Kings Mountain National Military Park, South CarolinaMackenzie, George C.
History
Kings Mountain National Military Park, South Carolina
Mackenzie, George C.
King's Mountain, Battle of, S.C., 1780; Kings Mountain National Military Park (S.C.)
What happened to these Ferguson rifles continues to be a matter of
conjecture. While Ferguson convalesced after the Battle of Brandywine,
his rifle corps was disbanded and his rifles put in storage by Sir
William Howe. Later, an undetermined number were withdrawn from storage
for further service. Though it can be assumed a number were destroyed in
action and others carried off for use as new hunting rifles, a large
number still remain unaccounted for.
Today there are only a few known specimens of this arm. Although those
still in existence are largely in private ownership, there are several
on public display in America. Two such arms are in the National Museum
in Washington, one of which was originally given by Ferguson to
Frederick de Peyster, the most important example in this country. The
Rudolph J. Nunnemacher Arms Collection at Milwaukee, Wis., also has one
of these weapons, as does the museum at the United States Military
Academy, West Point, N. Y.
The National Park Service is fortunate in owning two Ferguson rifles.
One of these, perhaps the second most important example in the United
States, is in the museum at Morristown National Historical Park,
Morristown, N. J. It is marked with the initials P. F., indicating it
was very probably inspected personally by Patrick Ferguson. The other is
in the Kings Mountain National Military Park Museum. Though one
occasionally hears of a Ferguson rifle for sale, their acquisition is a
collector’s dream.
_Your Guide to the Area_
The battlefield ridge is the most outstanding feature of the park.
Beginning at the Administration and Museum Building, numbered markers
have been placed at the principal points of interest along the trail.
These markers correspond with the numbered paragraphs below and with the
numbers on the guide map. For the best story on the ground, it is
suggested that you follow them in the order given.
1. THE ADMINISTRATION AND MUSEUM BUILDING.
Before you set out on the self-guiding, walking tour of the battlefield
ridge, you will enjoy a visit to the park museum in this building.
Colorful displays and exhibits explain simply and clearly the causes and
results of the Battle of Kings Mountain and the turn of events that
followed it in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. A
series of exhibits trace the origin of the mountain men, tell the story
of their uprising, and show their route of march to Kings Mountain.
Other displays explain the progress of the British invasion of the South
and the movement of Ferguson’s corps before the battle.
Among the featured exhibits are the battlefield diorama, typical arms of
the mountain men, an electric map showing routes of the forces engaged
in the battle, and examples of the Kentucky and Ferguson rifles. The
diorama is a three-dimensional reenactment in miniature of a typical
Kings Mountain battle scene. The original Ferguson rifle came from
Scotland and is one of the park’s prized possessions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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