Footsteps for Freedom

The Revolutionary War in the American Colonies was just over 5 years old in 1780 and things weren’t going well for the British. With the loss at Saratoga, New York and concerns with the French entering the Patriot side, the Redcoats turned their attention to the south, which they considered to be a Loyalist stronghold.

As Lord Cornwallis commenced his Southern Campaign, Major Patrick Ferguson attempted to quell anti-British sentiment in the western parts of North and South Carolina in a heavy-handed way. We introduce the subject of our program by setting the stage with events that would cause a backlash among the mountaineers that would lead to a battle in October, 1780, one that totally changed the complexion of the war in the south.