The Story
In this section of the exhibit you will see the story of Horn in the West. It will be broken up by scene. No major spoilers for the show will be discussed in this section so that the experience of seeing the show in person is not ruined.
Horn in the West begins on May 16, 1771 at Alamance Creek. There a group of Regulators are standing firm as they prepare for the attack of Royal Governor William Tryon’s Royal Militia under the command of the brutal Captain Mackenzie. With the Regulators is 14-year-old Jack Stuart. As the Royal Militia arrives The Regulators take their positions and await the attack. Before attacking Mackenzie orders the Regulators to lay their weapons down and surrender. The Regulators shout out for the Militia to fire which they do. A heated fight ensues with young Jack preventing Mackenzie from killing one of the Regulators only to take Mackenzie’s sword to his arm. As Jack runs Mackenzie orders a wounded Regulator James Few to be “Hanged by order of Governor Tryon Himself.”
The day after the battle Judge Richard Henderson is hosting a lavish party at his Hillsborough Home. His guests are enjoying themselves by dancing when he proclaims that his wife has set up refreshments in the home’s veranda. As Judge Henderson begins to walk away frontiersman Daniel Boone arrives with maps of the Kentucky Region. It is revealed that Henderson and his Transylvania Company are wanting to send North Carolina settlers into the region, so Henderson had Boone go and survey the area. Soon Reverend Isaiah Sims and a group of refuges including Jack arrive. Boone and Henderson speak with them only for Henderson to become enraged to find out they were Regulators. Rev. Sims tells Henderson and Boone they have Jack, and he is injured and needs immediate attention, so Henderson sends his servant to fetch Jack’s father and mother Dr Geoffroy and Martha Stuart. When they arrive, they are relieved to see Jack, but Dr. Stuart is angry that he had gotten mixed up with the Regulators. Boone suggests they all hide out in the Mountains until things cool off. Henderson gives Dr. Stuart a pistol just as Captain Mackenzie busts in looking for escaped Regulators. He is distracted by shots and eventually captured and locked up by Boone and his associates.
Several months later Rev. Sims and the Stuarts have created a small settlement in the Mountains. Dr. Stuart has left and went to Salisbury North Carolina to deal with an outbreak of Smallpox. When he returns the citizens of the new settlement reveal his new home. With this reveal Boone proposes a toast to the Stuarts with Dr. Stuart replying with a toast to King George III to everyone’s dismay. After this a young boy runs up crying that there is a bear to which everyone, but Dr. Stuart and Martha run after it. Martha gives a speech about how she loves her new home though Dr. Stuart longs to return to their normal life. The rest of the settlers come back carrying a big black bear which is taken to be cut up into food. The Stuarts, Sims, and Boone then go and enjoy dinner in the Stuarts new home where Dr. Stuart tells them that North Carolina has a new Royal Governor, Josiah Martin, who is worse than Tryon. Soon Boone begins to spin tales only for Cherokee leader Nancy Ward and two warriors to bust in demanding Dr. Stuart comes and heals her people who are afflicted with Smallpox. He agrees and leaved with the Cherokee.
While in the Cherokee village Dr. Stuart helps heal as many Cherokee as he can. To thank him Nancy War and Chief Attakullakulla gift him a musket and declare he will always be a friend to their tribe. At this moment Cherokee War Chief Dragging Canoe arrives denouncing the white settlers and blaming them for the outbreak of Smallpox. Captain Mackenzie shows up reminding the Cherokee how Royal Governor Hamilton of the Western Territories has supplied they with weapons and that King George has their interests in his mind by preventing settlement of their lands. Stuart tries to reason with them proclaiming that they can help each other but. Attakullakulla ask his people of they want piece or war with there being a split between the people. Stuart leaves still hoping their can be peace as Dragging Canoe and his warriors shout for war.
Nine years later young Jack is preparing to marry his childhood sweetheart Mary Green. The settlement is buzzing with preparations for the wedding. Widow Howard has made a beautiful quilt as a wedding gift for Jack and Mary which she shows to Sims and the Stuarts. Outside Jack talks to Mary but is interrupted when Martha and Widow Howard take her to get ready. Dr. Stuart gives Jack advice, but the conversation quickly turns to the war in the Colonies between the colonist and Great Britain that started at Lexington and Concord. Boone shows up and gives Jack a newspaper that has the Declaration of Independence printed in it which stirs a debate over what is really happening in the Colonies; however the debate is ended when Mary is brought out wearing her wedding dress. Dr. Stuart ends up picking up the newspaper and is drawn in by Thomas Jefferson’s words
Rev. Sims has the settlers place all the decorations and sets up the outdoor alter for the wedding. He then has the men of the settlement chase down Boone and put a necktie on him. Jack and Mary go to the alter and Sims reads their vows officially marrying them as Widow Howard cries. After the vows Mary throws the bouquet only for Widow Howard to catch it. Boone tells Sims he is a goner for sure. Celebrations ensue as everyone dances until a man falls down the path. Sims and Dr. Stuart help him up and they find out he is Sam Philips. Philips tells them he was captured and beaten by the British and ordered to warn the settlements. Dr. Stuart reads what Philips has brought them which tells of how South Carolina has been taken over by the British and a force under Major Ferguson and Captain Makenzie is on its way, he also reads Ferguson’s warning that if the settlers did not surrender he would come and destroy their homes and lives.
Dr. Stuart storms into his home followed by Sims, Boone, Howard, and Martha. He makes his fears clear only to be snapped at by Boone who goes into a long speech about how a new nation is now forming and that ether the settlers need to fight back or flee. Boone leaves to go and protect his family and Nancy Ward arrives to warn of the possibility of attacks by Dragging Canoe and his followers. Stuart sees Jack and tells him to come home but Jack makes it clear he is going to go fight Ferguson and Mackenzie. Sims and Stuart end up having a long debate where Stuart decides he too will go fight leaving Sims to his thoughts where he decided to go fight just to one up Boone.
Several days later the settlers begin to leave the settlement for their own safety. Sims leads the efforts making sure everyone is safe but also moving quickly. He asks Widow Howard to guise one of the wagons, but she demands to know why he can not only to find out he is going to fight Ferguson. She tells him she is proud of him and offers her late husbands’ musket for him to use. He thanks her by kissing her. He then leads a prayer with the other settlers as they march off into the unknown once again.
It is now October 7, 1780 and the Overmountain Men including the settlers have found Ferguson and his Loyalist forces at a place called Kings Mountain. A battle has been raging for a while with each side moving up and down the mountain. Sim. Stuart, and Jack have found a quiet place to rest as Jack scouts ahead. He returns saying that Ferguson and Mackenzie are trying to retreat and are heading straight for them. They all move and hide only to ambush the Redcoats as they arrive. Soon Mackenzie shows up and he and Jack are engulfed in a heated duel. By the end of the battle the British are defeated and the lives of the Stuarts and the Settlers have changed forever.
