K4M Battle of Kings Mountain + K4Y Battle of Yorktown Special Events

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Greetings from "Hams for History" Headquarters where we enjoy sponsoring year-round Special Events chocked full of fun, informative facts about the Southern Campaign Battles that shaped America's Independence.

Today we are excited to formally announce 2024's final (2) two Special Events coming up in October:

• K4M - Battle of Kings Mountain October 5-7
• K4Y - Battle of Yorktown & Aftermath October 19-21

For additional information about each event, you are cordially invited to visit the K4M and K4Y pages here on QRZ.

The K4M Kings Mountain event is traditionally our most attended event that draws a chorus of "Why have never heard of this important Battle?"

Visit K4M to learn the significance of this "Turning Point" battle.

The K4Y Yorktown event represents a Battle many are familiar but perhaps not as much about the aftermath.

Check out the K4Y QRZ page for what may be more than a few surprising tidbits....especially if you were taught Yorktown sealed our Independence from Great Britain.

Chasing Cornwallis Challenge
Many Hams have participated in every K4x event this year as part of the "Chasing Cornwallis Challenge" highlighted below:

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Did you catch up to Cornwallis? If so, announce your achievement during your K4M or K4Y Check-in(s)!

The Chasing Cornwallis Challenge will return in 2025 starting with K4C - Battle of Cowpens January 18-20.

Volunteers Needed
NCS slots remain available for both K4M and K4Y - prior NCS experience not required.

Just need to be a licensed Ham and have basic understanding of the easy to use QRZ Logbook.

Want to learn more about Volunteering?

Great! Check out the K4M NCS Guide attached to this message and join the f-u-n. And remember, history subject matter expertise is not required - that work has been done for you via the event QRZ pages!

Note: all logging is done within QRZ Logbook, no LoTW or eQSL, etc.

Writing of QRZ - a big THANKS to QRZ Staff for the amazing resource made available to us Hams!​

On behalf of Team K4M/K4Y, we hope to hear your Callsign during both events...bring a friend!

Remember to refresh the K4M/K4Y pages during the event to see real-time Activation detail containing frequency and mode underneath the flashing ON-AIR sign = easy peasy.

We will also spot Activations on the DXSummit cluster.

...waiting for you over at the K4M and K4Y pages

HUZZA!!!
Marc - W4OVT

"What man is, only history tells." - George Mosse

 

One of my ancestors died at the battle of kings mountain. Last name was Pepper.
Died before the birth of his son.
I tried to connect last year, but I run QRP and couldn't be heard.
Maybe better luck this year.
KI4CS

 

Hi Charles - I plan to activate on 20m SSB on/near 14.287 at 14Z/10AM EDT and in the evening at 23Z/7PM EDT on 40m SSB on/near 7.195MHz - send me an email when you are on the air and I will make an outbound call to you.

Elisha Pepper I is well documented for his bravery and sacrifice at the Battle of Kings Mountain - you may be aware of the granite marker in honor of his son, Elisha Pepper II shown here:



Fairly certain Elisha served with John Sevier's Militia.

I am a direct descendant of Rhys Bowen who was also killed fighting on the Patriot side and would have joined with Elisha at the main muster at Sycamore Shoals, present day Elizabethton, TN - awesome State Park there.

If you ever go, try to be in the audience when Chad Bogart does his first-person interpretation of the life of an Overmountain Man and the March to Kings Mountain.

In 1 hour and 5 minutes of battle, 28 Patriots were killed vs. 228 of the British Loyalists to include their Commander, Patrick Ferguson...remarkable since the Patriots had 200 fewer men (est. 900) vs. 1,100+ Loyalists fighting for the world's most feared and provisioned army - the British Army.

The Patriot Dickert Longrifles were vastly superior to what the British used - either smooth bore French-made Charleville or Brown Bess....the numbers prove the point.

FYI, here is a website that provides additional information on Elisha I:
https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Elisha_Pepper_%283%29

HUZZA to you and your family and thanks for your interest in K4M!

