I prefer the term Ulster Scots, because it avoids any confusion with the ethnic Irish, which I had to have a huge argument with my cousin about. Anyhow, one of my blood ancestors was in the first wave from Ulster to South Carolina in 1713, and his grandson was commissioned an ensign in the 2nd South Carolina in 1776, and later fought as a partisan under his old commanding officer, the Swamp Fox himself, Francis Marion. Too bad my ancestors didn't win their second rebellion in 1861. Also Patrick Ferguson's silk officer's sash was stripped off his body and John Sevier claimed it and it is in a museum in Nashville today.
If anyone's interested in a nice concise history of the Southern Campaign, check this out.
"Devil" is an incredible microhistory of a battle. I love how he emphasizes that the British were not bumbling idiots trying to fight a parade ground war against crafty American riflemen in the woods, which is an enduring and ridiculous myth.
The story about Dan Morgan going among his militia the night before the battle and stripping off his shirt to show the scars on his back from a British cat to inspire his men is just perfection.
Absolutely. He's like an American Hector. One more Morgan story for the road- on the march up to Quebec in 1775 one of his riflemen saw him come busting through the jaggers wearing nothing but a breechclout and leggings and moving the column North like the leader of men he was.
Actually, it was resolved with me hucking a copy of "Albion's Seed" at him and telling him to read it. It drives me up a wall when Americans, especially my people, simply don't understand the very real and very important differences (and bloody history of) between Northern and Southern English, Lowland Scots, Highland Scots, Ulster Scots and Irish. The Celtic Revival is strong because of the romance of the Highlander and it distorts understnding. Only one part of my ancestry is Orange Ulstermen- the others are English born and bred, from the West Country to Virginia in 1650.
Cowpens: Brilliant terrain exploitation, tactical sophistication, and psychological manipulation of the British, coupled with combat-hardened Americans and steely resolve: “"LTC John Eager Howard (commanding the Continentals), holding seven swords of British officers who had personally surrendered to him, was complimented by General Morgan: `You have done well, for you are successful; had you failed, I would have shot you.' Col. Howard replied: `Had I failed, there would have been no need of shooting me."
I was delighted to learn that the Kentucky rifle was actually perfected in Pennsylvania. I live two miles from the Durham Furnace located in Durham, Pennsylvania, where many of the musket and cannon balls used in the Revolutionary War were smelted. Little Durham Village (about 20 or 30 houses) was also where the Durham boats were made that George Washington used to cross the Delaware River, which is about a mile away. A life size replica of a Durham boat is on display in the village.
Happy 4th of July weekend and thank you for an inspiring account of American bravery, resilience and ingenuity!
The author of 'Albion's Seed' prefers the name "borderers". While they predominantly hailed from the marches between Scotland and England, a notable fraction came from Ulster and what's now Northern Ireland. The common characteristics were religious Nonconformism, political life structured around a clan, and folkways formed by centuries of absolute brutality. (Consider: between the emergence of Scotland as a political entity until the Act of Union, only two English monarchs failed to either invade, or be invaded by, Scotland.)
Turns out, life on the Borders -- centuries of constant interclan raiding, rapine, rustling, and burning, punctuated by the significant depopulation event of the latest army marching through -- was an awful lot like life on the Frontier.
Thanks for the deep dive into the history of the revolutionary South. I moved to Eastern KY 5 years ago, and have been gobbling up historical writings on the area. We kind of dig Daniel Boone in these parts, but his is just one of many amazing stories of that era. I live a stone's throw from the national forest that bears his name. (I still have trouble wrapping my head around the notion that this was once considered the Western Frontier. I never forgot Day-Lewis's line in Mohicans: "I plan to winter in Kantukee.") I can't even imagine 8 years of that kind of warfare, or the kind of men who waged it.
Do you have the book "In the Footsteps of Daniel Boone." A second edition (by Randell Jones) was published in 2024. Saw a lecture by the author at a Scottish Fest in Hillsborough, NC (His departure point for one of Boone's expeditions west) last fall. The back of the book has two appendices: one is his "footprints" by geography along with maps, the other are those "footprints" in chronological order (PA to MO).
Thanks for the tip on this one; I had not heard about it. The most recent titles on the subject I've read are: Blood and Treasure (Bob Drury & Tom Clavin), and The Taking of Jemima Boone (Matthew Pearl).
Weirdly, I wrote a series of 3 essays on this theme for my Substack, to probe the question of whether we will have another civil war. I'm less in the weeds of the military history, but otherwise all in on the Scots-Irish and King's Mountain and the Overmountain Men angles. It's extremely entertaining and undertold history.
One of the more enduring legacies of the Scots-Irish is the collection of tales of why their ancestor left Ireland for an uncertain future in the colonies. Mine was summoned by a magistrate after spending an afternoon in a pub warning about the evils of Popery. He headed for the docks instead. But a more heart-warming tale is that of a neighbor whose forefather fled after shooting dead a tax collector. Both had sons who participated in the Regulator Rebellion and then the Revolution. What they failed to achieve at the Battle of Alamance they won at Guilford Courthouse.
