The Overmountain Men were a force of roughly 1,000 American frontiersmen from west of the Appalachian Mountains (modern-day Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina).
- Origin: They lived “over” the Appalachian Mountains, a region then known as the Watauga Settlements, and were largely self-reliant, rugged farmers and hunters.
- Motivation: They were initially uninvolved but took up arms after British Major Patrick Ferguson threatened to destroy their homes and hang their leaders if they did not submit to the Crown.
- The Campaign: Under leaders like Colonel Isaac Shelby and Captain John Sevier, they crossed the mountains, gathering forces before trapping Ferguson’s Loyalist army atop Kings Mountain, SC.
- Significance: The victory was described by Thomas Jefferson as the “turn of the tide” in the South, as it destroyed the left wing of Lord Cornwallis’s army and boosted Patriot morale.
- Legacy: The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail commemorates their route.
This is a 3D model of the battle.
REMEMBER THE PAST, STEVE