Posted on 01/10/2017 3:37:44 PM PST by imardmd1
THE BATTLE OF COWPENS In the early morning of January 17, 1781, in South Carolina, American troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan defeated a force under British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton in one of the more decisive victories for the Americans in the south during the Revolutionary War Morgan‘s near-genius plan worked, and the Americans decimated the British. Although the two forces were relatively evenly matched, with roughly 1,000 men each, the British sustained 110 killed and 830 captured or wounded, while the Americans had 12 killed and 61 wounded. The battle wiped out nearly all of Tarleton’s force, striking a serious blow to Cornwallis’s army.
(snip)
The British infantry had been stunned by the fire from the American’s first two lines and now faced the third line, predominately composed of experienced Continental troops overseen by Lieutenant Colonel John Howard. Meanwhile, Tarleton sent his reserve infantry and additional dragoons to try to outflank their opponents on the Americans’ right. The Americans on that side were commanded to turn to face the British, but the order was misunderstood, and they instead began marching to the rear, triggering a retreat in neighboring parts of the line. The confusion was corrected, however, and they turned to face the British in time. Those Americans were joined in the fight by the militia of the first and second lines, who had circled around the back of the American position.
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Never forget the men who fought and died for our freedom. Are we willing to preserve it also?
Thanks for posting this, and I have the same thought as you, and often. Are we willing to do what they did?
Am I?
I read where Morgan put the militia in the first two ranks. They were known to break and run at the first fire, so Morgan rode down the ranks and said something along the line of "Give me two fires and then you can skedaddle".
They did, but when they skedaddled, they found Morgan had placed Dragoons in the rear to keep them from disappearing. Worked out pretty well.
I’ve visited the gravesite of the great General Morgan in Winchester, VA. It’s also the hometown of Patsy Cline and I remember the puzzled look when asking about Morgan there as opposed to Patsy Cline. Sad how many of those Revolutionary heroes aren’t known.
Interestingly, he oversaw the abortive evacuation of Yorktown. He was convinced that he could raft the British army across the James River under the noses of the French fleet and break through the French troops guarding Gloucester Point, making a forced march to New York possible. He got part of the army across before the weather intervened to prevent further movement.
The villain in the Mel Gibson movie, “The Patriot” is based in that guy, and the climactic battle scene is based on The Battle of Cowpens.
That’s the account with which I’m familiar.
I believe this battle is also considered that turning point that led to victory in the war.
Outstanding. I love winning.
The Battlefield is very close to where we live. We visited there in the fall and found it very moving.
https://www.nps.gov/cowp/learn/historyculture/the-battle-of-cowpens.htm
We liveabout ten miles from Cowpens Battle ground. Lot of activities coming up to commemorate the battle. A group called “Over Mountain Victory Trail” marchers camp at the original Morgan campsite then march to the “Cowpens” to do a re-enactment. Very informative event.
pugmama.Are you in Cherokee County too?
Well, victory in the south certainly. Which then allowed the remaining southern US forces to reinforce Washington around Cornwallis at Yorktown, and prevented the southern English forces from attacking Washington’s trenches and reinforcing Cornwallis.
Cornwallis had come south from the NY-NJ-PA region to join up with the southern English troops.
I thought about the effectiveness from both sides, and I tend to think the Americans had the advantage of a stretched out line firing into a more concentrated one.
Don't remember anything about dragoons, though.
Greenville County.
Kings Mountain NP is on the other side ofCherokee COunty. Another must see Revolutionary war site.
Ping
The Real Life Exploits of an Unknown Patriot: Lt. Col. James McCall
Cherokee County here. My wife and I walk the Battleground Trail about once a week weather permitting.
This area, being Scots-Irish, had differing views of the British and a history of feuds and hard feelings with their neighbors as well. Andrew Jackson, age 13-14, was living in Waxhaws border area between SC & NC and was sword-cut by a British Officer and lost his older brothers and mother before the war ended.
The British commanders had given up on the New England states and thought, with the significant number of Loyalists in the area, that they could hold the South and wear-out the rest of the Colonies from there. The end of that concept can be traced from the Battle of Waxhaws (May 29, 1780) to the Militia victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain (October 7, 1780) and then Cowpens, 3 months later, all in the same close area.
With the able leadership of Daniel Morgan and his commander, General Nathanael Greene, the Americans led a maneuvering fight that exhausted the British with the Battle of Guilford Court House (March 21, 1781) where the British kept the ground but only a tie battle.
From there Cornwallis went to Wilmington, NC and then to Yorktown, VA and the full defeat there. General Nathanael Greene went back south to SC and generally confined the British back into Charleston to end that portion of the war.
It is, indeed, sad that Morgan has been forgotten at the place where he is buried. Winchester also saw some action during the Civil War.
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