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Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War fought on January 17, 1781, near the town of Cowpens, South Carolina. Patriot forces, estimated at 2,000 regulars and militia under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, defeated 1,000 British and American Loyalist troops commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. It was the worst loss suffered by British units since General John Burgoyne surrendered to General Horatio Gates at Saratoga in 1777.
The British campaigned southward because of higher British support, or Toryism, in the south, however pro-independence enthusiasm surged when news of the battle spread. Tactically, Cowpens demonstrated that American Patriot militia, when properly led, could inflict heavy casualties on Britain's best-trained troops.
Morgan's militia disbanded after the battle, leaving 550 soldiers under his command. British General Charles Cornwallis pursued Morgan during December 1780 and January 1781 with his army of 2,500 men. Morgan evaded Cornwallis and joined General Nathanael Greene’s army near Greensboro, North Carolina, in early February, setting the stage for the Battle of Guilford Court House.
On October 14, 1780, Continental Army commander General George Washington chose Nathanael Greene, a Rhode Island Quaker officer, to be commander of the Southern Department of the Continental forces. Greene's task was not an easy one. In 1780 the Carolinas had been the scene of a long string of disasters for the Continental Army, the worst being the capture of one American army under General Benjamin Lincoln in May 1780 at the siege of Charleston. The British then occupied the city, the largest in the South and the capital of South Carolina. Later that year, a Colonial army commanded by General Horatio Gates was defeated at the Battle of Camden. A victory of colonial militia over their Loyalist counterparts at the Battle of Kings Mountain on the northwest frontier in October had bought time, but the British still occupied most of South Carolina. When Greene took command, the southern army numbered 2,307 men on paper (1,482 present), of whom 949 were Continental regulars, mostly of the famous and highly trained "Maryland Line" regiment.
On December 3, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan reported for duty to Greene's headquarters at Charlotte, North Carolina. At the start of the American Revolution, Morgan—whose military experience dated to the French and Indian War (1754–1763)—had served at the siege of Boston in 1775. Later he participated in the 1775 invasion of Canada and its climactic battle, the Battle of Quebec. That battle ended in defeat and Morgan's capture by the British. Morgan was exchanged in January 1777 and placed by Washington in command of a picked force of 500 trained riflemen, known as Morgan's Riflemen. Morgan and his men played a key role in the 1777 victory at Saratoga, which proved to be a turning point of the entire war. Bitter after being passed over for promotion and plagued by severe attacks of sciatica, Morgan left the army in 1779. A year later, he was promoted to brigadier general and returned to service in the Southern Department.
Greene decided that his weak army could not meet the British in a stand-up fight. He made the unconventional decision to divide his army, sending a detachment west of the Catawba River to raise the morale of the locals and find supplies beyond the limited amounts available around Charlotte. Greene gave Morgan command of this wing and instructed him to join with the militia west of the Catawba and take command of them. Morgan headed west on December 21, charged with taking position between the Broad and Pacolet rivers and protecting the civilians in that area. He had 600 men, some 400 of whom were Continentals, mostly from Delaware and Maryland. The rest were Virginia militia who had experience as Continentals. By Christmas Day, Morgan had reached the Pacolet. He was joined by 60 more South Carolina militiamen led by the experienced guerrilla partisan Andrew Pickens. Other militia from Georgia and the Carolinas joined Morgan's camp.
Meanwhile, Lord Cornwallis was planning to return to North Carolina and conduct the invasion that he had postponed after the defeat at Kings Mountain. Morgan's force represented a threat to his left. Additionally, Cornwallis received incorrect intelligence claiming that Morgan was going to attack the important British fort of American Loyalists at Ninety Six, South Carolina. Seeking to save the fort and defeat Morgan's command, Cornwallis on January 1, 1781, with a follow-up message on January 2 ordered cavalry (dragoons) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton to the west.
Tarleton had enjoyed a spectacular career in his service with the British in the colonies. In December 1776, he and a small party surprised and captured Colonial General Charles Lee in New Jersey. He served with distinction at the siege of Charleston and the Battle of Camden. Commanding the British Legion—a mixed infantry/cavalry force composed of American Loyalists who constituted some of the best British troops in the Carolinas—Tarleton won victories at Monck's Corner and Fishing Creek. He became infamous among colonists after his victory at the Battle of Waxhaws, where his men were accused of killing American soldiers after they had surrendered. Fleeing Patriots believed at least one soldier who had surrendered picked up a gun and shot at Tarleton. Tarleton wrote in his 1781 history that his horse had been shot from under him during the initial charge and his men, thinking him murdered, attacked relentlessly until brought under control.
