Chapter VI: Part 2: Cowpens and the War in the South

A Guide to the Battlefield and Related Sites

Cowpens Battleground

Cowpens was one of the most skillfully fought battles in the annals of the American military. It pitted a young and ruthless commander of British dragoons—a man widely feared and hated in the South—against a brilliant tactician and experienced leader of American militia. The fighting was short and decisive. In less than an hour, three-fourths of the British were killed or captured, many of them the best light troops in the army. For Cornwallis, the rout was another in a series of disasters that led ultimately to final defeat at Yorktown.

The park that preserves the scene of this battle is located in upstate South Carolina, 11 miles northwest of Gaffney by way of S.C. 11. The original park on this site was established in 1929 on an acre of ground marking the point of some of the hardest fighting. For the bicentennial of the battle, the park was expanded to over 842 acres, and many new facilities—among them a visitor center, roads, trails, and waysides—were built.

The battlefield is small enough for visitors to stroll around and replay the maneuvers of the opposing commanders. A 1¼-mile trail loops through the heart of the park. Two of the first stops are at the lines held by Howard’s Continentals and Pickens’ militia. Farther along the trail you can stand where Tarleton formed his troops into a line of battle. From this point, the trail up the Green River Road covers ground over which the British advanced at sunrise that cold January morning. The pitched fighting between Continentals and redcoats that decided the contest occurred just beyond the bend in the road.

The land is currently being restored to its appearance at the time of the battle. In 1781, this field was a grassy meadow dotted with tall hardwoods. A locally known pasturing ground, it was used by Carolina farmers to fatten cattle before sending them to low-country markets.

Tarleton in his memoirs described it as an “open wood ... disadvantageous for the Americans, and convenient for the British.” He expected to break through the rebel lines, as he had so often done in the past, and ride down the fleeing remnants with his cavalry.

Morgan saw the same ground as favoring him and based his plan of battle on a shrewd appraisal of both his foe and his own men. He was happy enough that there was no swamp nearby for his militia to flee to and unconcerned that there were no natural obstacles covering his wings from cavalry. He knew his adversary, he claimed, “and was perfectly sure I should have nothing but downright fighting. As to retreat, it was the very thing I wished to cut off all hope of.... When men are forced to fight, they will sell their lives dearly.” So Morgan deployed his men according to their abilities and handled them in battle with rare skill. They rewarded him, militia and regular alike, with what was probably the patriots’ best-fought battle of the war.

Cowpens was only one battle in a long campaign. For perspective, nine other sites of the War in the South are described on the following pages. Several of them are administered by public agencies; a few are barely marked and may be hard to find. Travelers will find two works useful: _Landmarks of the American Revolution_ by Mark M. Boatner III (1975) and _The Bicentennial Guide to the American Revolution, Volume 3, The War in the South_ by Sol Stember (1974).

VIRGINIA
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Blacksburg
Roanoke
Lynchburg
James River
To Yorktown and Colonial National Historical Park
Blue Ridge Parkway
NORTH CAROLINA
Danville
Winston-Salem
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
Burlington
High Point
Greensboro
Durham
Chapel Hill
Raleigh
Hickory
Salisbury
Fayetteville
Moores Creek National Battlefield
Kannapolis
Gastonia
Charlotte
Wilmington
SOUTH CAROLINA
Cowpens National Battlefield
Gaffney
Kings Mountain National Military Park
Spartanburg
Rock Hill
Waxhaws
Ninety Six National Historic Site
Camden Battlefield
Camden
Florence
Columbia
Eutaw Springs Historical Area
Charleston
GEORGIA
Augusta

The Road to Yorktown

Savannah 1778-79

Charleston 1780

Waxhaws 1780

Site located 9 miles east of Lancaster, S.C., on Rt. 522. Marked by
a monument and common grave.]

Camden 1780

Kings Mountain 1780

Guilford Courthouse 1781

Located on the outskirts of Greensboro, N.C. Administered by the
National Park Service.]

Ninety Six 1781

Park administered by the National Park Service.]

Eutaw Springs 1781

A memorial park stands on Rt. 6. just east of Eutawville, S.C. The
original battlefield is under the waters of Lake Marion.]

Yorktown 1781

Administered by NPS.]

