Part 26 (1/2)
Col. Isaac Shelby was born in Maryland, near the North mountain, a few miles from Hagerstown, on the 11th of December, 1750. He was the son of General Evan Shelby, a native of Wales, who came to America when a mere youth. General Shelby was distinguished for his indomitable courage, iron const.i.tution, and clear intellect. He served as a Captain of Rangers under Gen. Braddock, and acted bravely in the attack under General Forbes in 1758, in which he led the advance, and took from the French Fort Du Quesne. In 1772, he removed to the west and in 1774, commanded a company under Colonel Lewis and Governor Dunmore against the Indians, on the Scioto river. He was in the sanguinary battle of Kenhawa, October 10th, 1774, when Colonels Lewis, Fleming and Field were killed and he was left the commanding officer.
In 1779, he led a strong force against the Chickamauga Indians, on the Tennessee river; and for his services and gallantry, was appointed a Brigadier General by the State of Virginia; the first officer ever vested with that grade on the western waters.
Thomas Shelby, a brother of Gen. Evan Shelby, joined the great tide of southern emigration and settled on Caldwell's Creek, in the eastern part of Mecklenburg county (now Cabarrus) about 1760. He died near the beginning of the Revolutionary war, leaving four sons, William, John, Evan and Thomas. One of these sons (Thomas) served as a private in Captain Charles Polk's company in the spring of 1776, in the Wilmington campaign.
Col. Isaac Shelby, the immediate subject of this sketch was born to the use of arms, blessed with a strong const.i.tution and capable of enduring great exposure and fatigue. His whole educational training was such as fitted him for the stirring scenes in which he was destined by Providence to become so prominent an actor.
His first essay in arms was as a Lieutenant in a company commanded by his father, in the celebrated battle, previously mentioned, at the mouth of the Kenhawa, the most sanguinary conflict ever maintained against the northwestern Indians, the action lasting from sunrise to sunset, with varying success.
Night closed the conflict and under its cover, the celebrated chief _Cornstalk_, who commanded the Indians, abandoned the ground. In July, 1776, he was appointed Captain of a company of minute men by the Virginia committee of safety. In 1777, he was appointed by Governor Henry, a commissary of supplies for an extensive body of troops to guard the frontiers and one of the commissioners appointed to form a treaty with the Cherokees at the Long Island of the Holston river. In 1778, he was elected a member of the Virginia Legislature from Was.h.i.+ngton county, and was appointed by Thomas Jefferson, then Governor of that State, a Major in the escort of guards for the commissioners, engaged in running the line between Virginia and North Carolina. On the completion of that line, his residence was found to be in North Carolina, which circ.u.mstance induced Richard Caswell, then Governor of the State, to appoint him Colonel of the militia of Sullivan county. In the summer of 1780, he was engaged in Kentucky in surveying, locating and securing the lands which five years previously, he had marked out, and improved. It was at this time, that he heard of the surrender of Charleston. This disaster aroused his patriotic spirit, and caused him to return home, determined to enter the service of his bleeding country and never to leave it until her liberty and independence were secured. On his arrival at home, he found a requisition from General Charles McDowell to furnish all the aid in his power to check the enemy, who flushed with their late success in overrunning South Carolina and Georgia, had entered North Carolina with a similar object in view. He immediately sought enlistments from the militia of Sullivan county and in a few days crossed the mountains at the head of two hundred and forty riflemen.
He reported to Gen. McDowell near the Cherokee Ford, on Broad river, and was by that officer detached, with Colonels Sevier and Clarke, to surprise and take a fort held by Captain Patrick Moore, a noted Tory leader, on the Palcolet river. This service was promptly executed without losing any of his men. The fort was surrounded, and, after a short parley as to terms the enemy surrendered as prisoners of war.
Captain Moore, one British Major, ninety-three Tories and two hundred and fifty stands of arms and their ammunition greatly needed at that time, were the fruits of this victory.
