JOSEPH GREER

JOSEPH GREER After the battle on Kings Mountain in what is now Blackburg, S.C., Joseph Greer was picked to deliver news of the victory to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Historians say he made most of the 600-mile, one-month trip on foot with just a compass to guide him, passing through hostile territory on the way.The war for control of America had reached a stalemate in the north in early 1780, and England's military strategy was to move into the Southern colonies and increase their troop size before returning north. Historians say the October battle halted the British advance into the Carolinas, changing the course of history and pushing the Continental Army toward its eventual victory. Nobody in the congress knew about the battle or knew of Greer until he arrived, historians said. Greer, at least 6-foot-7, had to force his way in on Nov. 7, 1780, to tell the tale of the battle, earning the nickname of the "Kings Mountain Messenger." Greer moved to what is now East Tennessee with land given to him as payment from North Carolina's military officials after the war. He later bought up to 10,000 acres of land near Petersburg in Middle Tennessee. A widower, Greer met and married Mary Ann Harmon in 1808 after moving to Petersburg. They had 11 children before his death in 1831, at the age of 77.

SOURCE: Tennessee Daughters of the American Revolution research; U.S. Department of the Interior documents; writings of Mark Whitaker, a Greer descendant Kate Howard can be reached at 726-8968 or_kahoward@tennessean.com_