Glad to see another visit NC's history...okay, yes, it's in SC...

Patrick Ferguson was hoping to receive reinforcements from Cornwallis at Kings Mountain rather than push on to Charlotte, where Cornwallis was stationed and had just pushed out some patriot forces. Also, from some journals I've read there was lots of rain which slowed down Ferguson's march into Charlotte. He was having trouble with the Americans on his tail as well, and he knew they were getting nearer. Perched on Kings Mountain was a last ditch effort.

Lyman Draper wrote a great book on it, King's Mountain and Its Heroes: History of the Battle of King's Mountain, October 7th 1780 and the Events Which Led to It. There's also a journal that's a first hand account of the battle from a loyalist surgeon's perspective. Think it was Uzal Johnson's journal.