In September of 1780, Colonel John Pemberton gathered a militia of Patriot volunteers to prepare for battle. Assembled with other "Over the Mountain Men," they marched to fight in the Battle of Kings Mountain near Blacksburg, South Carolina. With an important Patriot victory, this battle was considered the turning of the tides during the Revolutionary War, shifting momentum away from the Loyalists.
Colonel John Pemberton is Raymond's 5x great grandfather. We could not pass up visiting this historic site where the militia gathered under the Pemberton Oak to prepare to march into battle.
The huge Pemberton Oak was said to be over 600 years old, but unfortunately fell after a storm in 2002. All that is left now is a historic marker by the decomposing stump.
It took some backroads searching, but we found the Pemberton Oak property on Pemberton Road just a few miles outside of Bristol. Pulling up into the driveway, we were saddened to see how much the old stump has deteriorated, but we were so thankful to have the opportunity to see it before it is truly gone.
The tree stump and historical marker were near an 1800's home, passed down through the Pemberton family. We had a wonderful chat with the current resident, Raymond's distant Pemberton cousin-in-law, who welcomed us in the yard like family to check it out. The family estate sits right on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains in gorgeous farmland, and it was a real treasure to explore this bit of history.