[mstar]

Some have called the final battle of the film "The Battle of Guilford-Cowpens" because it merged aspects of the Guilford Courthouse and Cowpens battles.

Thanks for the info, interesting. I have often wondered if the burned church, along with congregation in the film, was based on a church in the area. Do you know?

I had ancestors on the American side in the battles of Guilford Courthouse and King's Mountain and a cousin on the American side at Cowpens. Their descendants fought for the South in the War Between The States.

I did as well, from both sides of my family. My husband too. That is why "the SC elites" pushing big government on the common southerner, who should have revolted, is just too funny.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

H I have often wondered if the burned church, along with congregation in the film, was based on a church in the area. Do you know?

Nothing like that happened in the Revolutionary War. Most likely it was inspired by an incident in France during WW2.

[rustbucket]

I have often wondered if the burned church, along with congregation in the film, was based on a church in the area. Do you know?

I don't think so, but the British and/or their Indian allies may well have burned people in houses up in Pennsylvania. The real life British Col. Tarleton herded SC livestock into a barn and burned them. Here's material from and old post of mine:

The real life Tavington (British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton) didn't burn people in a church but did order "cattle, hogs, and fowl driven into the barn where the corn was stored, the doors closed, and the barn put to the torch" [From The Road to Guilford Courthouse by John Buchanan.] Today, PETA would be after him.

In some respects, the British war against the Carolina colonists was similar to what Sherman did against the South. Consider the December 8, 1780, indictment of SC Governor Rutledge against Tarleton:

This, however, is but a faint description of our country, for it is beyond a doubt the enemy have hanged many of our people, who from fear and the impracticality of removing had given paroles, and from attachment to our side joined it. Nay, Tarleton has since the action at Black-stocks hung one Johnson, a magistrate of respectable character. They have also burnt a prodigious number of houses, and turned a vast many women, formerly of affluent and easy fortunes, with their children, almost naked into the woods.

Tarleton, at the house of General Richardson, exceeded his usual barbarities, for, having dined in his house, he not only burnt it afterwards, but having driven into the barns a number of cattle, hogs, and poultry, he consumed them, together with the barn and the corn in it, in one general blaze.

That is not to say that the British didn't burn people inside buildings during the Revolutionary War. Apparently they did (up in Pennsylvania), but Tarleton apparently didn't. See: Schooling Brits on the Patriot -- Mention of the Wyoming Valley Massacre. A British account of the Wyoming Valley Massacre that say the women and children were treated well and men given quarter when they asked for it. That account is included with a long patriot account of the affair in the following very long description. Interestingly, the patriot account tells of British and Indians attaching a long single file line of patriots, much like what happened in "The Patriot" movie.