Across the mountains: The courage and American legacy of the frontier settlers of the Watauga Settlement
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This is the initial story in a four-part series to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. While celebrations of the nation at this milestone year need not all be centered around the Declaration of Independence and the events leading up to it, we recognize this important story of vital contributions from this region to the birth of a new nation as an essential first installment.
By Jennifer A. Bauer
Long before the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, hunters, settlers, and folks from many walks of life were exploring what laid beyond the mountains and lands west of the British colonies. This story is about the people who established the first settlement, the Watauga Settlement, which declared its independence from the British Crown in 1772 in the area we now know as Northeast Tennessee.
Those who wanted to start a new life west of the mountains searched for land, built a cabin, planted crops, and then brought their families to new homes in areas associated with the Watauga, Nolichucky, and Holston Rivers. Many settlers relocated beyond the colonies, sometimes knowingly and sometimes unsure of their exact location in relation to King George III and his Royal Proclamation of 1763. Issued after the French and Indian War, the proclamation designated land west of the colonies as “Indian Territories,” and barred westward settlement beyond colonial borders.
But crossing undeveloped terrain such as the Appalachian Mountains made boundaries difficult to determine. Many settlers established homes in the region believing they were still within colonial lands. As new settlers continued their westward movement, outcomes from the French and Indian War, including the Royal Proclamation of 1763, served as a catalyst to the 13 American colonies declaring independence from Great Britain and the rule of the King.
Expenses associated with this war resulted in higher taxes imposed by King George III on the colonists beginning in 1765. This, coupled with continued altercations between settlers and British authoritarian figures, resulted in strong colonial resistance. In 1770, tensions between Britain and the colonies erupted in the Boston Massacre, when British soldiers shot five men. Three years later, colonists protested continued taxation during the Boston Tea Party by dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The American Revolution officially began on April 19, 1775, when the first shots were fired between the colonists and the British at the Battles of Lexington and Concord Battles and skirmishes continued in the northern colonies into 1778. The British loss at the Second Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 acted as a turning point in the revolution, as France openly declared its support for the American colonists.
It was not until late 1778 that the British moved their focus to the South where Patriot militias along with the Continental Army had already been defending their lands from the British and Loyalists. In 1778, the Southern campaign of the revolution officially began. In response, those living west of the Appalachian Mountains, in today’s Northeast Tennessee, soon found themselves and their citizen militias supporting neighboring southern colonies against the British.
Establishing place
Lands across the mountain region were settled by colonists, European traders, and explorers for years since the early 1500s long before the American Revolution began. Their presence resulted in interactions and trade with many Indigenous tribes, which in time changed the historic native cultures.
In today’s Northeast Tennessee region, the influx of new settlers continued along the Watauga, Holston, and Nolichucky Rivers. Referred to as the “Wataugans” by many, they formed what is called the Watauga Settlement, described as the first American settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
By 1772, this settlement had along its rivers 70 to 80 farms whose inhabitants were mostly from North Carolina and Virginia and comprised primarily of English, Highland Scot and Scots Irish immigrants. Some of the first known settlers were William and Lydia Bean, who made a home on Boones Creek in 1769, along with John Honeycutt, who settled near William. Historian, S.C. Williams wrote that Daniel Boone was a neighbor of James Robertson around 1772. One of the first settlers and traders in the “Old Fields” of the Watauga was Andrew Greer, who arrived around 1766. The same year, trader Julius Dugger settled at “Dugger’s Bridge,” near today’s Elizabethton, Tennessee. Many of the new settlers rose to leadership roles as a host of challenges continued to arise.
Confusion over land boundaries and ownership between the newly arriving settlers and the Cherokee became a never-ending issue. The confusion was understandable as boundary surveys and treaties associated with the Indigenous people were ever changing. Around 1772, John Donelson completed a new survey and boundaries changed yet again, putting the settlers living south of the Holston River, in the Watauga, Nolichucky and Carter’s Valley settlements, outside of Virginia and on Cherokee land. It did not take long for British Indian Agent Alexander Cameron to tell the Watauga settlers they must move and abandon their land holdings as they were illegally on Cherokee land.