Marc - W4OVT

 

Thanks for what you do. History is so important. It helps to determine your future based on knowledge of the past.

 

I was able to connect last year and looking forward to this year. I found a great book titled King’s Mountain and It’s Heroes. Thanks for putting on the event.

Glen Cheatham
5th great grandson of Preston Goforth

 

Hi Glen et al:
You selected an excellent book in Lyman C. Draper's "King's Mountain and It's Heroes," in fact, it is considered the gold standard of all the books written about the Battle of Kings (or is it King's?) Mountain.

Seems a bit silly but whether the apostrophe should be included in the word "King's" or not, continues to occupy Historians time, if for no other reason, most Historians I have met over many decades live to argue - ha!

Draper perhaps wasn't so sure, either - consider the gilded (gold inlay) cover of his 1st edition published in 1881 or second edition published in 1929 - shown below, he used the apostrophe on the binding but omitted it on the cover.


This punctuation polemic is derived from the essential question "Was the mountain named for the local King family known to have lived in the region, or as a tribute to the long line of British Monarchs.

I usually type "Kings" if for no other reason I am lazy and and can type Kings easier than King's - although having just done that in a single sentence I am questioning that defense lol...I digress.

A bit of Draper - the Battle took place in 1781 - Draper was born in 1815 so clearly he was not a witness.

In fact, Draper never visited the region - the nearest he traveled was to present-day middle Tennessee traveling from Wisconsin.

Accordingly, the manuscript of "Kings Mountain and It's Heroes" is preserved at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and is viewable by the public.

So how did Draper amass such a repository of facts and figures? The answer is letters, or allow me to add, sometimes "unreliable letters."

Unreliable for two reasons:
1) not everyone had information of the Battle received a request (or failed to return....or got lost in transit) or
2) what was provided was embellished in most cases to lionize a participating family member

One of the more egregious omissions was the contributions of Georgia's Captain Elijah Clarke (or is it Clark - lo!, another point to argue...make it a double bartender!) - neither Draper nor the National Park Service acknowledge the contributions of those marvelous Georgia Sharpshooters who fought bravely, and freshly, at the Battle.

There is however and marvelous Georgia State Park in Clarke's name, however, assume the crash position, they left off the "e" <sigh>.

Ok, enough punctuation OCDness - back to Draper - or better written, Draper's Depression...all of the years of letter writing and research targeted one major goal - to release the book during the Centennial celebration held in 1880...but due to Publisher delays, the book was not released until the following year.

Even so, the book became a collectible in short order so a 2nd Edition printing was released in 1929 but with more adversity - this time, a warehouse fire that spared only a few books.

It would be 1954 before the third edition was printed.

An excellent companion book is "The Battle of Kings Mountain: Eyewitness Accounts: The Battle that Turned the Tide of the American Revolution" by Robert M. Dunkerly - note his use of Kings - darnit, I said I would stop!


Dunkerly compiled over 100 first-person accounts including many writings in diaries the combatants wrote the evening or next day following the Battle.

Can you imagine?

Consider that the Battle started at 3PM in the afternoon on October 7th, 1780 which means sunset soon followed.

Most of the Patriot Militia exhausted themselves, and their 500+ Loyalist prisoners to make hasty graves for 250+ casualties - 28 on the Patriot side and over 225 Loyalists including British Commander Patrick Ferguson and one of his two mistresses, both named Virginia - seems rank and dashing good looks has certain virtues...I wouldn't know!

Imagine, if you dare, you are one of the fortunate who survived the stabbing bayonets and flesh-seeking flying lead, still on/near the battlefield, the stench of blood and black powder choking the air, early winter-like chilling cold making for a miserable night...made even worse by the moans of the wounded calling out throughout the night...for many, it would be their last night.

And those dreaded, ravenous wolves so many wrote about, howling, as if signaling distant packs of the waiting feast.

Cold and adrenaline would seem to have made it impossible to control a pencil but somehow, many managed to etch their accounts to do what we do within K4M - to "Keep the Story Alive."

