Blue's March: An Overmountain Men Tale

During the War for Independence, threats of war spread throughout America’s thirteen colonies. By 1780, British Loyalists terrorized Patriots' homes throughout the Carolinas and planned to move westward over the Blue Ridge Mountains. That fall, Patriots in rural Virginia, North Carolina, and present-day Tennessee undertook a revolutionary act: they joined forces to march east over the Blue Ridge Mountains and confront British Loyalist troops at the Battle of Kings Mountain. Called Overmountain Men, these Patriot troops were dedicated to protecting the Carolinas and preserving independence, no matter how far the journey.

Blue’s March: An Overmountain Men Tale, is inspired by real historical events and historical figures. Travel with Joseph and his faithful hound dog, Blue, as they enlist in the Overmountain troops and embark on their adventure. From Sycamore Shoals, Tennessee, to Kings Mountain Battleground in South Carolina, foray with Joseph, Blue, and the Overmountain Men as they battle for independence.

Katelynn A. Hatton has been the editor of the North Carolina Colonial Records Project, in the NC Office of Archives and History, since 2023. She is a graduate of American University and the University of South Carolina

Gabhor Utomo was born in Indonesia. He moved to California to pursue his passion in art. He received his degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in spring 2003. Since his graduation he has worked as a freelance illustrator and has illustrated a number of children’s books. His first children’s book, Kai’s Journey to Gold Mountain, is a story about a young Chinese immigrant on Angel Island. Gabhor’s works have won numerous awards from local and national art organizations. His painting of Senator Milton Marks is in a permanent collection at the California State Building in downtown San Francisco. Gabhor lives with his wife Dina and his twin girls in Portland, Oregon. To review more of Gabhor’s work online, please visit: www.gabhorutomo.com.