At the battle of King’s Mountain Col.  Johnston commanded the reserves, about ninety in number, which were soon called into service after the battle commenced.  The decisive and brilliant victory of that memorable day has been so frequently adverted to in history that it is deemed here unnecessary to enter into particulars.  Suffice it to say, it completely broke down the Tory influence in Western North Carolina, and its more rampant manifestations in upper South Carolina.  It is known that Cornwallis, then in Charlotte, in a few days after hearing of the defeat and death of Ferguson, one of his bravest officers, marched from that rebellious town in the night and hastily retreated to safer quarters in Winnsboro, S.C.

During the progress of the war Col.  Johnston was frequently engaged in other minor expeditions, requiring promptitude of action and unflinching bravery, in assisting to disperse bodies of Tories wherever they might assemble, and arrest obnoxious individuals when the peace and welfare of society demanded such service.

At the Provincial Congress which met at Halifax on the 4th of April, 1776, Colonel James Johnston and Colonel Charles McLean were the delegates from Tryon county.  Colonel McLean was an early and devoted friend of liberty.  He resided on the headwaters of Crowder’s creek, in the present county of Gaston, and commanded the first regiment which marched from Lincoln county against the Tories of upper South Carolina.  This Provincial Congress was one of the most important ever held in the State.  The spirit of liberty was then in the ascendant, animating every patriotic bosom from the sea coast to the mountains.  At this assembly the military organization of the State was completed, and the following patriotic resolution unanimously adopted: 

“Resolved, That the Delegates from this Colony in the Continental Congress be empowered to concur with the Delegates from the other colonies in declaring independence and forming foreign alliances, reserving to this colony the sole and exclusive right of forming a constitution and laws for this colony.”

This early action of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina is the first public declaration, by proper legislative State authority, on record, preceding the Virginia resolutions of the same character by more than a month, and of those of the National Congress at Philadelphia by nearly three months, now exulting in its centennial celebration.  Near the close of the Revolution Col.  Johnston acted for a considerable length of time as disbursing agent for the Western Division of the army.  After the division of Tryon county in 1779 into Lincoln and Rutherford counties, he was elected to the Senate from the former county in 1780, ’81 and ’82.  He also acted, for many years, as one of the magistrates of the county, and, by virtue of his office, was frequently called upon “to make of twain one flesh in the holy bonds of matrimony.”