When reading the first-person accounts, it was interesting to read variations when the same event was described...gives rise to the old saying "believe half of what you see and none of what you hear."

Plans are to list additional "Suggested Reading" sources on the K4M/K4Y QRZ pages soon - I'll post a message in this thread when done.

HUZZA!!!
Marc - W4OVT

 

Best Wishes for this Special Event. I wished I had known earlier. I would have tried to put together a special event station for our 250th commemoration of the Battle of Point Pleasant. It will be the week following the King's Mountain event. I am actively involved in the SAR for this 250th commmoration but I will try and hit you the weekend of the 4th. Our commemoration is on October 10th.
N7WWA

 

Hi Randall,
I wrote above about arguing historians with Lord Dunmore's War lacking immunity - lol. Was the battle the final Colonial Battle before the Revolutionary War or was it the first battle of the Revolutionary War.

I lean towards the latter since the battle put into motion where the Shawnee and Mingo, in fact most of the tribes of Appalachia, would serve as British allies.

Two facts going against my leanings is the lack of engagement by George Washington or his Continentals nor were there any British Officers/Regulars attending - just a loyal Governor and Loyalist fighters.

The Battle of Kings Mountain, despite its significance, suffered suppression due to what I call the "Washington Curse" which was twofold:
1) Washington, nor a single Officer or Infantry, attended the battle, and
2) Washington openly condemned the value of Military

We love our heroes which unquestionably Washington was a tremendous Statesman and first President...but as Commander in Chief, to say he was lacking is being kind yet a majority of Historians and Authors insist on lionizing Washington's military acumen.

Out of seventeen battles and skirmishes Washington led into battle, he would emerge victorious only 7 times with Trenton/Princeton among his most notable victories only to "winterize" at Valley Forge.

If not for the French forces and Patriot Militia, we would be sipping British tea and paying Parliamentary taxes unto this day.

Curious to know your perspective on Point Pleasant - was it a Colonial finale or first battle of the Revolutionary War...I'm sure we can agree there were a LOT of moving pieces!

While future Tennesseans where pitching the 14th Colony of Franklin expect you are familiar with similar efforts to certify Vandalia.

I see that you live in the town of Point Pleasant which appears per QRZ to be home to nearly 20 Hams...guessing y'all keep an eye peeled for the dreaded Mothman - YIKES!!!

On a personal note, allow me to share an interesting genealogical story - my ancestors who fought at Kings Mountain, Rhys, William and Robert Bowen previously served as Indian Scouts in the Battle of Point Pleasant.

The brothers would later become titled as Patriot Militia en route to Kings Mountain but Dunmore viewed them as highly skilled Longhunters who well knew Indian traditions and tactics.

Upon finishing my Dad's lineage, I starting working on my Mom's side and immediately noticed numerous SAR and DAR references.

She was a Croley (also spelled Crowley) with SAR/DAR applications celebrating a Samuel Croley who was a member of the same Indian Scout group as were the Bowens.

Many generations later the Bowens and Croley's would reunite with my parents producing a history loving son - me!

I was three years into my deliberate study of the Battle of Kings Mountain when this generational discovery was made - imagine my delight!

One day I hope to visit the Point Pleasant Monument to view the inscription shown below, Samuel Croley's name highlighted:



Similar design to the Battle of Kings Mountain monument:



...but neither as ornate as the Victory Memorial at Yorktown:



HUZZA!!!
Marc - W4OVT

 

Looks like it is going to be a great event!!

Bill
KG2CS

 

My 'uncle' Nathaniel Dryden died in the battle. His two brothers survided. Thank you for runnig thisevent. I'll put it on my calendar. Dave, KD8AVT

 

Hi Dave:
Thank you for your message. The sacrifice of Nathaniel Dryden at Kings Mountain is well documented within my research.

Nathaniel served in the Virginia "Washington County Regiment of Volunteers" under Col. William Campbell and Major Edmiston among 400 Virginia Sharpshooters and would be the first to charge up Kings Mountain following orders to "shout like hell, and fight like devils.”