For Further Reading

For those who wish to explore the story of Cowpens in more depth, the following books will be helpful. _Daniel Morgan, Revolutionary Rifleman_ by Don Higgenbotham (1961) is a well-paced, solidly researched narrative of the Old Wagoner’s adventurous life. Still valuable, especially for its wealth of quotations from Morgan’s correspondence, is James Graham’s _Life of General Morgan_ (1856). On the struggle for the South Carolina back-country, _Ninety Six_ by Robert D. Bass (1978) is the best modern study. Edward McCrady’s two-volume work, _A History of South Carolina in the Revolution_ (1901), is also useful. For personal anecdotes about the savage civil war between rebels and loyalists, _Traditions and Reminiscences, Chiefly of the American Revolution in the South_ by Joseph Johnson, M.D. (1851) is a basic source book. Equally illuminating is James Collins’ _Autobiography of a Revolutionary Soldier_, published in _Sixty Years in the Nueces Valley_ (1930). Biographies of other men who participated in Cowpens are not numerous. _Skyagunsta_ by A. L. Pickens (1934) mingles legend and fact about Andrew Pickens. _Piedmont Partisan_ by Chalmers G. Davidson (1951) is a balanced account of William Lee Davidson. _James Jackson, Duelist and Militant Statesman_ by William O. Foster (1960) is a competent study of the fiery Georgia leader. _The Life of Major General Nathanael Greene_ by George Washington Greene (1871) gives the reader a look at the battle from the viewpoint of the American commander in the South. For the British side of the story, one of the best accounts is Banastre Tarleton’s _A History of the Campaign of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America_ (1787), available in a reprint edition. _The Green Dragoon_ by Robert D. Bass (1957) gives a more objective view of Tarleton’s meteoric career. Two other useful books are _Strictures on Lt. Col. Tarleton’s History_ by Roderick Mackenzie (1788), an officer who fought at Cowpens with the 71st Regiment, and _The History of the Origin, Progress and Termination of the American War_ by Charles Stedman (1794), a British officer who was extremely critical of Tarleton. Both are available in reprint editions. _Cornwallis, the American Adventure_ by Franklin and Mary Wickwire (1970) has an excellent account of Cowpens—and the whole war in the South—from the viewpoint of Tarleton’s commander. _Rise and Fight Again_ by Charles B. Flood (1976) ably discusses the influence of Cowpens and other Southern battles on the ultimate decision at Yorktown.

—_Thomas J. Fleming_

Index

A
Anderson, Lt. Thomas, 44

B
Backcountry, British strategy in, 19
Blackstocks: battle of, 29, 54, 57, 61
Brandon, Thomas, 42, 60
Bratton, William, 42
Briar Creek (Ga.); battle of, 51
British Legion, 26, 28, 41, 47, 54, 70, 72
Broad River, 28, 30, 31, 40, 46, 54, 82;
tactical importance of, 44
Browne, Thomas, 20
Buford, Col. Abraham, 26

C
Camden (S.C.), 20, 22, 51;
battle of, 18
Charleston (S.C.), 18, 26, 50;
map, 27
Cheraw Hills, 39, 83
Civil war in the South, 19ff, 84
Clarke, Elijah, 20, _21_, 33ff, 61
Collins, James, 57, 60, 66, 67, 84
Cornwallis, Charles, Earl, _13_, 18, 20, 29, 30, 33, 40, 50, 61,
82;
army under, 22
Cowpens, nature of terrain, 55ff;
significance of battle, 84ff
Cruger, Col. John H., 29, 33, 34
Cunningham, Maj. John, 35, 42, 61

D
Davidson, Col. William, 38, 41, 42
Duncasson, Capt., 77

E
Easterwood Shoals, 43

F
Fair Forest Creek, 35
Fairforest Shoals, 60
Fishdam Ford, battle of, 28
Fishing Creek, battle of, 28, 60, 67

G
Gates, Gen. Horatio, _13_, 18, 21, 56
Glaubech, Baron de, 13
Goudelock, the rebel, 81ff.
Great Savannah, battle of, 50
Green River Road, 44, 45, 47, 61, 63, 76, 82
Greene, Gen. Nathanael, _18_, 21, 23, 33, 39, 40, 83, 84
Grindal Shoals, 12, 31, 35, 82

H
Haldane, Lt. Henry, 30, 33
Hamiltons Ford, 81, 82
Hammonds Store, 30, 34
Hanger, Maj. George, 54, 69
Hanging Rock, 47
Howard, Lt. Col. John Eager, _52_, 55, 70ff, 83
Hughes, Joseph, 60, 68

I
Inman, Joshua, 61
Island Ford, 44, 45

J
Jackson, Lt. Col. James, 35, 42, 61, 72, 76
Jackson, Dr. Robert, 72, 80

K
Kennedy, William, 60
Kettle Creek, 32
Kings Mountain, 42, 43, 61, 81

L
Lee, Gen. Charles, 23
Legion dragoons, 26, 28, 43, 69, 72
Lenuds Ferry, 26, 76
Leslie, Sir Alexander, _31_, 39
Lincoln, Gen. Benjamin, 18, _26_
Long Canes, 32, 33, 34
Loyalists, 20, 21, 84

