David Harrison Blalock - Declaration of Service, Page 6

David Harrison Blalock
Declaration of Service

Page 6 of 13
Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Main

and drove them out of their ambush. We were most of the time in South Carolina. I recollect we drove them out of a heavy swamp called Raft Swamp. Shortly after this we marched to the northern part of the state and joined Colonel [Benjamin] Cleveland. There we fought in the battle of King’s Mountain [on October 7, 1780]. There were only a company or so of Regulators in that battle speedly ____ Gholson this ____ _____ up militia.

This battle, as well as I recollect, started about mid-day and lasted ___ an hour. The company I was in was bore hardest upon and was forced for a short time to retreat but we recruited(?) and _____ an irregular line – we killed a [Col. Patrick] Ferguson and defeated his band [120 Tories killed, 123 wounded, 664 captured; 28 Whigs killed, 62 wounded. The battle at King’s Mountain was the turning point of the Revolutionary War and prevented the British from consolidating their forces throughout the South, which they were almost ready to do].

As soon as we buried the dead we took towards the sea shore under Captain Gholson and Col. Cleveland, I think, went up towards the mountains and ours returned to the swamps. We found no man or general bands of Tories setting up resistance to us. From this quarter we were marched back to Chatham County and discharged at Ramsey Mills. I did not preserve my discharge. This was the last service performed under my brave Captain Gholson.

I knew him after we had triumphed over our enemies and gained our independence. He settled in Chatham County just above the mouth of Rocky River where it empties

NOTE - Unfortunately here, at least one whole page is missing from David Harrison Blalock's declaration. The next page will still be numbered 7 though.