British Commander Patrick Ferguson upon hearing the dreaded "war whoop" battle cry through the dense forest below, declared "make ready men...it's those yelling boys" defiantly adding "God and all of his Angels cannot drive me from this mountain."

He was right, he is buried there unto this day under a pile of rocks which was a show of respect to a fallen Officer.

One of Campbell's men who fought alongside Nathaniel was Robert Young who was not so young at age 72.

Young spotted Ferguson wearing his bright red plaid shirt atop his white stallion - Ferguson was out of uniform having declared laundry day).

Young wrote in his diary he spoke to his Dekert rifle having named it affectionately after his wife's nickname saying "c'mon Sweet Lips, don't let me down now."

Young's shot found Ferguson's chest dislodging him from his horse with one boot trapped in the stirrup. The horse spooked, Ferguson was dragged across the battlefield where eight more lead shot found their target.

Sonar has confirmed Ferguson lay in his grave face to face with one of his two traveling mistresses, both named Virginia (how did he pull that off!) who was killed in the battle.

Nathaniel was one of a number of men under Campbell's command, including my ancestor Rhys Bowen, who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that America could be won.

Of all the Captains who encircled the mountain with their militia, Campbell lost the most men with some estimates claiming around 20 casualties of the total 28 killed during the battle.

The disproportionate losses resulted from Ferguson focusing his entire Loyalist infantry of nearly 1,200 men to engage Campbell's 400.

Campbell's men mostly carried rifles which were far more accurate than the British Charleville smooth bore muskets but the muskets had one advantage = bayonets.

Ferguson's men charged down the mountain spearing the militia at will forcing Campbell to order a temporary retreat.

Then Campbell ordered a 2nd attack only to be repelled again.

It would be Campbell's third advance that advanced to the top of the mountain joined by the arrival of fellow militia led by Captains Sevier, Shelby, McDowell, Winston Cleveland, Chronicle, Williams, Clarke, Hampton, et al.

Imagine Ferguson's surprise thinking he need only defeat Campbell's Virginians on a small corner of the mountain only to realize he and his army were completed surrounded by Patriot Militia.

Of note, Washington nor any of his Officers or infantry were present at Kings Mountain.

Lastly, the K4M QSL Card includes "The Patriot Victory at Kings Mountain" image as painted by artist Richard Luce. https://www.richardluce.com/

The painting depicts Campbell's men of which your Nathaniel and my Rhys can be imagined as represented...who knows, perhaps they fought side by side since I have some evidence of Nathaniel at the Battle of Point Pleasant where my Bowen clan served as Indian Scouts for Lord Dunmore.

Look forward to working your during the event.

HUZZA!!!

73,
Marc - W4OVT

 

I just found this (and your other) events and as an Instructor with Project Appleseed I am excited about all of them! I told the story of Kings Mountain at one of our KD shoots a couple of years ago as my history presentation during lunch, and learned a lot in preparing. I was particularly interested in Patrick Ferguson and the irony that if his men had been armed with the rifle he invented the outcome might have been different. I've also often wondered at the lack of significant overlap between Appleseed volunteers and HAM radio, the two passions just seem like they would complement each other more than they seem to. Thank you sir, and Huzza!!

Jeremy-W5IED

 

Hi Jeremy:
Thank you for mentioning the Ferguson rifle which many are surprised to learn it was not invented by British Commander Patrick Ferguson, he worked to improve the design...even so, the rifle was not deemed reliable enough to be commissioned.

Ferguson went before King George III twice and failed to establish the rifle as standard issue but instead, and not without irony, the French Charleville along with the Brown Bess, both smooth bore muskets, were issued throughout the Colonies along with plentiful spare parts.

It is believed that Patrick Ferguson brought with him a supply of his namesake rifle even some believing said rifle(s) were atop Kings Mountain in small number but not with Ferguson himself.

A lead ball found Ferguson's right elbow at the Battle of Brandywine rendering him effectual with only his left arm and sword.

