The Overmountain Men (Back-Country Men) were #American frontiersmen from settlements west of the Blue Ridge Mountains (in areas now part of #EastTennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky) who played a pivotal role in the #RevolutionaryWar.
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These rugged militiamen lived in remote #Appalachian valleys like Watauga, Nolichucky, and Holston, often clashing with Native American tribes and British-aligned forces before fully committing to the Patriot cause. Initially reluctant revolutionaries focused on protecting their farms, they mobilized rapidly after Ferguson's threats to ravage their settlements. Leaders included William Campbell, Isaac Shelby, #JohnSevier, and Benjamin Cleveland.
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At Kings Mountain, roughly 900 #OvermountainMen surrounded and overwhelmed 1,100 Loyalists in a fierce, hour-long fight, using accurate long rifles and tactics like "shout like hell and fight like devils" to secure victory despite bayonet charges.
This "largest all-#American fight" turned the tide in the southern campaign. (3/3)
