Although there was no county named Cleveland in the British Colony of Carolina, the number of patriots who lived in this area who fought for the country’s independence is at least in the dozens. Because there was no organized government during the Revolutionary War, records are incomplete, but it is documented that both Lincoln and Rutherford Counties raised militias. The Lincoln County Regiment was commanded by Lt. Col. Frederick Hambright; the Rutherford County Regiment was commanded by Col. Andrew Hampton.
The following list of Revolutionary War patriots who lived in or were buried in what is now Cleveland County was compiled by Mamie Jones in the 1940s, amended by Lee B. Weathers in 1956, and by Margaret Ledford in 2024.
| patriot | place of burial or cenotaph |
| John Teeter Beam | New Prospect Bapt. Ch. Cemetery |
| John Barber, Major | Warlick Cemetery |
| Burwell Blanton | George/Burwell Blanton Cem. |
| William Brooks | Sandy Run Bapt. Ch. Cemetery |
| Samuel Collins | El Bethel |
| Samuel Conner | New Prospect Bapt. Ch. Cemetery |
| Edward Cook | Cook Family Cemetery, Casar |
| James Cook, Captain? | Olive Grove Bapt. Ch. Cemetery? |
| David Dickey | |
| John Dixon | |
| William Earl, Captain | Adams Cemetery |
| Martin Elliott | nw corner, W. Dixon Blvd and 226 |
| Samuel Espey, Captain | |
| Preston Goforth1 | Preston Goforth Cemetery |
| John Graham (bro of Wm.) | Graham Cemetery |
| William Graham, Colonel | Twitty/Graham Cem, Boiling Sprg |
| Frederick Hambright, Lt. Colonel | Old Shiloh Presb. Cem., Grover |
| Price Hamrick | Cameron Street Hamrick Fam. Plt |
| David Hardin | Ellis Road, Shelby |
| Joseph Hardin | |
| Housand Harrill | Harrill Cemetery, Swainsville |
| William Holland | Young Family Cem. Boiling Sprgs. |
| William Humphries | Camp’s Creek Bapt. Ch. Cem. Mooresboro |
| James Irvin | James Irvin Cemetery, Boiling Spr |
| John Lattimore, Captain | Lattimore Family Cem., Polkville |
| Owen Lee | Lee Family Cemetery, Sharon |
| James Lindsey | |
| Joseph Logan | |
| William Logan | |
| John Long | |
| Billie Lucas | Lucas Family Cem. Polkville |
| Benjamin Magness, Captain | |
| Perrygreen Magness, Captain | |
| Elliott Martin | Martin Family Cem. |
| David McBrayer | McBrayer Cem. near Mooresboro |
| William McEntire | Mode-McEntire Cem., Polkville |
| William McKinney | McKinney Fam. Cem., Lattimore |
| Willis McKinney | McKinney Fam. Cem., Lattimore |
| William McSwain | McSwain Cemetery |
| Benjamin Newton | Old Clover Hill Cem., Casar |
| Arthur Patterson, Sr.2 | Old Shiloh Presb. Cem., Grover |
| Thomas Patterson | |
| William Patterson* | Old Shiloh Presb. Cem., Grover |
| John Pruitt | Pisgah Bapt. Ch. Cem., Casar |
| Isaac Robbison | Cameron Street Hamrick plot |
| Martin Roberts, Captain | Roberts, Borders, Quinn Cem. |
| Isaac Robertson | |
| Ishmael Titus | (see story) |
| William Twitty | |
| William Vaughn | |
| Gabriel Washburn | Washburn Fam. Cem., Lattimore |
| Willis Weathers | Wellmon Cemetery |
| William Wellmon | grave along Fallston Rd, 5 mi. north of Shelby |
| John Wells | Wells Family Cemetery, Kings Mtn |
| Thomas Wilkins, Sr. | Zion Baptist Cemetery |
| Joseph Willis | St. Peter’s UMC Cemetery |
| William Wood | |
| Job Wright | Pleasant Grove Baptist Church |
| 1 patriot killed in the Battle of Kings Mtn. along with his three brothers who were loyalists 2 killed at the Battle of Kings Mtn. |
According to the Cleveland County Historical Society’s 1991 sesquicentennial “Heritage Day” pamphlet, as many as 15 African American men also fought with the Patriots at the Battle of King’s Mountain. An article in the Kings Mountain Herald’s 1992 special edition named five Black Revolutionary soldiers: Essius Bowman, John Broddy, Andrew Ferguson, Primes (aka Primus), and Ismael Titus.