The Patriot Militia carried their privately owned rifles, which as you know, a musket was no match at distance to a rifle in the hands of a sharpshooter.

Why? Because a rifle fires a spinning ordinate versus a knuckle ball coming from a musket. Greater accuracy results from the rifle, substantly so. A musket might hit a target at 50 yards whereas a rifle can hit its mark at twice that distance.

The British Army used their muskets most effectively as a way to fix bayonets to spear their way to victory. A disadvantage to the rifle was the inability to fix a bayonet.

But on Kings Mountain, the Patriot Militia did not fight in close quarters except for the initial surge by Col William Campbell's regiment, instead, they mostly fought using guerilla-like tactics reloading behind the cover of trees and boulders to then swing out, aim, and drop the enemy where they stood well outside of bayonet range.

If the British had rifles, they likely would have won the war.

Similarly, if the Patriot Militia had only smooth bore muskets, same outcome.

Kings Mountain took place in late 1780 - King George III acknowledged the British had lost the war in 1783.

The Continental Congress, as did Washington, well knew the decisive role rifles in the hands of the Militia played in the "turning point" victory at Kings Mountain.

The British Commander of the British forces in the Colonies, Sir Henry Clinton knew all too well the significance of Ferguson's defeat at Kings Mountain.

After the war, Clinton was asked how the British managed to lose a war despite having the advantages of a string of successive victories which led to a swarm of enlistments, each well provisioned due to British control of resupply seaports to include Boston, Charleston, Savannah, and Wilmington.

In answering the question, Clinton would name only the Battle of Kings Mountain stating that specific battle was "the first link in a chain of evils that followed each other in regular succession until they at last ended in the total loss of America."

A short eight years following King George's acknowledgement of defeat, Congress ratified the 2nd Amendment, and now you know where the phase "a well regulated militia" was born - those words were carved by the sweat and blood of those marvelous Patriot Militia at Kings Mountain along with other lopsided Patriot victories won with minimal losses as compared to the British side.

Had it not been for the Patriot Militia and the critical contributions by the French, we might be sipping British tea and paying British taxes unto this day!

To learn more about Patrick Ferguson and the Ferguson rifle within the context of Kings Mountain, highly recommend the book by Ricky Roberts & Bryan Brown titled "Every Insult & Indignity" shown below:



To view a video of rapid firing made possible with a replica Ferguson rifle, see here: https://youtu.be/aHF-AMA_cAw?si=4bu3JhWtZ2vRvX0z

HUZZA!!!
Marc - W4OVT

 

I would also point out the difference in marksmanship skill between the Patriots and the Loyalists..the Loyalists, shooting downhill, tended to shoot over the heads of the advancing Patriots.

Colonel George Hanger said:
"
I never in my life saw better rifles (or men who shot better) than those made in America; they are chiefly made in Lancaster, and two or three neighboring towns in that vicinity, in Pennsylvania. …I am not going to relate any thing respecting the American war; but to mention one instance, as a proof of most excellent skill of an American rifleman. If any man shew me an instance of better shooting, I will stand corrected.

…It was in the month of August, and not a breath of wind was stirring. Colonel Tartleton’s horse and mine, I am certain, were not anything like two feet apart; for we were in close consultation, how we should attack with our troops, which laid 300 yards in the wood, and could not be perceived by the enemy. A rifle-ball passed between him and me; looking directly to the mill, I observed the flash of the powder. I said to my friend, “I think we had better move, or we shall have two or three of these gentlemen, shortly, amusing themselves at our expence.” The words were hardly out of my mouth, when the bugle horn man, behind us, and directly central, jumped off his horse, and said, “Sir, my horse is shot.” The horse staggered, fell down, and died. He was shot directly behind the foreleg, near to the heart, …
The astounded Hanger later estimated the distance between the riflemen and the horse to be a “full four hundred yards.”

Huzzah!

 

Where have you read that Ferguson did not invent the Ferguson Rifle? Is that in the book you mentioned? I've not seen that claim before!