Battle of Kings Mtn

Two cases:

Out of hundreds of people testifying about Kings Mountain, only Joseph Kerr, spoken from the perspective of a spy not with the soldiers, mentioned Col Steen at Kings Mountain. Is it possible a Colonel led the troops without a single one mentioning him?
Draper stated that Steen was KIA at Kings Mountain and served at the Battle of Cow Pens. Lyman C Draper failed to connect the dots that BKM was in 1780 and Cow Pens was in 1781. The 1909 plaque missed that little fact as well.
Sundry details suggest that Col Steen was with the “South Carolina refugees” under Gen Sumter and Col Billy Hill north of Charlotte during the Battle of Kings Mountain.
General Assembly of South Carolina May 24, 2012 H. 4124
TO REQUEST THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE BRIDGE ON EL BETHEL ROAD THAT CROSSES THICKETTY CREEK IN CHEROKEE COUNTY “COLONEL JAMES STEEN MEMORIAL BRIDGE” AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS AT THIS BRIDGE THAT CONTAIN THE WORDS “COLONEL JAMES STEEN MEMORIAL BRIDGE“.
Whereas, Colonel James Steen was a prominent militia officer in the American Revolution, serving from 1775 to 1781, in the Snow Campaign, Commanding Price’s Fort, serving in Georgia, then at Stono, Savannah, Charleston, the Battle of Rocky Mount, the Battle of Hanging Rock, the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill, the Battle of King’s Mountain, and the Battle of Cowpens; and
Whereas, in the summer of 1781, while endeavoring to arrest a Tory in Rowan County, North Carolina, he was stabbed, surviving only a week; and
Whereas, Colonel James Steen and his brother John Steen held land grants along Thicketty Creek and had a family plantation and family cemetery near Thicketty Creek on El Bethel Road in Cherokee County; and
Whereas, it would be appropriate to name the bridge on El Bethel Road over Thicketty Creek in his honor. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly request the Department of Transportation name the bridge on El Bethel Road that crosses Thicketty Creek in Cherokee County “Colonel James Steen Memorial Bridge” and erect appropriate markers or signs at this bridge that contain the words “Colonel James Steen Memorial Bridge”.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.

Baker, Robert FPA file # S16628
Served under Colonel William Campbell, Captain James Dysart

Note that Nathaniel Dryden is listed on the 1909 plaque as KIA and in this testimony as a witness that Robert Baker was wounded at BKM. But Sgt Baker is not on the 1909 plaque.

Pension application of Robert Baker S16628 f12VA
Transcribed by Will Graves rev’d 1/31/12

