Battle of Kings Mountain
Lewis O. Powell, IV
Research Archivist
Troup County Archives
The Battle of Kings Mountain was a pivotal American Revolutionary War engagement between Patriot militia (the “Overmountain Men”) and Loyalist militia under British Major Patrick Ferguson. It occurred near the border of North and South Carolina and is often described as the war’s largest all-American fight. It resulted in a decisive victory for the Patriots. The battle took place on October 7, 1780. The Patriot militia defeated the Loyalist militia commanded by British Major Patrick Ferguson of the 71st Regiment of Foot. The battle has been described as “the war’s largest all-American fight”.
Lewis is a mostly lifelong resident of Troup County. A graduate of LaGrange High School, he attended Columbus State University where he majored in Theatre and minored in Voice. During his time there he also served as the student assistant in the university’s archives. After graduating, he was asked to work with Columbus historian F. Clason Kyle on his book, In Order of Appearance. After being laid off from corporate America at the height of the recession in 2009, he delved into the world of Southern ghost stories, which he continues to cover in his blog, Southern Spirit Guide. Work on that blog led to the publication of his book, Southern Spirit Guide’s Haunted Alabama in 2015. Through his blog, Lewis was interviewed on the radio and in a number of publications, including the LaGrange Living Magazine and the University of Tennessee’s The Beacon; as well as sharing his ghost stories as a storyteller throughout the region. He created a downtown LaGrange ghost tour, the Strange LaGrange Tour, for the TCHS in 2019 and was hired as a staff member in 2020.