With this unexpected change of events and the settlers’ unwillingness to abandon their plantations and the work they had invested in their new homes, the settlers came together to meet and consider their options. Their consensus was to ask the Cherokee if they could remain until their crops came in, which was accepted by Cameron and the Cherokee. With this extra time to think, they devised a plan to form a government of their own and to deal with the Cherokee directly regarding their land. As they were forbidden by the crown to buy land, they decided to ask the Cherokee for a lease. (Goodpasture & Garrett 1900, 54-56)
By the early spring of 1772, James Robertson and John Bean traveled to Chota to present their request. The chiefs agreed to work with them and leased “all the country on the waters of Watauga” for 10 years. (Williams 1937, 367)
Though Indian Agent John Stuart approved of the idea, Alexander Cameron was completely opposed. The lease between the Cherokee and the Wataugans was approved through Articles of Accommodation and Friendship in exchange for merchandise and trade goods valued at between $5,000 and $6,000 plus muskets and other household articles. For the lease to be valid, Chief Attakullakulla, the Little Carpenter, requested that the settlers create rules and organize their community.
Self government
Born in the early 1700s, Attakullakulla was highly respected as a young man. In 1730 he traveled to England with six other Cherokee to agree on a treaty with King George II. By the early 1750’s, he was appointed as Principal Speaker and later served as the tribe’s first Beloved Man from 1761 to the mid to late 1770s. He is remembered as a master negotiator, with keen conversational skills and the ability to create treaties, whose primary focus was on maintaining peace.
Now, with an influx of settlers on and near Cherokee land, his dedication to protecting his people through peaceful interactions was increasingly important.
In the spring of 1772, the Watauga settlement made plans to meet and create a government, to honor Attakullakulla’s request that the settlers organize. The need for law and order and the protection of the inhabitants was paramount. They were essentially isolated from North Carolina and outside the boundary of Virginia. The situation that those living on the Watauga were facing was best stated by Moses Fisk in 1897, when he wrote that those living in Watauga were “as little protected, controlled, or recollected by any government whatever, as their co-tenants the bears.”
The Watauga settlers came together under a sycamore tree to write and delineate the rules and regulations needed to fairly manage the affairs of the people. Adopting laws that mirrored those of Virginia, they wrote the Articles of the Watauga Association, their own constitution and the first west of the mountains, in which every member of the settlement was required to sign the newly formed articles. They appointed five commissioners by majority vote, along with thirteen citizens to serve as commissioners.
It did not take long before word of the actions of the Watauga Association began to travel. In 1774, Virginia governor, Lord Dunmore, referred to the Watauga Association as a “dangerous example” of Americans forming a government “distinct from and independent of his majesty’s authority.” The actions of the Watauga Association have been considered by historians to be a highly significant event in the history of our nation. Establishing self-government in a new land, on the western frontier, while under British rule, has been considered by many historians as a “milestone event” in American history. For example, President Theodore Roosevelt later described the Watauga settlers as the “first men of American birth to establish a free and independent community on the continent” in his “The Winning of the West” books (1889, 1894, and 1896).
At the start of the American Revolution, the western settlements declared their independence from Great Britain. Together, they became the Washington District with Colonel John Carter serving as chairman of the new Committee of Safety, which adhered to the Continental Congress and would be “indebted to the united colonies for their full proportion of the Continental expense.” (Garrett & Goodpasture 1900)
Transylvania Purchase
During this time, long hunter and explorer Daniel Boone, hoping to start a colony on the Kentucky River, had reached out to Judge Richard Henderson of Hillsborough, North Carolina, who was also interested in land speculation. Boone suggested that they attempt to get a treaty from the Cherokee for their new colony, of which Henderson agreed. So, on August 27, 1774, Henderson and his business partners created the Louisa Company in hopes of a possible acquisition. In the upcoming winter, Boone, Henderson, and Colonel Nathaniel Hart traveled to the Cherokee towns to make a proposal to the Cherokee. Chief Attakullakulla, along with a young man and woman, were invited to travel to North Carolina to inspect the goods that would be offered in trade. They approved of the goods, along with 10,000 pounds of British sterling, for the purchase of what amounted to about 20 million acres over most of today’s Kentucky.
