General Joseph Martin Chapter
Cumberland Gap, TN
Cumberland Gap Patriot
Peter Livingston
Peter Livingston, one of the Overmountain men at Kings
Mountain, and a great Indian Fighter was born in Louisa county VA in
1755. Sometime between 1760 and 1780 Peter's father William moved to
Washington County VA. the Livingston home was was located near Wolf
hills, present day Abingdon VA.
In September 1780, Livingston joined the VA militia after a call came
out from Col. William Campbell to try and find Patrick Ferguson who had
just recently threatened to burn all their houses to ground. On
September 24, 1780 Livingston left Abingdon with 400 other VA militia
men. The next day they arrived at Sycamore Shoals. On September 26,
1780, Livingston left Sycamore shoals with about 900 men from
Tn and VA settlements.
Livingston was placed in charge of herding the cattle along the
journey. Beef was one luxury that the Overmountain men had that some
militia units during the Revolutionary war didn't have. Portion of beef
were often rare among their fellow Continental units also. For the next
11 days, Livingston herded the cattle until they found Ferguson at Kings
mountain.
On October 7, 1780 At Kings mountain, Col. William Campbell split
his army into two divisions. the Virginia line was led across the
Southern end of the ridge along the left side of the Mountain. The
Virginians were soon spotted by a Tory Sentinel who fired a warning
shot. Ferguson ordered a bayonet charge upon the Virginians. The
Virginians were the first to face the first of three bayonet charges
ordered by Ferguson. Some Virginians refused to retreat during the
bayonet charge, and were thrust through with the bayonet.
Campbell soon rallied his Virginia troops up the mountain killing
every British Tory that was met along the way until they came
to the main body of the enemy. The Virginians began firing their weapons
for 10 minutes straight at the British Tory army. There was so much
smoke, fire and noise from the gunfire, Kings Mountain resembled a
volcano.
During the last 20 minutes of the one hour battle, the Virginians
fought the Tories in a fierce gun battle with both armies being only 30
yards apart. Ferguson was killed and the patriots won the battle By the
end of the battle 16 Virginians lay dead or mortally wounded out of the
28 patriots killed. This was Livingston's only battle that he would
participate in.
In 1781, Livingston married Elizabeth Head and had 13 children from
this union. On April 6, 1794, An Indian massacre took place at the
Livingston home. Peter's mother Sarah was massacred, and his wife
Elizabeth was taken hostage by Cherokee Indian Chief Benge. Benge was
the most ferocious Indian chief in Southwest VA. Benge had been
attacking settlements for the past 10 years in Southwest VA, but this
time he had gone too far . Livingston joined a local militia known as
Hobb's militia. Livingston and Hobbs tracked Benge to Stone mountain
near Dorchester Virginia. Hobbs shot Benge in the head killing him.
Benge's scalp was sent to Governor of Virginia.
Livingston died February 1, 1815. In 1835 Scott county was formed from
Washington County VA. During the Civil war, several of Livingston's
descendents joined the Confederate Virginia 25th cavalry from Scott
County. The Virginia 25th was most noted for their bravery at Antietam
in 1863 . One of Livingston's descendent's William Livingston of the
Virginia 25th was captured in 1864. He was sent to a make shift prison
camp in Louisville KY , where he was soon released if he promised to
cross the Ohio River into Indiana and never cross it back again
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