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- King's Montain and Its Hereos: History of the Battle of King's Mountain Author: Lyman C. Draper, LL. D Call Number: 1510
A classic work, by an eminent historian, it is based on material gathered over a forty-year period from survivors of the engagement, their descendants, contemporary narratives, and original documents. It contains extensive sketches, notices, and biographies of the leading figures, including considerable genealogical data. Bibliographic Information: Draper, Lyman C., LL. D. King's Montain and Its Hereos: History of the Battle of King's Mountain. 1881. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1967.
GEN. W. L. DAVIDSON TO GEN. SUMNER. CAMP, ROCKY RIVER, Oct. 10th, 1780. (page 520-521) Sir: I have the pleasure of sending you very agreeable intelligence from the West. Ferguson, the great partisan, has miscarried. This we are assured of by Mr. Tate, Brigade Major in Gen. Sumter's late command. The particulars from that gentleman's mouth stand thus: That Cols. Campbell, Cleveland, Shelby, Sevier, Williams, Brandon, Lacey, etc., formed a conjunct body near Gilbert Town, consisting of three thousand. From this body were selected sixteen hundred good horse, who immediately went in pursuit of Col. Ferguson, who was making his way to Charlotte. Our people overtook him well posted on King's Mountain, and on the evening of the seventh inst., at four o'clock, began the attack, which continued forty-seven minutes. Col. Ferguson fell in the action, besides one hundred and fifty of his men; eight hundred and ten were made prisoners, including the British, one hundred and fifty of prisoners are wounded. Fifteen hundred stand of arms fell into our hands. Col. Ferguson had about fourteen hundred men. Our people surrounded them, and the enemy surrendered. "We lost about twenty men, among whom is Maj. Chronicle, of Lincoln County; Col. Williams is mortally wounded. The number of our wounded cannot be ascertained. This blow will certainly effect the British very considerably. The Brigade Major who gives this, was in the action. The above is true. I give you joy upon the occasion." In forwarding the above to Gen. Gates, Gen. Sumner wrote from Yadkin Ford, eight o'clock in the evening, October 10th: "With great satisfaction I inform you of the defeat of Maj. Ferguson, four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. The particulars I inclose you as I received them a few minutes ago."
BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAN.--BY GEN JOSEPH GRAHAM.(*) After the defeat of Gen. Gates and the army under his command, on the 16th of August, 1780, and the defeat of Gen. Sumter, two days afterwards, near Rocky Mount, by Col. Tarleton, the South was almost entirely abandoned to the enemy. Most of the troops, both officers and men, who had escaped from Gates' defeat, passed through Charlotte, N. C., where most of the militia of Mecklenburg County, were assembled in consequence of the alarm. The regular troops chiefly passed on to Hillsboro', where Gen. Gates finally established his head-quarters. William L. Davidson, who had served as Lieutenant-Colonel of the regulars in the Northern army, was appointed Brigadier-General of the militia in the Salisbury District, in the place of Gen. Rutherford, who was taken prisoner at Gates' defeat. He formed a brigade, and encamped on McAlpin's creek, about eight miles below Charlotte, and in the course of two or three weeks was reinforced by Gen. Sumner, a Continental officer, but having no regulars to command, he took command of the militia from the counties of Guilford, Caswell, Orange, &c. After Gates' defeat, the attention of Lord Cornwallis was chiefly occupied with burying the dead, taking care of the wounded, and forwarding, under suitable guards, the great number of prisoners he had taken, to the city of Charleston, and regulating the civil government he was establishing in South Carolina, and examining the state of the posts occupied by his troops on the Congaree, Ninety Six and Augusta. By the 1st of September, he had his arrangements made, and detached Col. Ferguson over the Wateree with only one hundred and ten regulars, under the command of Capt. DePeyster, and about the same number of Tories, but with an ample supply of arms and other military stores.
Tennessee The Volunteer State Vol 1 DAVIDSON COUNTY Davidson County was created by act of the Legislature of North Carolina, approved October 6, 1783. It originally included most of the territory west of the Cumberland Mountains now included in Middle Tennessee. It was named for Gen. Wm. Lea Davidson, concerning whom Mr. Hugh Davidson of Shelbyville, says: "Gen. Wm. Lea Davidson was killed at Cowan's Ford, N. C., February 1, 1781, while resisting the advance of British troops commanded by Colonel Hall. Davidson County, N. C., Davidson College, Davidsonville and Davidson River were named in his honor. Also, Davidson County, Tennessee, and Davidson Academy. His widow, who was Miss Mary Brevard, a daughter of John Brevard, came with her family at a very early date to near Nashville, and experienced the dangers and privations of pioneer life." "It was believed by General Davidson's friends and relatives in North Carolina, that he was killed by a renegade Tory, Frederick Hager, as his body was pierced by a bullet from what was considered a small bored gun at that time and Hager was known to carry such a gun at that time. After the Revolutionary war, Hager, together with several others of his renegade class, fled to Tennessee. About 1811, John Davidson and Hugh Davidson came out from Buncombe County, N. C. The first settled on "Union Ridge" and the latter about two miles up Duck River from Normandy. Hager hearing of these two Davidsons, fled again, this time to the wilderness of Arkansas, to a point on the Arkansas River now known as Six Post, where he finished his miserable existence, leaving a large family. "Gen. Wm. Lea Davidson was a first cousin of Maj. Wm. Davidson, 4th N. C. Reg. Cont. Line. From Maj. Wm. Davidson descend the Davidson family and the Hons. George N. and Abram Tillman , of Nashville." When the County of Davidson was formed, the county seat was named Nashborough, after Gen. Francis Nash, of North Carolina, who was killed in the battle of Germantown. The name was changed to Nashville by act of the North Carolina Legislature in 1784. In this year the first courthouse was built of hewn logs, was eighteen feet square with a lean-to of two feet.
Timeline for William Lee Davidson
1740 - George Davidson, William Lees father, moves his family from northern Ireland to Lancaster, Pennsylvania
1746 - Birth of William Lee Davidson.
1748 - The Davidson family moves to North Carolina and settles in Rowan (now Iredell) County, N.C.
1759 - Williams father dies, leaving him fatherless at age 13. William attends the Sugaw Creek Academy, a school operated in connection with Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church.
1767 - William and his cousin George escort the colonial governor, William Tryon, into Cherokee territory on a boundary-setting mission.. On December 10th of that same year, William and Mary Brevard, announce their engagement. The couple eventually will have seven children together.
1770 - Williams public career begins with his appointment as constable.
1772 - After taking the oath of allegiance to King George III as required by law, William is commissioned Captain the Rowan County militia.
1774 - Under the burden of heavy taxes and ruthless public officials who represented the king, the citizens of North Carolina hold their first Provincial Congress in New Bern. On September 23rd, the citizens of Rowan County appoint William as one of the 25 men to see that the goals and actions of the Provincial Congress are fulfilled.
1775 - In May, the Mecklenburg Committee Safety is organized as a government independent of the King. Williams brother-in-law and other family members are among the founders.
1776 - At the age of 30 years, William is commissioned a major in the Continental Army.
1780 - On July 21st, William is shot in the stomach as he and his two hundred men try to stop a British detachment. By August 31st, he has completely recovered and is appointed brigadier general in the Continental Army.
1781 - On February 1st, William is killed in action during the battle at Cowans Ford on the Catawba River in North Carolina. His forces were attempting to stop a British army commanded by Cornwallis from crossing the river.
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1746 - 1781 (34 years)
[5, 6] 