The gathering of many Cherokee people and settlers took place at Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga over several days, in March 1775, to discuss the proposed deal, which became known at the Transylvania Purchase. Most of the chiefs agreed, but not all. The young son of Attakullakulla, Dragging Canoe, or Tsi’yu gunsini, was angered to see the elders giving away their ancestral lands and made an impassioned speech referring to the strength of the Cherokee before the white man came. He compared their situation to how other indigenous nations had given up land and “melted away like balls of snow in the sun.” He raged at the white men and their greed for land and predicted the extinction of his race if they sold their hunting grounds. He asked if buying this land would be enough for the “long knives,” sensing “they would surely press for more.” Much confusion and concern arose after he spoke, so attempting to calm the people, food was brought out while those in attendance spoke among themselves.
The next day, on March 17, 1775, the gathering continued, with the chiefs accepting the proposal. In total disagreement, Dragging Canoe pointed a finger to the Kentucky west, stating, “A dark cloud hangs over this land, and its settlements will be dark and bloody.” With that he walked purposefully out of the council and “brought the conference to a startling and abrupt conclusion.” (Creekmore/Spoden 1974, 263)
After the success of the first negotiation, the Watauga settlers hoped to also purchase the land that they were leasing from the Cherokee. Two days later, on March 19, Henderson and John Williams, who is believed to have drawn up the deed for the Watauga Purchase, offered the Cherokee additional goods if they would sell this land to the Watauga settlement. The Cherokee agreed and the settlers bought their leased land, plus additional acreage for 2,000 pounds of English money and goods.
In addition to being the largest private/corporate real estate transaction in America, the Transylvania Purchase stimulated migration by opening central and southwest Kentucky to settlement. As a result, drastic differences in relationships between native tribes and settlers quickly took place and often escalated into attacks on the settlements. Dragging Canoe and the Chickamauga Cherokee continued to fight for the British hoping to slow down the westward expansion of the whites, though they often refused to coordinate with the British troop movements during the American Revolution. The British saw value in their attacks so continued to furnish the Cherokee arms, ammunition, and trade goods.
Worsening relations
Chief Attakullakulla’s lifelong goal of promoting peace between his people and the settlers began in 1760 during the Anglo-Cherokee War. After the 1775 land purchases, followed by the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, his work for peace seemed to fall apart. The remainder of that year quickly saw colonial and British relations become increasingly worse.
Moving into 1776, Cherokee attacks on the Watauga, Nolichucky, Holston, and Carters Valley settlements began to increase as they attempted to regain land sold to the settlers during the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals. Indian agents Cameron and Stuart, in hopes of preventing the attacks, wrote to the inhabitants of the Watauga and Nolichucky on May 7, 1776. Their goal was to oversee a peaceful removal of the settlers to Florida or other lands east of the mountains. The settlements were informed that the Cherokee were inclined to go to war to regain their land sold to the whites by the elders of the tribe. They warned them of the danger they would be in if they stayed and that their families would be exposed to a merciless and enraged enemy. Their letter ended with, “The Indians expect that you will be removed in 20 days.” (Dixon 1976, 39).
Chairman Carter responded on May 13 pretending to show his loyalty to the British crown, indicating they intended to move, but needed more time. His request for 20 more days was approved, increasing their deadline to 40 days but they really had no intention of leaving. Instead, they used this time to construct the Watauga and Lee forts, gather arms, ammunition, and supplies to sustain the occupants of the forts. This looming threat also helped them realize they needed support from outside Watauga. Their request to Virginia to be annexed was denied, and their petition to North Carolina was not answered in due time.
