Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/400

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1738. son of John Cleveland. He came of an old and fine English family, whose tract, named Cleveland, lay in North Riding of Yorkshire. England. His grandfather, Alex- ander, migrated to the famous Bull Run, Virginia. His father. John Cleveland, mar- ried Martha Coffee. Averse to farm work, Benjamin became a hunter for pelts, and was fond of horse-racing. He married Mary Graves, of a well-to-do family, and fought in the French and Indian war. About 1769 he removed with his wife's father to North Carolina, near the Blue Ridge, on Roaring Creek, an arm of the Yadkin, in Rowan, then Surry (now Wilkes) county, and later re- moved to **Round-About," fifteen miles be- low Wilkesboro. From Daniel Boone he learned of the Kentucky hunting grounds, and in 1771 went there, but the Cherokees drove him back without horses, and he ate dog meat to escape starving. When the rev- olution began in 1775. refusing to be ensign, he served in the militia. In February, 1776, as Capt. Cleveland, with riflemen he broke up the Highland tories, and did good service against them and the Indians, In 1777 he was active in forming the new Wilkes county, and in 1778 was head of the justices' commission, militia colonel, commissioner of confiscated estates, election superintend- ent, county ranger, or stray master, and member of the house of commons. In 1778- 79 his regiment shared in the campaign in Georgia, and on his return he was elected state senator. In 1780 he fought tories con- stantly. His next service, now historic, as settling the revolution in the South in spite of English successes, was his vital part in the fateful victory of King's Mountain. The British had 1.103 men under Ferguson, and the Americans 923, mostly Scotch-Irish

Presbyterians. The ground of the battle is 600 yards long, 250 wide at base, 60 to 120 wide on top, and 60 feet above the country level. The English held the eminence. The Americans were in two columns, two men deep on the right of the mountain, under Campbell and Servier. and two on the left under Cleveland and Shelby. Cleveland made a ringing appeal, and the attack was begun with yells. The battle raged all around the mountain ; Cleveland's horse was disabled, but he fought on foot until re- mounted. Several times the Americans were forced down the ascent, only to rally and gamely retrace their steps. Ferguson tried to break through, but fell with eight wounds. The British finally surrendered, having lost 157 killed, 153 wounded and 706 prisoners, and over 1,200 arms. The Americans had 28 killed and 62 wounded. It was a com- plete victory, and crushed the English cause in the South. It withdrew the Carolinas from Tory domination, and was the fore- runner of Cowpens, Guilford, Eutaw, York- town and Independence. For this, his great- est life service. Cleveland has been immor- talized. One of Ferguson's war horses was assigned him by common consent, and he treasured a drum as a trophy. His riflemen became famous as "Cleveland's Heroes," "Cleveland's Bull Dogs." and by the tories as "Cleveland's Devils." He was called "Old Round About" and was noted for his warm heart, sound sense and firm will. Gov. Perrj- says he was a great man by nature. At the close of the war, losing his "Round-About" plantation, he moved to the Tugalo valley. He was many years judge in old Pendleton county.

His weight increased to 450 pounds, and he died from dropsy, in his sixty-ninth year.

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