State of Missouri, Montgomery County
On this 7th day of May 1833 personally appeared before the Circuit Court of Montgomery County aforesaid the said Court being a court of Record Robert Baker a resident of Montgomery County aforesaid aged Seventy nine years who being duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832.
I state from the best information I have I am seventy nine years of age & that I entered the service of the United States or rather the Confederation of the States and under the following officers and served as stated below.
I resided in Fincastle County now Washington County Virginia. I volunteered & entered the service under Captain James Thompson, I think near about the middle of June 1776 & we marched from Fincastle County Va. to Long Island (which is about 60 miles from where I lived) then in the State of North Carolina was [page torn, text missing] and on the Holstin [Holston] River. I was in the battle fought there between the forces under Captain Thompson & others & [the] Cherokee Indians in the first of the month of July 1776 where about 17 Indians was [sic, were] killed & none of our men but we had 4 men wounded. There were with us about 170 men & then was no higher officer in command as I believe than a Captain & these were called James Thompson, James Shelby, William Cocke & perhaps others who were in command or called as such. This was at the commencement of hostilities with the Indians in that quarter & when we returned home which was only a few days after the Battle at Long Island as above stated we found our families & neighbors Forted & I was continued in the service at what was called Campbell’s Fort which was situated at Colonel William Campbell’s plantation in Fincastle County aforesaid till late in the fall during all which time I acted as a spy for the Fort[.] [W]hen I was marched down again to the Fort at Long Island under Captain Dysart where I remained & acted as a ranger for several weeks when we returned home in the winter some time after the first of January 1777.
In the year 1778 or 1779 but which I cannot now recollect about the last of July of one of those years, I volunteered under Colonel William Campbell & entered into the service in the company of Captain William Edmonson [sic, Edmondson?] & marched from Washington Va. towards North Carolina where the Tories were embodying on the head waters of the Adkin [sic, Yadkin?][River][.][T]hey were said to be under the command of one Brown & Coyle[.] [W]e met the Tories at a place called the big Glades but when they saw us they ran some of whom we caught, some we whipped & one we hung[.] [A]fter they were thus dispersed, we returned home being absent on this service between five & six weeks. Colonel Campbell commanded on this expedition.
In a short time after I returned home as I believe in the month of September, I volunteered & entered the service to go to the lead mines. I was sent as a guard under the command of Lieutenant Arther [sic, Arthur] Bowen to guard the wagons that were sent from the lead mines on New River Va. to carry lead to the Moravian Towns in North Carolina, for the use of the United States army. We deposited the lead at the Moravian Towns which place was under the command of a Major Herndon[.] [W]e returned home after being absent on this service about five weeks.
Early in the month of September as I believe 1780 the Tories were embodying marching on the waters of the Catawba River & Colonel McDowell retreated over the mountains from where he had been driven by the British & Tories under Major Ferguson who were [sic, was] on the head waters of the Catawba River. There was a call for men to go and meet the forces under Ferguson. I volunteered & entered the service under Captain James Dysart and marched early in September. [W]e marched under the command of Colonel William Campbell[.] [W]e were joined by the commands on our march of Colonels Surveyor [sic, Sevier] from Washington[,] Colonel Shelby from N. Carolina now Tennessee when we crossed the mountains we were joined by Colonel Cleaveland [sic, Benjamin Cleveland] & General J. Williams. [W]e then marched to King’s Mountain & I was in the Battle of King’s mountain which was fought on the 7 or 8th of October. I returned home about the last of November. In a short time after I returned home and I think about the middle of December 1780, I returned volunteered under Colonel Arther [sic, Arthur] Campbell & in Captain James Crabtree’s Company, William Russell lieutenant & John Baker Ensign & marched to the Cherokee Towns where we burned about 17 Towns; killed a good many Indians & took some prisoners and also some cannon. I was in five or six scrimmages during this campaign [which] lasted till about the last of January 1781 when I was discharged & from that time I served no more in the revolution. At the Battle of King’s mountain, I was wounded in the right thigh and during that campaign & the one under Colonel Arthur Campbell to the Cherokee Towns, I was a sergeant & served as such.
State the names of the persons to whom you are known in your neighborhood & who can testify as to your character for veracity and belief of your services as a soldier of a revolution[.]
Answer: Major Benjamin Sharp, Major Jacob L. Sharp, Clerk of the County & Circuit Courts of Montgomery County. This state Sylvester Baker & Nathaniel Dryden & Captain John Baker all but Major Ben. Sharp who is of Warren County of Montgomery County.

S/ Robert Baker
Sworn to & subscribed in open court this 7th day of May 1833.
S/ Jacob L. Sharp, Clerk

http://www.humphreybaker.com/descendants/descendants/john_baker.html

John Baker was born sometime between 1740 and 1745, probably in Virginia. He is listed on 1771 tax records in Botetourt Co. Virginia along with his father Humphrey Baker and brothers Thomas and George. He is again listed on the 1772 Botetourt Co. tax list with father Humphrey and brothers George and Robert. Robert turned 18 in 1772.(age 79 in May 1833, so born in 1754 after May) It should be noted at this time that Botetourt Co. was formed in 1769 from Augusta Co.VA ; Fincastle Co. was formed from Botetourt Co. in 1772, abolished in 1776 and became Washington Co. Virginia.

John is listed on the 1782 Washington County VA tax roll
. Brothers George and Robert are in Major James Dysart’s precinct:
George has 1 tithe, 7 horses and 17 cattle and
Robert 1 tithe, ? horses and 7 cattle.
In 1786 Humphrey, John, Alexander, George and Robert are again listed.
After 1786 George and Robert Baker remove to Green Co. Tennessee.

Pension bureau record shows that Baker was shorted on his pension.

1. He testified that for BKM he was involved from early Sept to end of November.
Dysart did not list him as bringing 6 days of rations from home, an indication that he had some other involvement prior to the 24Sep muster. Being a neighbor and a sergeant, it is likely that he was called to ride around the area delivering the call to muster.
Being wounded, he probably recovered in a Burke County home until released by Dr. Dobson.
Otherwise unmentioned, had he been able, he would have been a prisoner guard to Old Salem.
The pension office called it 1 mo 5 days.
2. Other soldier claimed as much as 4 ½ months for the Battle of Boyds Creek and following. Baker called it about 1.5 months. Could be correct because Col Campbell brought some home sooner while other, such as John Cusick, stayed on with Col Sevier longer.
3. He is rated as a private though 4 months or more at BKM and Boyds Creek were at the rank of Sergeant.

Click here to peek at Robert Baker’s worksheet When it appears, click on the photocopy for a full screen view.
peek at Robert Baker’s certificate