Meanwhile, Henry Stuart and Captain Nathaniel Gist left Mobile, Alabama, and delivered 30 horse loads of ammunition to Dragging Canoe and about 80 Cherokee on the Tennessee River. British agents Cameron and Stuart were convinced that the Cherokee would fight whenever the British called upon them.
Imminent attacks
The expected Cherokee attacks on the settlements of Watauga were three-pronged, executed by about 700 natives from the Overhill towns, broken down into three commands and aided by the British. These attacks occurred later in July after the July 1, 1776, attacks on the Lower and Middle Cherokee towns. In retribution, warriors attacked areas in North and South Carolina, which resulted in an estimated 200 settlers being killed.
In the Overhill towns, Nancy Ward, the Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, learned of the planned attack on Watauga. It is believed that she assisted four traders in escaping, who were being held by the Cherokee, so they could warn the settlers of Watauga.
It was long before Chief Dragging Canoe and his warriors attacked the settlement at Long Island of the Holston. It resulted in the Holston militia at Eaton’s Fort defending their position and seriously wounding Dragging Canoe.
Settlements along the Clinch River and Carter’s Valley were attacked by the chief called The Raven. When they arrived, many settlers had escaped, but The Raven continued to burn and pillage into southwest Virginia.
Chief Old Abram attacked the Watauga settlements on July 21, 1776, with a “fierce assault on Fort Watauga that began in the early morning.” When the attack began there were some women and children out milking the cows. The fort defenders were quickly alerted by their screaming as they ran to the fort, chased by the Cherokee. By the time Catherine “Bonnie Kate” Sherrill reached the fort, the gate was shut. She was determined to scale the palisade walls.
Samuel Cole Williams related Catherine’s description of the event saying, “The bullets and arrows came like hail. It was now leap or die for I would not live a captive.” Thus “she threw her bonnet and then herself and clambered over the picketing.” Upon clearing the fort wall, she fell into the arms of John Sevier. Four years later, after the death of Sevier’s first wife, Catherine became his second. (Draper 1881, 420
The attacks continued for two more weeks. Of the many heroic events conducted by the settlers, James Robertson’s sister, Ann Robertson, organized a bucket brigade of women who filled buckets with boiling water. The scalding water was poured over the fort wall to stop about 25 warriors from setting the fort on fire. Ann volunteered to pour the water, putting herself amid a shower of bullets. She was wounded but survived.
In the end, the Cherokee attacks did not end in success for Dragging Canoe and his warriors, but there were other concerns for the settlements, such as the possibility of war with Great Britain now becoming an immediate threat to the colonies. After the Cherokee attacks, the Wataugan’s petition to North Carolina was positively received, and it was approved based on their loyalty to the Patriot cause and North Carolina’s recognition of the legitimacy of the land holdings in the Watauga settlement. Hence, the Watauga District was formed. This same year the Washington District was designated as Washington County, boundaries were adjusted, new counties were created, and a new road was surveyed to cross the mountains, following an old “Indian” road through Yellow Mountain Gap, called Bright’s Trace.
After the Cherokee attacks on the Overmountain settlements, it was evident that the elder chiefs could not control Dragging Canoe and his warriors. Retaliation began, and colonial military leaders from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina implemented attacks on the Middle, Valley, and Overhill Cherokee towns, which resulted in the destruction of most of the towns. Dragging Canoe and his warriors fled to the Chickamauga area of northwest Georgia.
Reaching for peace
Chiefs Attakullakulla and Oconostota, no doubt weary of continued wars, reached out to the settlements in hopes of agreeing to a peace treaty focused on protecting the Cherokee towns and ending the violence. Their efforts culminated in April 1777 with the Treaty of Fort Patrick Henry, in which the Cherokee agreed to remain neutral in the war between the Americans and the British. As expected, the Chickamauga Cherokee did not adhere to this agreement.
Attakullakulla never stopped trying to negotiate lasting peace between the Cherokee, English, and American colonists. The year after the Fort Patrick Henry treaty, he traveled to Pensacola, Florida, and Fort Rutledge in South Carolina in hopes of renewing friendships and trade, but his efforts failed. Between 1777 and 1780, Attakullakulla is believed to have died in North Carolina, now part of Tennessee. At his passing, Oconostota became the First Beloved Man of Chota.
