Benjamin Cleveland

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Benjamin Cleveland (1738-1806) was an American pioneer and soldier in North Carolina. He is best remembered for his service as a colonel in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War, and in particular for his role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain.

[edit] Early Life

Benjamin Cleveland was born on May 28, 1738 in Orange County, Virginia. His parents were John and Elizabeth Cleveland. He moved to what later became Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1769. He built his famous estate, called "Roundabout", near what is today Ronda, North Carolina in eastern Wilkes County. Cleveland was very active in the early history of Wilkes County - at various times, he worked as a hunter, trapper, farmer, carpenter, and surveyor. A large, bulky man, he earned an early nickname from his size and his estate; he was called "Old Roundabout."

[edit] Revolutionary War And After

At the beginning of the Revolutionary War Cleveland was appointed a Colonel in the North Carolina militia. Until 1780 the fighting in North Carolina consisted mostly of guerilla warfare between patriots, or those colonists who favored American independence from Britain, and tories, or those colonists who remained loyal to the British crown. A fierce believer in the patriot cause, Cleveland became known as the "Terror of the Tories" for his treatment of pro-British colonists. After one raid he captured and hanged several Tory leaders from an oak tree; the tree became known as the "Tory Oak" and stood for many years as a tourist attraction behind the old Wilkes County courthouse (now the Wilkes Historical Museum). In 1780 British General Lord Cornwallis led a British invasion army into the Carolinas, and won several victories over the American forces. A group of mountain men from western North Carolina (including what is today Tennessee) decided to attack a section of Cornwallis's army at Kings Mountain, an isolated ridge on the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Cleveland played a key role in the Battle of Kings Mountain. According to legend, Cleveland climbed atop Rendevous Mountain in Wilkes County and blew his powder horn to summon over 200 Wilkes County militiamen to fight in the battle. Cleveland led his men to the battlefield, and was one of the primary American commanders in the battle. During the battle Cleveland's horse was killed, and he subsequently commandeered the horse that had been the steed of Major Patrick Ferguson, the commanding British officer. Ferguson had been shot off his horse and killed earlier in the fight. After the battle, Cleveland took Ferguson's white stallion as a "war prize", and rode it to his estate of Roundabout in Wilkes County. After the war, Cleveland sold his property (or gave up ownership due to a title dispute), and moved to the South Carolina frontier. He was a judge in the Pendleton District. He died at his home in Oconee County, South Carolina in October, 1806. Cleveland County, North Carolina is named in his honor.