M
Marion, Francis, _20_, 21, 28, 50, 84
Maryland and Delaware Continentals, 18, 55, 70, 71, 76
Mathews, John, 84
McArthur, Maj. Archibald, 30, 51, 64, 69, 70, 76
McCall, James, 34, 42, 56
McDowell, Maj. Joseph, 42, 61
McJunkin, Joseph, 12, 13, 19, 20, 23, 80, 82
Militia, 13, 18, 35, 40, 43;
at Cowpens, 65ff, 72, 80
Morgan, Gen. Daniel; 12, _14_, 22, 23, 30, 35, 38, 39, 41, 42ff;
youth and reputation, 13;
nickname, 22;
characterized, 15;
battle plan, 45, 55-7;
urges militia to join him, 44;
exhorts troops before battle, 62;
in battle, 65ff;
leads final retreat, 83;
voted gold medal, 83;
letter from Washington, 85
Musgrove’s Mill, 42, 61

N
Newmarsh, Maj. Timothy, 50, 64-6
Ninety Six (S.C.), 22, 23, 29, 32, 38, 61, 85;
map, 30

O
Ogilvie, Capt. David, 54, 63

P
Pacolet River, 12, 34, 35, 38, 42, 43, 55
Pickens, Col. Andrew, 13, _33_, 34, 35, 41, 60, 61;
characterized, 32;
his command at Cowpens, 56;
in battle, 65ff, 80ff;
receives silver sword, 83
Pindell, Dr. Richard, 80
Prince of Wales Regt., 47

R
Riflemen at Cowpens, 57, 62
Royal Artillery, 51, 71ff

S
Saratoga, Morgan’s tactics at, 55
Seymour, Sgt. William, 67
7th Fusiliers, 31, 50, 65, 69
17th Light Dragoons, 31, 54, 72
71st Highlanders, 51, 64, 69
16th Light Infantry, 47
Sumter, Col. Thomas, _19_, 20, 21, 28, 33, 35, 40, 57

T
Tarleton, Col. Banastre, 13, _24_;
characterized, 25;
career, 23-29;
pursues Morgan, 30, 42, 46;
composition of army, 47ff;
battle plan, 54-55, 63ff;
in battle, 67, 71ff, 80;
escapes with Legion dragoons, 81;
reports to Cornwallis, 82
Thicketty Creek, 35, 41, 43, 81
Thicketty Mountain, 63
Thompson’s Plantation, 35, 81
Turkey Creek, 61, 81, 82

W
Washington, George, 13, 21, 85
Washington, Col. William, 13, 30, 34, 56, _63_, 67, 70, 80;
duels with Tarleton, 76, _78_-79;
voted silver medal, 83
Waxhaws, 26, 28, 33
Williamson, Gen. Andrew, 32
Winn, Richard, 40, 45, 55
Wofford’s iron works, 41, 43

Y
Young, John, 57
Young, Thomas, 57, 66, 68, 70, 71, 77, 80, 82

Credits

4-5, 8-9: William A. Bake
10-11: “The Battle of Cowpens,” by Francis Kimmelmeyer, 1809. Yale
University.
13: Portrait of Gates by Charles Willson Peale. Collection of
Independence National Historical Park.
Cornwallis by Thomas Gainsborough, National Portrait Gallery,
London.
14: Daniel Morgan by CWPeale. Independence NHP.
18: Nathanael Greene by CWPeale. Independence NHP.
19: Thomas Sumter by Rembrandt Peale. Independence NHP.
20: Francis Marion, a detail from a painting by John B. White. Anne
S.K. Brown Military Collection, Brown University Library.
21: Elijah Clarke, Georgia Department of Archives and History.
23: New-York Historical Society.
24: Banastre Tarleton by Sir Joshua Reynolds. National Portrait
Gallery, London.
25: Mary Robinson, an engraving after a painting by Reynolds.
Collection of Sir John Tilney. Tarleton birthplace. Liverpool
City Libraries.
26: Benjamin Lincoln by CW Peale. Independence NHP.
27: Library of Congress
28: Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection, Brown University Library.
29: Library of Congress
30: Map from Francis V. Greene, _General Greene_ (1893).
31: Alexander Leslie by Gainsborough. Scottish National Portrait
Gallery, Edinburgh.
33: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
36-37 (except pistols), 47 (fife), 56-57: The George C. Neumann
Collection, a gift of the Sun Company to Valley Forge National
Historical Park, 1978.
Dragoon pistol: The Smithsonian Institution.
Officer’s pistol: Fort Pitt Museum.
48-49: all by Don Troiani except the 17th Light Dragoon, which is by
Gerry Embleton.
52-53: Maryland Historical Society
54: Musée du L’Empéri, Bouche du Rhône, France.
58-59: Don Troiani.
63: CW Peale. Independence NHP.
64-65: Don Troiani.
69: Don Troiani.
74-75: Artist, Richard Schlecht. Courtesy, National Geographic
Society.
83: Maryland Historical Society
86-87, 89, 93 (Ninety Six), William A. Bake.

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This responsibility includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the interest of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration.

Transcriber’s Notes

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.

—Relocated all image captions to be immediately under the corresponding
images, removing redundant references like ”preceding page”.

—Silently corrected a few palpable typos.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.