As engagements with the Cherokee continued, so did altercations between the British, their Loyalists, and those fighting for the Patriot cause. The British Southern Campaign of the Revolution became a concern in December 1778 when the British captured Savannah, Georgia. After failing to capture Charleston, South Carolina, back in 1775, the British gave a second try in May of 1780 and were successful, taking control of Charleston. Skirmishes and battles between Loyalist and Patriot militias continued in the backcountry with leaders from the Overmountain settlements joining the fight for the Patriot cause.
Major Patrick Ferguson had his first run in with, what the British called, the “backwater men,” or Overmountain Men, of the western settlements in early August. The Overmountain Men learned that Ferguson knew of their presence, so they fell back to a site they could defend at Cedar Spring. Ferguson’s numbers were high, but his force was not accustomed to fighting in the forest in what was described as a “running fight.” The Patriots were quite confident fighting in the same manner as the Cherokee and emerged victorious. (Williams 1944, 131) Not long after, Cornwallis took possession of Charlotte.
Marching British
Feeling the wind beneath his sails generated by British successes in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, Ferguson was quite intent on tracking down the Overmountain Men on their own turf, so he sent a message to Colonel Isaac Shelby. Samuel Phillips, who served with Shelby, was a prisoner in Ferguson’s control. Ferguson promised to parole Phillips if he would deliver a message to Shelby: If he and the backwater officers did not desist from their opposition to the British arms, he would march his army over the mountains, hang their leaders, and lay their country waste with fire and sword. (Draper 1881, 169, 560-573)
Phillips took the message directly to Shelby, along with information on Ferguson’s location and the strength of his forces. Shelby, provoked by the message, rode from Sapling Grove to Colonel John Sevier’s home on the Nolichucky. Speaking privately for two days, both agreed that a surprise attack on the enemy was necessary, before their settlements were invaded. They asked for the cooperation of militia commanded by Colonel William Campbell, Lieutenant Colonel Sevier, Isaac Shelby, Colonel Charles McDowell, Colonel Andrew Hampton, and others, issuing an order calling upon all the militia of the county to be ready to march at the appointed time. McDowell and Hampton were encamped at Colonel John Carter’s since Sept. 18, so were nearby. (Draper 1881, 170)
Families across the settlements were working hard and purposefully to prepare the militia for this important expedition. Failure was not an option. Mary Patton on Powder Branch began producing gunpowder for the men at her powder mill. By the date of the muster, she had produced about 500 pounds of powder, which was purchased from her by William Cobb. Food was being gathered, Matthew Talbot’s grist mill was grinding meal to bake bread, and a lead mine close to John Sevier’s home near today’s Bumpus Cove, provided lead for musket balls.
