Casualties
The content of the linked virtual plaque has the primary purpose of getting the right people in alphabetical order. It retains some who do not belong in recognition that they were included erroneously or dubiously elsewhere. It tries to add perspective by homing in on groupings by commander. This introduces a new source of confusion. Commanders were interchangeable from one campaign to another and from one moment to another as in the case of John Wallace who served under both Charles McDowell and Isaac Shelby and speaks of his captain, Roger Topp, also being moved to different colonels. peek at Wallace’s FPA S32572
Was the commander the person who signed the discharge, the recruiter, the one who called the soldier to muster, the one who led the unit into battle, or the highest ranking one under whom he served? For BKM purposed, we will chose the commander who started the patriot on the trail to catch Patrick Ferguson. You might argue that Col William Graham mustered the “South Fork” boys then got called home. Lt Col Frederick Hambright was next in line to command, but Hambright yielded to Major William Chronicle as a more effective field leader. When Chronicle was killed on Kings Mountain, command devolved to Captain Joseph Dixon to lead them home. peek at Samuel Martin’s FPA s9003
Cross checking to confirm accuracy can help to improve the end result. A cross check can spot outliers. Research cannot always resolved multiple differences of fact, but can point to the dominant opinion. With the virtual plaque, we can discuss the variations in different accounts off the face of the plaque in the file of the individual patriot. Some testimony can help to judge the overall accuracy of the list. Campbell and Shelby reported 62 wounded (55 privates) and 28 killed (19 privates) but when they broke them out by Colonel, Shelby’s list was absent. So the 90 certainly underreported the true total. We must further contemplate whether in all the confusion, did they know about all the casualties when they arrived at the Moravian Towns. The 1909 plaque lists 29 killed, 4 mortally wounded, 34 names wounded, and a line for 24 unknown wounded. Somebody was swelling with pride by matching up the numbers, but the plaque lists 3 of Shelby’s wounded (John Fagon, Moses Shelby, and William Cox) and we now can identify with some confidence, that there were 5 other of Shelby’s wounded. If we add 8 Shelby soldier to the wounded count, should that add 8 to the plaque’s unknown count?
Some other cross checks can be made. Samuel Newell 04Aug1823 named those casualties he heard or knew about from Col Campbell’s corps. In a letter to Gen Francis Preston, Newell said Campbell had 35 casualties. Samuel Ncwell’s letter to General Francis Preston, states that Campbell’s regiment had thirty-five killed and wounded. As fourteen were killed including two officers who shortly after died of their wounds, it would leave twenty-one wounded, three of whom were officers.
McLain, George, W21793 states that about 20 men had duty caring for the wounded on the evening of the battle.
Wolf, Lewis, W4403, Under Captain Joseph Phillips estimated 36 slain of our brave companions including Lieutenant Richard Varner (Vernon) and 4 of my comrades or company private soldiers. Can we take that to say that Captain Phillips had 4 privates wounded?
Peter Trammel was among the Georgians who sought refuge at Watauga then returned to BKM. He testified (FPA r10674) that his brother was wounded. Could that be William Trammel under Captain Duff of Col Brandon’s corps? Or was there another Trammel in the battle? Solomon Abbott (Abbett) S17806 testified that he served after BKM in Spartanburg under Captain Dennis Trammel who was for some reason replaced by his Lt John Lawson. Could that reason be complications to a wound from BKM?
Joseph Neeley testified (S31879) that he was wounded under Capt John Douglass and escorted, with another wounded patriot from the same county, by two soldiers to Caswell Co NC. Can we learn who was the other wounded, and maybe name the escorts?
Captain Samuel Martin (s9003) deposed that 4 of his company were killed on the ground and 2 died soon after.
Three mortally wounded from the South Fork Boys were Alexander Caldwell, William Watson, and Moses Henry. Moses Henry held on for 9 months in Charlotte. Does that exclude him from “died soon after?” William Watson was called a captain. Does that exclude him from being in Martin’s company?
John Boyd, John Maddox, William Chronicle, and William Rabb from the South Fork Boys were killed at Kings Mountain. Did Samuel Martin mean these to be the 4 of his company killed? Or did he exclude the major from the 4 and there is another unnamed from Martin’s company killed at BKM?
Enoch Berry declared (w8128) that he was in Captain Samuel Wood’s company of Joseph McDowell’s battalion at BKM where his father was killed and his brother was mortally wounded. William Berry was a militia captain.
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Rank is a source of confusion and of casual concern to the patriots. An alphabetic search is obscured by the rank groupings on the 1909 plaque. Siske and Smartt were in inverted order as a byproduct of attempted placement by rank. The militia men served for the purpose of the time of each mission in the rank needed. They elected officers for the mission without regard to official appointments. Official attempts caused John Beattie to be designated 2d Lt even though there was no such commissioned militia rank. The men of the time knew him as Ensign Beattie. Washington County recommended young leaders to the governor to receive a commission at the rank of ensign. Sgt. James Curry is shown on the plaque as 2d Lt James Corry. Later recollections of an individual were at the highest known rank. Old soldiers were often referred to as colonels. We will discuss rank in the individual biographical sketch of each patriot.
Spelling of names was done by the scribes of the documents from the understood enunciation of illiterate men. Phonetic spelling varied based on host language where the Anglicized spelling usually prevailed. Nicknames were often used to discern among generations or among cousins with the same name. Colonel Christie became more commonly used than Colonel Christian. We attempt to use the spelling used by the individual or by the final documents or by a tombstone where known. Captain James Dysart was apparently called DEE surt in Virginia while his Carolina cousins were called DIE surt. His nicknames Deasey and Daisey are seen in declarations from several soldiers.
Evidence cannot always be believed. Some people told what they believed when they did not know. Some said what they had been told. Some knew better than what they were saying. We will use evaluation of evidence by a group of knowledgeable persons. With a consensus, we will deem it factual. With differing points of view, we will present the arguments. Entries will thus come, go, and change over time as additional evidence and evaluation is considered. If a soldier said that four of his company were wounded, we will attempt to determine which four are on the plaque and to fill in if fewer than four are listed. Samuel Newell knew that four officers from the Wilkes-Surry corps were treated at the Mackey home in Burke County. He told General Francis Preston that Campbell’s corps had 35 casualties. Such definitive counts can help us to gain a false sense of pride that we have an accurate list. How many of Samuel Newell’s men were wounded and chose to hide their problem from their lieutenant? If you find a soldier’s testimony that he was killed at BKM, you should discount other parts of his DD214.
The definition of wounded can vary from a paper cut to a mortal wound. The definition of wounded at Kings Mountain might include the expedition to the battle. A wound could be the result of an accident going up and down the hill or directly inflicted by enemy. A wound could be caused by friendly action. Col. Cleveland was almost mortally wounded by a Maiden Fort Bowen. As a general standard, we will declare a patriot wounded at Kings Mountain if by Christmas 1780 he showed changes to his body incurred during his expedition to catch Patrick Ferguson.