Again, a spectacular lesson of the individuals and their choices that determine the course of history. As a member of the MacPherson clan & Texan, I am also proud of the large number of Scots-Irish that defended the Alamo and sought freedom.
Having lived in SC, I have been blessed to tour some of these battlefields. This was the best part for me, as the proud descendant of Ulster-men,
“In peace they caused problems for the peaceful; in a war they in turn were the bane of those who sought to harm their communities. Given some great work, their energy was and is unbounded. Their contemporary social woes are solely due to there being no good outlet for their ancestral motive urge to conquer.”
I feel this in my soul. We may be down, but they can never crush our spirits.
They may have one of the best state mottoes ever, “While I breathe, I hope.” That motto has been a huge encouragement to me, especially when I think about the Founders and all they endured to give us our nation.
What a fantastic article. I have done ancestry for years, and I had read a little about my family by the name of Dysart. They were Overmountain Men. The father was wounded in The Battle of Kings Mountain and he and his two sons names are on the Monument there. I believe some of them were at Cowpens two, but not just Dysarts. This brought it all to life. Thank you.
Great, great essay, thank you for sharing your talent. As a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia it was like revisiting my fourth and fifth grade history classes. (In the old days Virginia history was a primary focus, and it took up two years to get through 400 years.) By high school we knew more about our past than many current professors do today. Here in the Blue Ridge our Scots-Irish culture is alive and well, and FAFO is our brand. 😉
I prefer the term Ulster Scots, because it avoids any confusion with the ethnic Irish, which I had to have a huge argument with my cousin about. Anyhow, one of my blood ancestors was in the first wave from Ulster to South Carolina in 1713, and his grandson was commissioned an ensign in the 2nd South Carolina in 1776, and later fought as a partisan under his old commanding officer, the Swamp Fox himself, Francis Marion. Too bad my ancestors didn't win their second rebellion in 1861. Also Patrick Ferguson's silk officer's sash was stripped off his body and John Sevier claimed it and it is in a museum in Nashville today.
If anyone's interested in a nice concise history of the Southern Campaign, check this out.
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Guilford-Courthouse-Revolution-Carolinas/dp/1620456028/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wuziFxcGJM0BUhI07rAbyW3uXW_K6jWl1UiLTKmUu5A.rDX3XlAccbVq57SiiGsnq16qxCKyeaEEsXo-w4xNjks&qid=1751746012&sr=8-1
It’s a classic work. I also like A Devil of a Whipping and The Glorious Cause.
"Devil" is an incredible microhistory of a battle. I love how he emphasizes that the British were not bumbling idiots trying to fight a parade ground war against crafty American riflemen in the woods, which is an enduring and ridiculous myth.
The story about Dan Morgan going among his militia the night before the battle and stripping off his shirt to show the scars on his back from a British cat to inspire his men is just perfection.
Morgan kino could be an essay unto itself.
Absolutely. He's like an American Hector. One more Morgan story for the road- on the march up to Quebec in 1775 one of his riflemen saw him come busting through the jaggers wearing nothing but a breechclout and leggings and moving the column North like the leader of men he was.
The argument with your cousin, was it resolve with pistols or sabers?
Actually, it was resolved with me hucking a copy of "Albion's Seed" at him and telling him to read it. It drives me up a wall when Americans, especially my people, simply don't understand the very real and very important differences (and bloody history of) between Northern and Southern English, Lowland Scots, Highland Scots, Ulster Scots and Irish. The Celtic Revival is strong because of the romance of the Highlander and it distorts understnding. Only one part of my ancestry is Orange Ulstermen- the others are English born and bred, from the West Country to Virginia in 1650.
Very well done and very educational . You write about military history very well and with a wide lens.
Thank you so much.
I was wondering if/when you were going to refer to The Patriot!
Cowpens: Brilliant terrain exploitation, tactical sophistication, and psychological manipulation of the British, coupled with combat-hardened Americans and steely resolve: “"LTC John Eager Howard (commanding the Continentals), holding seven swords of British officers who had personally surrendered to him, was complimented by General Morgan: `You have done well, for you are successful; had you failed, I would have shot you.' Col. Howard replied: `Had I failed, there would have been no need of shooting me."
"Things that seem quite secure are often the most ephemeral."
Fantastic piece. I'm familiar with the Scotch-Irish temperament.
Truth
Bowen and Ward, I am a descendent of Over Mountain Men from Tazewell County VA.
An excellent account, well told!
