Sources

Plaques from the US Monument

NPS Photo

Sources

Kings Mountain National Military Park does not hold any records related to who participated in the battle. However, since our park staff is dedicated to assisting our visitors whenever possible, there are some resources where we generally direct people. That does not mean that you will find the information that you’re trying to find, just that these sources have proved useful in the past.

Park Monuments & Memorials: There are around a half dozen monuments and memorials in the park. Most bear the names of officers who were killed or wounded in the battle. These include the Chronicle Marker, African American Patriots at Kings Mountain Monument, Centennial Monument, Hambright Monument, Hawthorne Memorial, and the Grave of Major Patrick Ferguson. The longest list is on the US Monument, which features plaques with the names of all those known to have been killed or wounded in the battle at the time the monument was built in 1911.

State and Federal Archives: This is where most of the pension records related to the war will be located. Each state has its own system.

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), Order of the Cincinnati: Patriotic organizations with membership based on descent from participants in the American Revolution.

Books: The two most useful book on the subject are “The Patriots at Kings Mountain” and its companion “The Loyalists at Kings Mountain.” These books were published by Dr. Bobby Gilmer Moss in the 1990’s and are as complete as they could possibly be at that time. Dr. Moss acknowledges that he is missing a significant portion of the names as he was not able to track down information in some cases. However, they remain one of the best sources available. Another useful book is Lyman Draper’s “Kings Mountain and its Heroes.” This book was published in 1881 and drew its information from letters, journals, diaries, and eyewitness accounts of the men who participated in the battle or their children and grandchildren. Some caution is recommended in using this source, since a lot of the material is anecdotal meaning that it may not be entirely accurate.

 

The covers of Dr. Moss' books

NPS Photos

Websites: The growth of the internet has been a great benefit to genealogical researchers, but some care must be taken. Not everyone is a trained researcher. One of the most useful websites is “Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Applications & Rosters.” This site has thousands of transcribed documents that can be accessed with the click of a mouse. Please note, that this is not a website run by the National Park Service.

Links:
Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Applications & Rosters (revwarapps.org)

Revolutionary War Veteran and Widow Pensions (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Revolutionary War Pension Files: Tips and a Guide for the Curious (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)