Colonel Isaac Shelby | Kings Mountain

Col. Isaac Shelby was from “over the mountain” in what is now Tennessee. He along with Elijah Clarke, leader of the Wilkes County, Georgia Militia and James Williams, leader of the Little River Militia formed a new strategy for attacking the British. This new strategy involved the militia men hiding behind trees and/or rocks so they could take deadly aim at British and Loyalist soldiers. This was a type of fighting with no holds barred. In the Battle of Musgrove Mill, this strategy for the patriots proved to be a ray of hope-- that the British forces were not invincible.

Even though Shelby and his fellow comrades were unable to pursue the British who fleed the Battle of Musgrove Mill, they decided that this strategy was the way to handle the British army.  In future battles, they would not attempt to take on the British by themselves, but keep in touch. If one group was threatened, they would all come to fight.

With a combined force that included Shelby along with John Sevier, William Campell and other leaders, they decided to go after Major Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain.

The Battle of King's Mountain would become the high point of Shelby's military service resulting in him being called "Old King's Mountain."

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IMAGE CREDIT: The portrait of Colonel Isaac Shelby was painted by Thomas Kelly Pauley.

Standards

• 4.2.CE Examine the economic and political motivations for colonists to declare independence from Great Britain.
• 4.2.CX Contextualize South Carolina’s role in the development of the new nation.
• 8.2.CO Compare the motives and demographics of loyalists and patriots within South Carolina and the colonies.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the economic, political, and social motivations of the patriots and the loyalists in the era of the American Revolution.
• 8.2.CE Explain the economic, political, and social factors surrounding the American Revolution.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into how the colonies began to unify to create a distinctive American identity over the course of events of the American Revolution.
• 8.2.CX Contextualize the roles of various groups of South Carolinians as the colonies moved toward becoming an independent nation.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the motivations of colonists during the American Revolution and the progression of conflict and failed compromise that ultimately led to revolution.

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