The Battle of Ramsour's Mill

Talk given by NCSSAR President Joe Harris during the 225th Celebration of the Battle of Ramsour's Mill, Lincolnton, NC, June 11, 2005. View/Print/Download this talk in MS Word format here.

On behalf of the North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution I welcome every one of you on this special occasion – the 225^th anniversary of the Battle of Ramsour’s Mill.  I want to especially thank Wendell Kirkham, President of the Catawba Valley Chapter, North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution for his efforts in coordinating this mass grave ceremony.  Thanks Wendell!

Today, all that is left for us to see is this mass grave (in your front) and a portion of the high ground (where you are seated or standing) upon which a horrific battle occurred.  This battle was a fight between Whigs and Tories or Patriots (those wanting independence) and Loyalists (those desiring to support England and her colonies).  So why was this such an important battle?  In the grand scheme of many skirmishes, ambushes or direct engagements this one, at first, would seem to be insignificant.  This wasn’t the case and I’ll explain why.

General Cornwallis’ Army was encamped at Camden, SC when he dispatched Lieutenant Colonel John Moore to the west to alert other Loyalists of his intended move.  Cornwallis’s instruction was clear – do not conduct military activities until the arrival of his army.

COL Moore complied with the guidance he had been given but soon after arriving in this area, he learned that Patriot forces under the command of Colonel Francis Locke were nearby with intentions of dispersing the Loyalists.  COL Moore ordered the Loyalists to gather at – you guessed it – Ramsour’s Mill.  This would be his mistake.

The evening before the battle COL Locke determined his next course of action – a daylight deliberate attack.  Before daybreak, COL Locke divided his force into three elements: one attacking the left, another the center and the third attacking the right flank of COL Moore’s Loyalists.  They lined up and charged forward.  It was just that simple.

Now, imagine if you will – imagine the sounds and smells of battle.  Men yelling/screaming, rifles firing, smoke everywhere, cavalry and foot soldiers smashing into one another.  Approximately 1,760 Whigs and Tories (or Patriots and Loyalists) fought across this hilltop.

COL Locke’s force surrounded the Loyalists on three sides.  COL Moore’s men were being hit on three sides by hot lead.  The Loyalist’s defense of this hill finally collapsed.  The Loyalists began to disperse without command or control and in utter chaos.

Immediately COL Locke prepared his Patriots for a counter-attack but none would come.  COL Moore’s men had been through enough.  Panicked, the Loyalists retreated to Ramsour’s Mill.  Some even drowned in the pond trying to escape.

COL Moore and a few survivors eventually made their way back to Camden to face GEN Cornwallis.  Against the general’s instructions he allowed a major confrontation – and possibly the first of a series of disastrous defeats for the British in the Southern Campaign.

So, I ask you again, why was this an important battle?  If COL Moore had waited (as instructed) until the army’s left wing (under Major Patrick Ferguson’s command) reached the area west of Charlotte, there may possibly have been an additional 2,000 Loyalists in support of Major Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain. 

We celebrate this observance by the wreaths we lay on this mass grave.  They are tributes to men who fought for a cause they believed in.

I want to also thank Darrell Harkey and the members of the Lincoln County Historical Society for their interest in this hilltop and for their efforts to preserve it for those who come after us.  Hopefully, future generations of Americans will be taught the great sacrifices made during the American Revolution and can appreciate what happened on this piece of ground.