On October 7th, 1780, the American militia, led by 1100 Overmountain Men from what is today Tennessee, cornered the British at King’s Mountain, South Carolina. In the decisive battle that followed these men changed the course of the Southern campaign for American Independence. The Battle of King’s Mountain was led and fought by backwoodsmen, including the father of Davy Crockett and many of the earliest names in Tennessee history.
Sixty or so years later in a narrow valley, in 1840 and 1843, not far from where our farm is located, down a small gravel road, two of those heroes of the American Revolution were buried in a small church cemetery. The church is long gone. Only a hundred or so graves are found in this out of the way spot. This year, as we have done for close to twenty years, Cindy and I place flowers on the graves of Big Jim Campbell and William Moore to honor their memory.
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This is a semi-annual re-post (typically when the Fourth falls on a Sunday). Enjoy the day and find a moment, no matter which side of the pond you live on, to toast the courage and fortitude of the Overmountain Men. I am off to pick wild blackberries this morning before it gets too hot. Next week I’ll return with a new missive from the farm.
