Isaac Lane, Revolutionary war soldier at KIngs Mountain Sc, was born on
February 14, 1760 in Pittsylvania Virginia. By age 16, Lane and his
family had moved to the Watauga region.
Lane's first encounter with Indians would be the attack on Fort Caswell,
now known as Fort Watauga on July 21, 1776 by Cherokee chief Dragging
Canoe. the raid was in retaliation for the frontier militia attack on
the cherokee village at Indian flats located on the Holston river, the
day before. Dragging Canoe and his Indians were defeated and driven
back.
At the end of the siege , most of he Watuagans went to Fort Womack
located near present day Bluff city TN , in Sullivan county. Fort Womack
had been the site of the first white child born in Sullivan county. Lane
was given guard duty at Fort Womack for the next several months.
In early 1777, Lane joined Price's Rangers. These rangers were
responsible for reconnaissance and spying on Indians in order to warn
the settlers of an attack before it happened. In the fall of 1777, Lane
participated in an expedition to run the Tories out of the Roan Creek
valley located near the headwaters of the Watauga river. Lane and the
other patriots were successful in forcing the Tories to leave the
region.
In October 1780, Lane participated in the battle of Kings mountain.
Lane along with 240 men that were apart of John Sevier's command. Upon
arrival at kings mountain, Lane along with the rest of John sevier's men
assaulted the high heal of the mountain. Ferguson, the British Commander
ordered a bayonet charge against Sevier's men. Lane was forced back down
the mountain along with the rest of the wataugans, but this didnt stop
the Watugans. Up the mountain the Wataugans went again only to be pushed
back again. Normally One bayonet charge was enough to scare most
soldiers, but these bayonet charges had little effect upon the
Wataugans. This was a do or die situation for the Wataugans . If they
failed to defeat Ferguson, their homes in Watauga would soon face
destruction .Ferguson ordered 3 bayonet charges upon the Wataugans
before they were able to surround Ferguson and his men.
Towards the end of the battle, John Gilleland, one of Sevier's men lay
severely wounded on the ground. Gilleland saw Ferguson riding toward him
swinging his sword. Gilleland took his musket and tried to fire, but his
musket jammed. gilleland shouted to his father in Law Robert Young"
There is Ferguson, Fire". Young fired his weapon along with 6 or
7 other men. Ferguson was shot 6 to 8 times before he fell off of his
horse dead. Also before the battle ended James Sevier, son of John
Sevier had been told that the Tories had Killed his father during the
battle. Even after the battle was over James Sevier kept firing his
musket killing more Tories than anyone else that fateful day.
After the patriot victory at Kings Mountain, Lane would participate in
an Indian battle under the command of John Sevier at Boyds creek on
December 16, 1780. Sevier was able to defeat the cherokee after
surrounding them. Over 28 Cherokee Indians were killed.
After the war, Lane moved back to Watauga. In 1801, Lane moved to
Claiborne county. While in Claiborne county Lane was stationed at Fort
Butler, and attended Big Springs Baptist church. By the 1830s, Lane had
moved to Mcminn County where he died on , November 9, 1851. Lane was
buried on a Burns family farm.