountain, and a battle between bayonet and rifle ensued.  The Patriots attacked with a battle cry "tarleton quarter" (no prisoners).  The Loyalists attempting to drive back the assaulting Patriots at the point of bayonets were shot down until they were driven back themselves and confined in a group on the summit.
            This battle lasted all of about 65 minutes and the Loyalists suffered 290 killed, 163 wounded, and 668 taken prisoner.  The Patriots suffered 29 killed and 58 wounded.  There were at least 10 Loyalists hung for numerous reasons one being treason of the American cause.
            With this surprising victory the King's Mountain Men provided a great boost to the Patriots morale and the American Revolution.  The Loyalists of the Carolina Back Country were broken as a military force.  And with the destruction of Major Freguson's command as well as the treat of the Patriot militia in the mountains caused Lord Cornwallis to cancel his plans to invade North Carolina.  He instead evacuated Charlotte and retreated to South Carolina.
            Again my Great Grandfather[6] Thomas Costner took part in this battle, in which it helped to maintain the 13 colonies and form this nation.
            
          

American Revolution and my families ties

              

With everything going on in America these days it has helped me to research my families history in the forming of this nation, which brings me to the American Revolution.

What I have found is very interesting and not very well know as it predates the Declaration of Independence signed on July 04,1776 which takes all the spot light from those times.


                                                            "The Tryon Resolves"

          On August 14, 1775 some North Carolina colonial men, as many as four dozen or so, met at the Tryon County courthouse.  That is, they crowded into Christian Mauney’s isolated log house at a country cross roads thirty some miles west of Charlotte.
         There they drafted and copied into the minutes a document they called “An Association.”   The meaning, now long obsolete, was a written pledge to carry out an enterprise. At the risk of their fortunes and their lives they were pledging to take up arms against British soldiers in defense of what they saw as their natural rights under the British constitution. The men at Mauney’s resolved that their “Association” should “be Signed by the Inhabitants of Tryon County.”

The document said,
 

The unprecedented, barbarous & bloody actions Committed by the British Troops on our American Brethren near Boston, on the 19^th of April & 20^th of May last together with the Hostile opperations & Traiterous Designs now Carrying on by the Tools of Ministerial Vengeance & Despotism for the Subjugating all British America, Sugest to us the painful Necessity of having recourse to Arms, for the preservation of those Rights & Liberties which the principles of our Constitution and the Laws of God Nature & nations have made it our Duty to Defend.

We therefore the Subscribers freeholders & Inhabitants of Tryon County, do hereby 

faithfully unite Ourselves under the most Sacred ties of Religion Honor & Love of 

Our Country, firmly to Resist force by force in defense of our Natural Freedom & 

Constitutional Rights against all Invasions, & at the same time do Solemnly Engage

to take up Arms and Risque our lives and fortunes in Maintaining the Freedom of our 

Country whenever the Wisdom & Council of the Continental Congress or our provincial

Convention shall Declare it necessary, & this Engagement we will Continue in & hold

Sacred, till a Reconciliation shall take place between Great Britain & America on 

Constitutional principles, which we most ardently desire.  And we do firmly agree to hold all such persons Inimical to the liberties of America, who shall refuse to Subscribe this Association.

These are the “subscribers”—those who inscribed their names or made their mark under 

       "An Association"  

    On the right side of this document is the signature of my Great Uncle[6] Jacob Costner.

            And on this marker placed in 1919 by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

             Jacob Costner was also a Major in the North Carolina Militia, up until his death 
Jan. 16, 1779 with his wife Elizabeth as they tried to cross the swollen South Fork River and drowned.  
                                                  He was a true American Patriot!