This one comes with a strong recommendation from Craig Rullman. And it will surely land in the x-ring of Rick Schwertfeger’s ongoing study of the Southern backcountry in the Revolutionary War.
A groundbreaking, important recovery of history; the overlooked story—fully explored—of the critical aspect of America’s Revolutionary War that was fought in the South, showing that the British surrender at Yorktown was the direct result of the southern campaign, and that the battles that emerged south of the Mason-Dixon line between loyalists to the Crown and patriots who fought for independence were, in fact, America’s first civil war.
The famous battles that form the backbone of the story put forth of American independence—at Lexington and Concord, Brandywine, Germantown, Saratoga, and Monmouth—while crucial, did not lead to the surrender at Yorktown.
It was in the three-plus years between Monmouth and Yorktown that the war was won.
Alan Pell Crawford’s riveting new book, This Fierce People, tells the story of these missing three years, long ignored by historians, and of the fierce battles fought in the South that made up the central theater of military operations in the latter years of the Revolutionary War, upending the essential American myth that the War of Independence was fought primarily in the North.
Weaving throughout the stories of the heroic men and women, largely unsung patriots—African Americans and whites, militiamen and “irregulars,” patriots and Tories, Americans, Frenchmen, Brits, and Hessians, Crawford reveals the misperceptions and contradictions of our accepted understanding of how our nation came to be, as well as the national narrative that America’s victory over the British lay solely with General George Washington and his troops.
The Southern Theater of the American Revolution was fought in frontier conditions, and one its most decisive fights — the crushing victory at King’s Mountain — was won by Overmountain Men, Frontier Partisans from deep in the backcountry.
Back Water Men. Art by Richard Luce.
Call to Arms (Kings Mountain). Art by Richard Luce.
When folks talk about America’s first civil war, they aren’t exaggerating. The Southern war was a nasty neighbor-against-neighbor feud, and it has a lot to tell us about the nature of civil conflict. Should our nation devolve into civil war again, it will look a whole lot more like 1780 than the North-South conflict of the 1860s.
I’m downloading this one on Audible.
Matthew says
Calling Southerners fierce is an understatement. There probably many reasons for this but the fact that a lot of them descend from Border Rievers might have something to do with it. You can tell this true since because they are so polite. Contrary to what a lot of people think politeness is not a sign of weakness, but self-control. Those who are not fierce do not need self-control.
Robert F Simpson says
I have been reading George McDonald’s Fraser book the Candle mass road and I have a copy of the Steel Bonnets by George McDonald Fraser. Visited Kings Mountain and quite a few other sites in regard to my home area church Hopewell A.R.P. most came to Ohio from Abbieville , Longcanes area. I believe most were Scot-Irish. I was trying to connect them since most came out of northern Ireland to the Border Reviers. Many of my surrounding neighbors bear the names of the Reviers. Any helpful links would be appreciated. I contacted one of the Border Reviers sites but they were not to helpful.
Clyde says
I will now have to buy that book. I’m in agreement of Matthew’s comment completely. I will use a quote from a t-shirt that says” Proud descendant of men who would not be ruled!”
Ugly Hombre says
“To bear arms and to meet death with no regret that is the energy of northern men”.
Kung Tzu
In the U.S we might change the north to the south. York, Patton, Lee etc. and thousands of lesser knowns and unknowns.
First to volunteer to fight in combat arms since the beginning big percent of men came from the south. And when called- in to the hilt.
It was Un- American and a disgrace to tear down the monuments for the southerners who fought for what they thought was right in 1861 imo. Stupid to cut down the men who stood up for the country in all of our wars.
Right now enlistment in the armed forces is down big time for many reasons-I think that the reasons are pretty clear.
Not clear if that can be turned around.
deuce says
Damn straight, Hombre. My aunt’s son–a Nixon, and descendant of Reivers–was a Top Gun instructor. He quit in disgust and flies for Fed Ex now.
The men who have ALWAYS been the tip of the spear–ask George Washington–are gut-sick of dying for those who hate them. We’ll see how that works out.
Ugly Hombre says
No good will come of it that’s for G.D. sure. I saw many leave because of it. Sad as hell to see it.
Wayne says
Add The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas by John Buchanan to that reading list. It’s an in-depth, step-by-step account of the battles that led to Yorktown. I’ve visited all these sites, and it’s always disconcerting to find that even most folks who live here don’t know the history of the Revolution in the South.
deuce says
Robert E. Howard had ancestors who fought at Cowpens and King’s Mountain. He was quite proud of that.
Kate Ferrell says
I have to agree. That is one of my favorite books on my book shelf!