This poem is excerpt from the book “House of the Messenger – Recovery and Reconstruction of the Kings Mountain Messenger’s Dogtrot House”.

In The Winning of the West, Theodore Roosevelt wrote of Kings Mountain, "This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution." Thomas Jefferson called it "The turn of the tide of success". President Herbert Hoover at Kings Mountain said,

“This is a place of inspiring memories. Here less than a thousand men, inspired by the urge of freedom, defeated a superior force entrenched in this strategic position. This small band of Patriots turned back a dangerous invasion well designed to separate and dismember the United Colonies. It was a little army and a little battle, but it was of mighty portent. History has done scant justice to its significance, which rightly should place it beside Lexington, Bunker Hill, Trenton, and Yorktown.” 

In 1931, the Congress of the United States created the Kings Mountain National Military Park. 

The Overmountain Men and Kings Mountain

In the heartland of Appalachia, where mountains loom high,

A tale of valor and freedom reaches for the sky.

Let me tell you now of the Overmountain Men,

And the battle of Kings Mountain, where legends began.

 

In the late days of autumn, seventeen eighty,

The winds whispered secrets; the land grew weighty.

Across the Carolina plains, a call to arms was heard,

A gathering of heroes, their spirits undisturbed.

 

From the valleys and hollers they emerged, brave and bold,

Frontiersmen, farmers, with stories yet untold.

These Overmountain Men, rugged and true,

Took up their muskets, for freedom they knew.

 

Through treacherous terrain, they marched with resolve,

Each step, a testament to the spirit they evolved.

Over creeks and through forests, they pressed ahead,

Their purpose resolute, as they were led.

 

Up Kings Mountain they climbed, like lions to their den,

In pursuit of liberty, against the Tory men.

With rifles steady, and fire in their eyes,

They faced their enemies, beneath the Carolina skies.

 

The battle ensued, a clash of iron and might,

A symphony of musket fire, in the dimming light.

Bravery and determination coursed through their veins,

As they fought for their freedom and broke their chains.

 

They closed in on their foes, in a final, desperate bout,

Each shot a prayer, each charge a resolute shout.

And in that fateful hour, victory was seized,

As the Overmountain Men fought, and their enemies appeased.

 

The Battle of Kings Mountain, a turning point it proved,

A blow to tyranny, a triumph that moved.

These Overmountain Men, with hearts strong and true,

Their courage and sacrifice forever imbued.

 

So let us remember, with reverence and pride,

The Overmountain Men, who stood side by side.

In the annals of history, their legacy shall remain,

As heroes of freedom, their valor will sustain.