It was at this period that Major Ferguson of the British army, in his progress to the mountains of North Carolina, made several attempts to surprise Col. Shelby, but in every instance, he was baffled through his vigilance and activity.
On the first of August, 1780, the advance of the British force came up and attacked Shelby at Cedar Springs. The situation had been chosen by Shelby and his martial, adventurous spirit did not avoid the issue of battle. A sharp and animated conflict ensued, which lasted half an hour, when the whole force of Ferguson advanced to the scene of action. Shelby deemed it prudent to retreat before superior numbers, carrying off as the fruits of his victory thus far obtained, fifty prisoners, including two British officers. The enemy made a rapid pursuit, but Shelby, availing himself of every advantageous ground, completely eluded their efforts to overtake him and soon afterward joined Gen. McDowell with only a loss of ten or twelve killed and wounded.
On the 19th of August, 1780, Colonels Shelby, Williams and Clarke, under orders from Gen. McDowell, again attacked, with seven hundred mounted men, a large body of Tories near Musgrove's Mill, on the south side of the Ennoree river. On the night of the 18th of August, these officers left Smith's Ford on Broad river, took a circuitous route through the woods to avoid Ferguson, whose whole force lay between, and at dawn of day, after riding about forty miles, attacked the patrol of the Tories, about half a mile from their camp. A brisk skirmish ensued, several were killed, and the patrol driven in. At this moment, a countryman living near informed Col. Shelby the enemy on the night before had been re-inforced by a body of six hundred regulars (the Queen's American regiment from New York) under Col.
Innis. This was unexpected news. Fatigued as were their horses, retreat was impracticable; and to attack an enemy of such superior force, would have been an act of rashness and the certain defeat of his own little band of patriots.
Col. Shelby met the trying emergency with unflinching courage and great promptness of action. It was agreed that Colonel Williams should have the chief command. Accordingly, the whole Whig force, except Capt. Inman's command, was ordered to form a breastwork of old logs and brush, and make as brave a defence as circ.u.mstances permitted.
Capt. Inman, with twenty-five men was directed to proceed to the ford of the river, fire across upon the enemy, and retreat when they appeared in strong force. This stratagem being the suggestion of the brave Capt. Inman, was successful. Col. Innis immediately crossed the river to dislodge the ”rebels.” Capt. Inman and his little force instantly retreated, hotly pursued by Innis until within the area of the patriot ambuscade when a single shot by Col. Shelby gave the signal for attack. The Whig riflemen, with sure and steady aim, opened a destructive fire which was kept up for an hour, during which time Col. Innis was wounded; all the British officers except a subaltern were killed or wounded. The Tory Captain, Hawsey, and Major Fraser, of the British regulars, with sixty-three privates were killed, and one hundred and sixty made prisoners. The American loss was only four killed and nine wounded. In the pursuit Captain Inman was killed fighting hand to hand with the enemy. After this victory Col.
Williams, with the prisoners, encamped at the Cedar Spring, in Spartanburg County and from thence proceeded to Charlotte, N.C.
Colonels Williams and Clarke then returned to the western frontier and the prisoners under Maj. Hammond marched to Hillsboro.
Excited by this brilliant victory Col. Shelby prepared to attack the British force at Ninety-six, about thirty miles distant, when an express arrived from Gen. McDowell, with a letter from Governor Caswell, dated on the battle ground of Camden, informing him of Gates'
defeat and advising him to get out of the way. This advice came in good time, for on the next day a strong detachment from Ferguson's army sallied forth to overtake the victors, but through the energy and activity of Col. Shelby the designs of the enemy were completely baffled.
The brilliancy of the affair shone more brightly by the dark gloom which now overspread the public mind in consequence of the defeat of Gen. Gates at Camden. This caused Gen. McDowell to disband for the present his little force and retire beyond the mountains. The whole country was now apparently subjugated, the hopes of the patriot were dimmed, and many took protection under the British standard. But the brave spirits of the west, as firm as their native mountains, were still undismayed; and, if for a moment subdued, they were not conquered, and the fire of freedom glowed deeply in their patriotic bosoms.