Shelby and Sevier needed currency and coin, which was not easily accessible west of the mountains, needed to purchase needed supplies. They requested of John Adair, the entry-taker for Sullivan County, that the public funds in Adair’s control, amounting to about $12,000 to $13,000, be advanced to meet the supply need if war on their home front or beyond became reality. Adair explained he did not have the authority to make this type of disposition of the money, continuing, “it belongs to the impoverished treasury of North Carolina, and I dare not appropriate a cent of it to any other purpose; but if the country is overrun by the British our liberty is gone. Let the money go too. Take it. If the enemy, by its use, is driven from the country, I can trust that country to justify and vindicate my conduct — so take it.” If the State of North Carolina demanded the money, Shelby and Sevier pledged to ensure its return. In 1782, Adair received an acquittance or receipt for these funds. (Ramsey 1853, 174)
Mountain muster
On the Sept. 25, 1780 volunteers and militia gathered in numbers higher than ever expected at the Sycamore Shoals or Flats of the Watauga River. Marching in search of Ferguson were 240 men under Lieutenant-Colonel John Sevier, Washington County, North Carolina; 240 men under Colonel Isaac Shelby, Sullivan County, North Carolina; 200 under Colonel William Campbell, Washington County, Virginia; and 160 under Colonel Charles McDowell from Burke and Rutherford Counties, North Carolina, who were camped near Watauga after fleeing North Carolina. Colonel Arthur Campbell brought 400 men, who joined the ranks of Colonel William Campbell, while Arthur returned home to protect his county. Arthur McDowell also returned home to protect his counties against native incursions. (Draper 1881, 175; Williams 1944, 144-145)
The larger part of those mustering were riflemen clothed in hunting shirts, carrying a shot pouch, Deckard rifle, tomahawk, knife, cup, wallet of provisions such as parched corn, knapsack, blanket, and moccasins, all mostly made themselves. Some carried a skillet. Five men of African descent joining the Patriot army included two freemen, Esaius Bowman and Andrew Ferguson. Ishmael Titus, an enslaved man, earned his freedom by going in place of his master. John Broddy, Colonel William Campbell’s “body servant” also served. A third freeman of color, Primus, applied for a pension in 1846 claiming he fought in many battles, including Kings Mountain.
Pension records have shown that children, ages 16 and under, were present also, often seen as fifers, drummers, buglers, teamsters, spies, couriers, scouts, with some fighting in battle. William Price, 13, and Presley Larkins, 12 are two known fifers, with 15-year-old William Cross serving as a drummer.
As volunteers of all ages and their families came together at the 1780 Muster of the Overmountain Men at Sycamore Shoals, their energy and passion strong, were firmly dedicated to their mission. J.G.M. Ramsey stated, “Never did mountain recess contain within it a loftier or more enlarged patriotism — never a cooler or more determined courage.”
On the morning of Sept. 26, the Rev. Samuel Doak led the group in prayer and devotions before their journey. As he opened, his words reached the hearts of all, saying, “My countrymen, you are about to set out on an expedition which is full of hardships and dangers, but one in which the Almighty will attend you.” He then addressed their liberties, taxation without representation, the call for help from across the mountains, their experiences with war and preventing the enemy from “bringing fire and sword to their very doors.” His inspirational words and blessings upon the militia followed with prayer, ending with, “Help us as good soldiers to wield the Sword of the Lord and Gideon!”
Uplifted and inspired, the Overmountain militia said their goodbyes and began their travels up Gap Creek, later crossing to the Doe River. They reached the Shelving Rock, where they stored their black powder, on the first night where they encamped.
After traveling for 11 days in search of Ferguson, the Overmountain militia made it to Cowpens on Oct. 6, 1780. They were able to gather information on Ferguson’s location and the strength of his army of 800-1,000 men now camped at King’s Mountain, South Carolina. As evening drew near, Ferguson was said to announce to his troops that he was on King’s Mountain, was the king of that mountain and God Almighty could not drive him from it.
All-sides attack
Not far off, the Patriot militia led by Colonel William Campbell, his officers, and over 900 men, were camped amid much rain and mud. On the afternoon of Oct. 7, the rain ended by the time the militia reached Kings Mountain. The battle plan was to surround the mountain, keep the enemy on the top, and continue firing while hiding behind rocks and trees. Giving the militia men the opportunity to back out before engaging the enemy, Shelby asked those who wished to leave, to “march three steps to the rear.” To Shelby’s pleasure, none stepped back. (Williams 1944, 151)
As the battle commenced, Shelby’s men were in the line of opening fire and wished to return fire, but they were ordered to wait and to press on so their “fire will not be lost.” Upon reaching their places, Shelby called out, “Here they are boys! Shoot like hell and fight like the devils!” Captain de Peyster recalling the yelling from another engagement, declared, “These are the same yelling devils that were at Musgrove Mill!” (Williams 1944, 155)
The Tory militia fell into disorder as the Overmountain men continued their attack from all sides of the mountain. The circle of rebels was drawing in on Ferguson from every direction. Shelby and Sevier, leading their men, soon made it to the summit. Some of Ferguson’s officers urged him to surrender, but he refused. Instead, he charged the Wataugans with his horse, while swinging his sword.