I was delighted to learn that the Kentucky rifle was actually perfected in Pennsylvania. I live two miles from the Durham Furnace located in Durham, Pennsylvania, where many of the musket and cannon balls used in the Revolutionary War were smelted. Little Durham Village (about 20 or 30 houses) was also where the Durham boats were made that George Washington used to cross the Delaware River, which is about a mile away. A life size replica of a Durham boat is on display in the village.
Happy 4th of July weekend and thank you for an inspiring account of American bravery, resilience and ingenuity!
The author of 'Albion's Seed' prefers the name "borderers". While they predominantly hailed from the marches between Scotland and England, a notable fraction came from Ulster and what's now Northern Ireland. The common characteristics were religious Nonconformism, political life structured around a clan, and folkways formed by centuries of absolute brutality. (Consider: between the emergence of Scotland as a political entity until the Act of Union, only two English monarchs failed to either invade, or be invaded by, Scotland.)
Turns out, life on the Borders -- centuries of constant interclan raiding, rapine, rustling, and burning, punctuated by the significant depopulation event of the latest army marching through -- was an awful lot like life on the Frontier.
They may not be your most popular essays, but I think your historical writings are some of your best. Great work, sir.
Thanks for the deep dive into the history of the revolutionary South. I moved to Eastern KY 5 years ago, and have been gobbling up historical writings on the area. We kind of dig Daniel Boone in these parts, but his is just one of many amazing stories of that era. I live a stone's throw from the national forest that bears his name. (I still have trouble wrapping my head around the notion that this was once considered the Western Frontier. I never forgot Day-Lewis's line in Mohicans: "I plan to winter in Kantukee.") I can't even imagine 8 years of that kind of warfare, or the kind of men who waged it.
Do you have the book "In the Footsteps of Daniel Boone." A second edition (by Randell Jones) was published in 2024. Saw a lecture by the author at a Scottish Fest in Hillsborough, NC (His departure point for one of Boone's expeditions west) last fall. The back of the book has two appendices: one is his "footprints" by geography along with maps, the other are those "footprints" in chronological order (PA to MO).
Thanks for the tip on this one; I had not heard about it. The most recent titles on the subject I've read are: Blood and Treasure (Bob Drury & Tom Clavin), and The Taking of Jemima Boone (Matthew Pearl).
This book pretty much opens with the account of the taking of Jemima.
I have not read it yet but it sounds interesting, thank you.
Weirdly, I wrote a series of 3 essays on this theme for my Substack, to probe the question of whether we will have another civil war. I'm less in the weeds of the military history, but otherwise all in on the Scots-Irish and King's Mountain and the Overmountain Men angles. It's extremely entertaining and undertold history.
https://wikidworld.substack.com/p/is-the-united-states-on-the-brink
https://wikidworld.substack.com/p/wikidworld-133-the-battle-of-kings
https://wikidworld.substack.com/p/wikidworld-134-is-the-united-states
One of the more enduring legacies of the Scots-Irish is the collection of tales of why their ancestor left Ireland for an uncertain future in the colonies. Mine was summoned by a magistrate after spending an afternoon in a pub warning about the evils of Popery. He headed for the docks instead. But a more heart-warming tale is that of a neighbor whose forefather fled after shooting dead a tax collector. Both had sons who participated in the Regulator Rebellion and then the Revolution. What they failed to achieve at the Battle of Alamance they won at Guilford Courthouse.
Again, a spectacular lesson of the individuals and their choices that determine the course of history. As a member of the MacPherson clan & Texan, I am also proud of the large number of Scots-Irish that defended the Alamo and sought freedom.
Well done Librarian!
This was a great essay!
Having lived in SC, I have been blessed to tour some of these battlefields. This was the best part for me, as the proud descendant of Ulster-men,
“In peace they caused problems for the peaceful; in a war they in turn were the bane of those who sought to harm their communities. Given some great work, their energy was and is unbounded. Their contemporary social woes are solely due to there being no good outlet for their ancestral motive urge to conquer.”
I feel this in my soul. We may be down, but they can never crush our spirits.
Thank you; I lived for years in SC and I like it there very much.
They may have one of the best state mottoes ever, “While I breathe, I hope.” That motto has been a huge encouragement to me, especially when I think about the Founders and all they endured to give us our nation.
What a fantastic article. I have done ancestry for years, and I had read a little about my family by the name of Dysart. They were Overmountain Men. The father was wounded in The Battle of Kings Mountain and he and his two sons names are on the Monument there. I believe some of them were at Cowpens two, but not just Dysarts. This brought it all to life. Thank you.
Great, great essay, thank you for sharing your talent. As a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia it was like revisiting my fourth and fifth grade history classes. (In the old days Virginia history was a primary focus, and it took up two years to get through 400 years.) By high school we knew more about our past than many current professors do today. Here in the Blue Ridge our Scots-Irish culture is alive and well, and FAFO is our brand. 😉
I think Mel Gibson’s character was a mix of the Swamp Fox and other war heroes according to The Fat Electrician’s videos on the Revolutionary War.