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Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War fought on January 17, 1781, near the town of Cowpens, South Carolina. Patriot forces, estimated at 2,000 regulars and militia under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, defeated 1,000 British and American Loyalist troops commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. It was the worst loss suffered by British units since General John Burgoyne surrendered to General Horatio Gates at Saratoga in 1777.
The British campaigned southward because of higher British support, or Toryism, in the south, however pro-independence enthusiasm surged when news of the battle spread. Tactically, Cowpens demonstrated that American Patriot militia, when properly led, could inflict heavy casualties on Britain's best-trained troops.
Morgan's militia disbanded after the battle, leaving 550 soldiers under his command. British General Charles Cornwallis pursued Morgan during December 1780 and January 1781 with his army of 2,500 men. Morgan evaded Cornwallis and joined General Nathanael Greene’s army near Greensboro, North Carolina, in early February, setting the stage for the Battle of Guilford Court House.
On October 14, 1780, Continental Army commander General George Washington chose Nathanael Greene, a Rhode Island Quaker officer, to be commander of the Southern Department of the Continental forces. Greene's task was not an easy one. In 1780 the Carolinas had been the scene of a long string of disasters for the Continental Army, the worst being the capture of one American army under General Benjamin Lincoln in May 1780 at the siege of Charleston. The British then occupied the city, the largest in the South and the capital of South Carolina. Later that year, a Colonial army commanded by General Horatio Gates was defeated at the Battle of Camden. A victory of colonial militia over their Loyalist counterparts at the Battle of Kings Mountain on the northwest frontier in October had bought time, but the British still occupied most of South Carolina. When Greene took command, the southern army numbered 2,307 men on paper (1,482 present), of whom 949 were Continental regulars, mostly of the famous and highly trained "Maryland Line" regiment.
On December 3, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan reported for duty to Greene's headquarters at Charlotte, North Carolina. At the start of the American Revolution, Morgan—whose military experience dated to the French and Indian War (1754–1763)—had served at the siege of Boston in 1775. Later he participated in the 1775 invasion of Canada and its climactic battle, the Battle of Quebec. That battle ended in defeat and Morgan's capture by the British. Morgan was exchanged in January 1777 and placed by Washington in command of a picked force of 500 trained riflemen, known as Morgan's Riflemen. Morgan and his men played a key role in the 1777 victory at Saratoga, which proved to be a turning point of the entire war. Bitter after being passed over for promotion and plagued by severe attacks of sciatica, Morgan left the army in 1779. A year later, he was promoted to brigadier general and returned to service in the Southern Department.
Greene decided that his weak army could not meet the British in a stand-up fight. He made the unconventional decision to divide his army, sending a detachment west of the Catawba River to raise the morale of the locals and find supplies beyond the limited amounts available around Charlotte. Greene gave Morgan command of this wing and instructed him to join with the militia west of the Catawba and take command of them. Morgan headed west on December 21, charged with taking position between the Broad and Pacolet rivers and protecting the civilians in that area. He had 600 men, some 400 of whom were Continentals, mostly from Delaware and Maryland. The rest were Virginia militia who had experience as Continentals. By Christmas Day, Morgan had reached the Pacolet. He was joined by 60 more South Carolina militiamen led by the experienced guerrilla partisan Andrew Pickens. Other militia from Georgia and the Carolinas joined Morgan's camp.
Meanwhile, Lord Cornwallis was planning to return to North Carolina and conduct the invasion that he had postponed after the defeat at Kings Mountain. Morgan's force represented a threat to his left. Additionally, Cornwallis received incorrect intelligence claiming that Morgan was going to attack the important British fort of American Loyalists at Ninety Six, South Carolina. Seeking to save the fort and defeat Morgan's command, Cornwallis on January 1, 1781, with a follow-up message on January 2 ordered cavalry (dragoons) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton to the west.
Tarleton had enjoyed a spectacular career in his service with the British in the colonies. In December 1776, he and a small party surprised and captured Colonial General Charles Lee in New Jersey. He served with distinction at the siege of Charleston and the Battle of Camden. Commanding the British Legion—a mixed infantry/cavalry force composed of American Loyalists who constituted some of the best British troops in the Carolinas—Tarleton won victories at Monck's Corner and Fishing Creek. He became infamous among colonists after his victory at the Battle of Waxhaws, where his men were accused of killing American soldiers after they had surrendered. Fleeing Patriots believed at least one soldier who had surrendered picked up a gun and shot at Tarleton. Tarleton wrote in his 1781 history that his horse had been shot from under him during the initial charge and his men, thinking him murdered, attacked relentlessly until brought under control.