When studying the American Revolution in the South, the patriot leaders most commonly mentioned are Nathanael Green, Daniel Morgan, "Light Horse Harry" Lee and Francis Marion. Almost totally forgotten is Isaac Shelby.
Born in Maryland in 1750, Shelby's family went west in time to become involved with Pontiac's 1763 rebellion. At the age of 13, Shelby captured and scalped an Indian "spy." (Actually, a scout.) During the Revolution, Shelby became head of militia groups battling the British and Indians at Fort Thicketty, Cedar Springs and Musgrove's Mill. But it was King's Mountain in 1781 that gave Shelby his claim to enduring fame.
Cornwallis had divided his army into three divisions, one guarding the coastal supply routes, the second under his own command assigned to destroying all resistance in the interior of the Carolinas, and a third group to handle the "over mountain men" in the west. This latter division, led by Major Patrick Ferguson, consisted of over 1000 American loyalists. Against this group Shelby organized militia led by himself, John "Noglichucky Jack" Sevier, Joseph McDowell, William Campbell and Benjamin Cleveland.
Ferguson had camped on the summit of King's Mountain, believing that the forested steeply sloped sides guaranteed him against attack. But Ferguson neglected to fortify the treeless summit or the mountain's slopes. Shelby sent his men up the mountain from all sides. Fighting from cover on the tree-thick slopes, they were almost invulnerable. When they reached the summit, Ferguson and his men had noplace to hide. Ferguson was killed trying to escape and his entire force was either killed, wounded or captured. A shocked Cornwallis abandoned his three pronged plan and lost most of his army in reckless attacks on Nathanael Greene's army, which was reinforced by militia encouraged by King's Mountain and Daniel Morgan's victory at the Cowpens.
Shelby emigrated to Kentucky, where his nickname, "Old King's Mountain," helped him become the new state's first governor. In his sixties, he fought at the battle of the Thames against the British and the Indians during the War of 1812. He also played a crucial role in supplying Andrew Jackson's men for the climactic battle of New Orleans in 1815. He turned down the post of secretary of war in the Monroe administration, preferring to devote his time to organizing Bible societies in Kentucky.
Perhaps the best example of Shelby's fame was the news of his death on July 18, 1826, two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Newspapers in the West announced: "Adams and Jefferson and Shelby dead."
---Jim Davis