As Major Patrick Ferguson learned on the summit of Kings Mountain, threatening American patriots isn't a good idea. In the fall of 1780, General Lord Cornwallis ordered Ferguson to subdue the frontier militias of the western Carolinas. In a message to the patriots, known as the Overmountain Men, Ferguson proclaimed, 'If you do not desist your opposition to the British Arms, I shall march this army over the mountains, hang your leaders and lay waste your country with fire and sword.'
In response, 900 annoyed frontiersmen crossed the mountains, joined forces and surrounded Ferguson and his 1000-man army. Comfortable with close-range combat, the patriots used the mountain’s thick trees as cover as they climbed the slopes. After a short period of intense fighting, Ferguson was dead, his troops decimated.
A 1.5-mile paved interpretative trail explores the forested battlefield. At the visitor center, a 26-minute film describes the fight, which was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. A small museum spotlights the battle’s major players.
In 2017 a monument honoring African Americans who fought in the battle was installed on the trail.