At this gloomy period, Col. Shelby, in consultation with Col. Charles McDowell, proposed to Colonels Sevier and Campbell to raise a force as quickly as possible from their several counties, and attack the boasting Ferguson. A concert of action, and junction of their forces were promptly agreed upon, the battle of Kings Mountain followed soon thereafter, and the result is well known. It will be seen, the first movement for organizing forces and bringing to a speedy accomplishment this most decisive victory of the South originated in Western North Carolina.
Inspired by this victory, the forces of North Carolina a.s.sembled under General Davidson at New Providence, in Mecklenburg County, near the South Carolina line. Gen. Smallwood, with Morgan's light corps and the Maryland line advanced to the same point. Gen. Gates, with the remnant of his army, and General Stevens with levies from Virginia enabled General Greene, after he a.s.sumed the chief command in December, 1780, to hold Cornwallis in check and frustrate his design, at that time, of marching to Charlotte.
It was at the suggestion of Col. Shelby that General Greene sent out the expedition which achieved the brilliant victory at the Cowpens. In 1781, Col. Shelby served under Gen. Marion, and with Col. Mayhem, was in the skirmish near Monk's Corner. On attacking this post it immediately surrendered with one hundred and fifty prisoners. Soon afterward he obtained leave of absence from Gen. Marion to attend the General a.s.sembly of North Carolina, of which he was a member from Sullivan County.
In 1782 he was again a member, and was appointed a Commissioner to settle the preemption claims upon the c.u.mberland, and lay off the lands allotted to the officers and soldiers south of where Nashville now stands. He returned to Boonsboro on the April following where he married Susanna Hart, whose father was one of the partners of Judge Henderson. The liberties of his Country being nearly established he devoted himself to his farm on the first pre-emption and settlement granted in Kentucky. In May, 1792, he was elected the first Governor of the new State. In 1812, a stormy period in our history, he was again elected to the same position. When the war with Great Britain broke out his well known energy and Revolutionary fame induced the Legislature of Kentucky to solicit his services in the field. At the head of four thousand volunteers he marched to the sh.o.r.es of Lake Erie to a.s.sist Gen. Harrison in the celebrated battle of the Thames. For his bravery in this battle, Congress honored him with a gold medal. In 1817 President Monroe appointed him his Secretary of War, but on account of his advanced age he declined the honor. His last public act was that of holding a treaty with the Chickasaw Indians, in 1818, in which General Jackson was his colleague. In 1820 he was attacked with a paralytic affection but his mind still remained unimpaired. In July, 1826, he expired from a stroke of apoplexy, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, enjoying the love and respect of his country and consoled by the rich hopes of a joyful immortality. Worthily is his name preserved in North Carolina in a region that witnessed his exalted patriotism and valor.
COLONEL JAMES D. WILLIAMS.
Col. James D. Williams, a brave and meritorious officer, was mortally wounded at King's Mountain, near the close of the action. He died on the next morning, and is buried within two miles of the place where he so gallantly fell. Tradition says his first words, after reviving a little, were, ”For G.o.d's sake, boys, don't give up the hill.”
He was a native of Granville county, N.C. He moved to Laurens county, S.C., in 1773, and settled upon Little river. He early espoused the patriot cause, and was active in raising troops and defending the territory of the ”Ninety-Six” District, abounding with many evil-disposed loyalists.
He first appears as a Colonel of militia in April, 1778. In the spring of 1779, he went into actual service, and was probably at the siege of Savannah. He was with Gen. Sumter in 1780, and in the early part of that year he was in the battle of Musgrove's Mill, on the Ennoree river. After that engagement he went to Hillsboro, where he raised a corps of cavalry, and returned to South Carolina. During Ferguson's movements, after crossing the Wateree with the intention of embodying the loyalists, and intercepting the ”Mountain Men,” Col. Williams continually hovered around his camp, prepared to strike a blow when he could, and cripple his advance.