Footsteps for Freedom

The first crisis of the Overmountain Men’s march to Kings Mountain occurred on the morning of September 28th. As the men fell in for roll call, it was discovered that two of their party, Samuel Chambers and James Crawford, were not in camp. John Sevier immediately became suspicious that the two had deserted to warn Major Patrick Ferguson of the impending attack upon him. But, the march must go on. So, the leaders decide to take a more southerly route, through the Toe River Valley as they head to the Blue Ridge Escarpment to descend to Quaker Meadows in Burke County, the location of a meeting of many militia going to fight Patrick Ferguson.