The location of their graves is unknown.
In 1898, Aaron R. Beam wrote a history of the John Teeter Beam family. Entitled Sketches of the Life of John Teter Beam and his Fifteen Children Up to the Third Generation; 1742-1897. Toward the end of the book, Beam recounted some of the stories passed down by family members with regard to events that occurred during the Revolutionary War. The excerpt is below.
“In conclusion to what has been said in regard to the eventful life of J. T. Beam during the American war, he was true to the just cause of liberty, and was at different times exposed to many narrow escapes from falling into the hands of Tories, with which the country was crowded.
He and Mr. C. Eaker had become inseparable friends. At one time while they were on a visit to Wm. Killian, on Buffalo creek, within a few hundred yards of where New Prospect church now stands. This visit was probably in view of purchasing the property which he did afterwards. While down on the base of the hill near the shoal, to their great surprise James G. Beatty, a Loyalist, with several men, was coming up the creek near them. Their only chance was the fleetness of their horses, which they reached and mounted, and taking pathways reached their home on Beaver Dam and fled to the swamps, for fear of pursuit.
At another time they were out, when Cornwallis was coming in the direction of Tryon Court House. They came near riding up at the head of his column, but wheeled and saved themselves.
J. G. Beatty married Miss Ann Graham, daughter of Archibald Graham, of Virginia, and sister of Col. Wm. Graham. He settled on Buffalo creek now owned by Thos. Dixon. He became such a terror to the American Cause that Col. Wm. Graham sent a squad of soldiers, under command of Captain Isaac White and Lieut. Espy, to arrest him. They found him at home. Some of the soldiers wee so enraged at this political principles that they killed him in his own house.
Beatty left three children, one son and two daughters. The son went to Alabama. Mollie married Preston Goforth, who became the mother of Beatty, George William, Preston, and Mrs. John Dickson. Margaret or Peggy, married a Mr. Ware, who became the mother of Lerdanius, John Henderson Ware and others, all worthy citizens and true patriots in our late war.
After the war the widow Ann Beatty married John Long, who was a faithful soldier in Col. Wm. Graham’s regiment, and lies buried near the Damron house on the road leading from Lincolnton to Spartanburg, a patriot ot the American Cause, while on the same road and a few miles apart sleeps Beatty, traitor to the cause of American liberty–both the husband of one wife.
John Long became the father of Ann Long who married Peter Beam.
John T. Beam, previous to the breaking out of the war, was socially intimate with Beatty and also with Moses Moore, father of Col. John Moore, who led the Tories at Ramsour’s mill; but their political differences place Beam in a condition that he had always to be on his guard.
After the battle at Ramsour’s Mill, J. T. Beam, with several of is neighbors, went to the scene, found some of their neighbors killed, some fighting under the Tory, John Moore, while others for their native land, neighbor and patriot. Capt. Daniel McKissick, of Lincoln, was severely wounded but recovered.
Many other incidents has (sic) been handed down with regard to his many narrow escapes. During the war at that time a great many Cherokee Indians, and very hostile, were not many miles from his section. Often they would have to flee to a place of safety by their depredations.
Several years after the war, as has been stated, he moved his family to Buffalo, where he lived in solitude and peace until his death. His house was within a few hundred yards of where Columbus Beam, a grandson, now lives, and on the road leading from Shelby to Newton.
It has been handed down that Gen. Morgan opened this route on his retreat from Cowpens to the Catawba, and crossed Buffalo on the shoal where the cotton gin now stands.”
Cleveland County History 