Robert Young heard his son-in-law, John Gilliland, pull his trigger upon spotting Ferguson, but his gun did not fire. Robert Young, noting the misfire, aimed at Ferguson, saying, “I’ll try and see what Sweet Lips can do,” then fired the shot that many believe killed Ferguson. As Ferguson fell from his saddle, his foot was caught in a stirrup resulting in his body being dragged around the American troops. Some took a few extra shots at him, resulting in Ferguson having up to eight bullet wounds, with one in his head. Some of the bullet wounds might have occurred after his death. (Williams 1944, 157)
With a drive to succeed like none other, the Overmountain Men, the “yelling boys,” had defeated Ferguson in what S.C. Williams has been reported as ranging from 40 minutes to an hour and five minutes. Captain de Peyster took command for a short time and then raised the white flag and surrendered his sword to Campbell among many white flags seen across the mountain. That night, the Americans and others spent the night, exhausted, on the battlefield with the mournful sounds of the wounded and the dying echoing in the background.
Triumphant return
The return home of the Overmountain Men was met with much joy and relief as word of the Patriot success at Kings Mountain began to spread, with many leaders offering positive accolades. General Horatio Gates found the victory “great and glorious,” while General George Washington said the win was “a proof of the spirit and resources of the country.” The Continental Congress complimented Colonel Campbell’s troops for “spirited and military conduct.” In 1882, reflecting on the Kings Mountain victory, Thomas Jefferson wrote that Kings Mountain “was the joyful annunciation of that turn of the tide of success, which terminated the Revolutionary War with the seal of independence.”
The American Revolutionary war did not end immediately after the Kings Mountain battle. Provoked by Cornwallis, conflicts between settlers west of the mountains and the Cherokee continued as they had been encouraged by the British to attack the settlers.
Other militia engagements continued into 1781, which ended upon word that Cornwallis had surrendered his 8,000-man army to General George Washington and the Continental Army and their French allies, under the leadership of the Count of Rochambeau, at Yorktown, Virginia, on Oct. 19, 1781. The siege of Yorktown, the last major battle of the war, began on Sept. 18, 1781, with the British outnumbered and outfought for a three-week siege. (Williams 1944, 219-223)
The American Revolutionary War is viewed as occurring in two phases. The first phase, from 1776 to 1783, found the Cherokee fighting with the British against the settlers and their armies. Peace negotiations took place at the Treaty of Paris in 1783, with Britian acknowledging the sovereignty and independence of America. It was signed on Sept. 3, 1783, ending the war that began March 22, 1775, with the British implementation of the Stamp Act. Boundaries were established, among other business decisions, including property, war debt, fishing rights, and navigation on the Mississippi River.
Britain’s formal recognition of the United State of America as a sovereign, independent, and free nation with the United States Confederation Congress was ratified through treaty on Jan. 14, 1784, in Annapolis, Maryland. The years following, from 1783 to 1794 made up the second phase of the war as Dragging Canoe’s Chickamauga Cherokee continued to fight for their ancestral lands. The Cherokee- American wars ended with the Treaty of Tellico Blockhouse in 1794, after the death of Dragging Canoe in February of 1792.
As the new United States of America began planning its federal government, leaders briefly formed a proposed new state, the State of Franklin, in 1784, but the effort was not successful. On June 1, 1796, Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state.
Today, Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park protects a portion of the land of the original settlement, including, but not limited to, the historic Sycamore Shoals crossing on Watauga River, the location of the Transylvania Purchase. The park shares the important history of the early settlement up to the creation of the State of Tennessee, and the role of the settlement’s people in helping to establish a new and independent nation.
Jennifer Bauer is retired from a 43-year career with Tennessee State Parks, a former park manager at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, and a resident of Roan Mountain, Tennessee. A naturalist and author, her newest book, “Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga,” explores the history of the park and the stories that shaped its landscape.