Cleveland is a city of almost 50 000 people in south east Tennessee. You would think it was named after Grover Cleveland, former president of the United States. Instead it was named for Benjamin Cleveland (1738 - 1806), best known as a colonel in the Wilkes County Regiment of the North Carolina militia during the American War of Independence. Cleveland was one of the commanders of the Battle of Kings Mountain, which took place on 7 October 1780 between Colonial Patriot militias and Loyalist militias. The battle has been described as "the war's largest all-American fight."
Of the 900 colonial patriots, 28 were killed, and 62 wounded. The Loyalist side had 1105 men: 290 were killed, 163 wounded, and 668 were taken prisoner after Captain Abraham de Peyster surrendered. Major Patrick Ferguson, the commander of the Loyalist forces was killed in action. He was the only regular army officer participating on either side of the battle. Patriot forces desecrated his body in the aftermath of the battle.
The battle lasted 65 minutes.
Cleveland, Tennessee got its name by legislation. Authorities were looking for a county seat for the newly created Bradley County and the new seat would be named in honour of Benjamin Cleveland. By 1838, the city had about 400 residents.
At the start of the American Civil War, Cleveland, along with Bradley County, voted against Tennessee Ordinance of Secession in June 1861. People in the county voted almost 3:1 to remain in the United States. There was an attempt by Bradley County to split from Tennessee. Bradley County was then occupied by Confederate forces from June 1861 to the autumn of 1863. Locals remained loyal to the union, and flew an American flag in the courthouse square until it was removed by soldiers from Mississippi in June 1862.
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