The British mistook the repositioning of the Americans as a rout and ran into an unexpected volley of concentrated rifle fire coupled with a cavalry charge and followed by the return of the militia.
More than British troops were killed, wounded or captured. The Americans suffered less than casualties in the first Patriot victory to demonstrate that they could outfight a similar British force without any other factors, such as surprise or geography, to assist them.
The victory provided an important morale boost, and later that year, in November, the Americans would defeat the British at Yorktown, Virginia , the last major Revolutionary War battle. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary On December 31, , during the American Revolutionary War , Patriot forces under Colonel Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery attempted to capture the British-occupied city of Quebec and with it win support for the American cause in He knew how to motivate them even proposing a competition of bravery between Georgia and Carolina units.
By the time he was through, one soldier observed that the army was "in good spirits and very willing to fight". But, as one observed, Morgan hardly slept a wink that night. Dawn at the Cowpens on January 17, , was clear and bitterly cold. Morgan, his scouts bearing news of Tarleton's approach, moved among his men, shouting, "Boys, get up! Benny's 22 coming! Tarleton, playing catch up, and having marched his army since two in the morning, ordered formation on the Green River Road for the attack.
His aggressive style was made even now more urgent, since there were rumors of Overmountain men on the way, reminiscent of events at Kings Mountain. Yet he was confident of victory: he reasoned he had Morgan hemmed in by the Broad, and the undulating park-like terrain was ideal for his dragoons He thought Morgan must be desperate, indeed, to have stopped at such a place.
Perhaps Morgan saw it differently: in some past battles, Patriot militia had fled in face of fearsome bayonet charges - but now the Broad at Morgan's back could prevent such a retreat. In reality, though, Morgan had no choice - to cross the flood-swollen Broad risked having his army cut down by the feared and fast-traveling Tarleton. Tarleton pressed the attack head on, his line extending across the meadow, his artillery in the middle, and fifty Dragoons on each side.
It was as if Morgan knew he would make a frontal assault - it was his style of fighting. To face Tarleton, he organized his troops into three lines. First, out front and hiding behind trees were selected sharpshooters. At the onset of battle they picked off numbers of Tarleton's Dragoons, traditionally listed as fifteen 24 , shooting especially at officers, and warding off an attempt to gain initial supremacy.
With the Dragoons in retreat, and their initial part completed, the sharpshooters retreated yards or more back to join the second line, the militia commanded by Andrew Pickens. Morgan used the militia well, asking them to get off two volleys and promised their retreat to the third line made up of John Eager Howard's 25 Continentals, again close to yards back.
Some of the militia indeed got off two volleys as the British neared, but, as they retreated and reached supposed safety behind the Continental line, Tarleton sent his feared Dragoons after them. As the militia dodged behind trees and parried saber slashes with their rifles, William Washington's 26 Patriot cavalry thundered onto the field of battle, seemingly, out of nowhere.
The surprised British Dragoons, already scattered and sensing a rout, were overwhelmed, and according to historian Babits, lost eighteen men in the clash. As they fled the field, infantry on both sides fired volley after volley. The British advanced in a trot, with beating drums, the shrill sounds of fifes, and shouts of halloo. Morgan, in response, cheering his men on, said to give them the Indian halloo back.
Riding to the front, he rallied the militia, crying out, "form, form, my brave fellows! Old Morgan was never beaten! Now Tarleton's 71st Highlanders 27 , held in reserve, entered the charge toward the Continental line, the wild wail of bagpipes adding to the noise and confusion.
A John Eager Howard order for the right flank to face slightly right to counter a charge from that direction, was, in the noise of battle, misunderstood as a call to retreat. As other companies along the line followed suite, Morgan rode up to ask Howard if he were beaten. As Howard pointed to the unbroken ranks and the orderly retreat and assured him they were not, Morgan spurred his horse on and ordered the retreating units to face about, and then, on order, fire in unison.
The firing took a heavy toll on the British, who, by that time had sensed victory and had broken ranks in a wild charge. This event and a fierce Patriot bayonet charge in return broke the British charge and turned the tide of battle. The re-formed militia and cavalry re-entered the battle, leading to double envelopment 28 of the British, perfectly timed.
British infantry began surrendering en masse. Tarleton and some of his army fought valiantly on; others refused his orders and fled the field. Finally, Tarleton, himself, saw the futility of continued battle, and with a handful of his men, fled from whence he came, down the Green River Road. In one of the most dramatic moments of the battle, William Washington, racing ahead of his cavalry, dueled hand-to-hand with Tarleton and two of his officers.
Washington's life was saved only when his young bugler 29 fired his pistol at an Englishman with raised saber. Tarleton and his remaining forces galloped away to Cornwallis' camp. Stragglers from the battle were overtaken, but Tarleton escaped to tell the awful news to Cornwallis. The battle was over in less than an hour.
It was a complete victory for the Patriot force. British losses were staggering: dead, over wounded and captured. Morgan lost only 12 killed and 60 wounded, a count he received from those reporting directly to him. Knowing Cornwallis would come after him, Morgan saw to it that the dead were buried - the legend says in wolf pits -- and headed north with his army. Crossing the Broad at Island Ford 30 , he proceeded to Gilbert Town 31 , and, yet burdened as he was by the prisoners, pressed swiftly northeastward toward the Catawba River, and some amount of safety.
The prisoners were taken via Salisbury 32 on to Winchester, Virginia. Soon Morgan and Greene reunited and conferred, Morgan wanting to seek protection in the mountains and Greene wanting to march north to Virginia for supplies. The conflict in the South indeed became a quasi-civil war, with roughly half the population supporting the Crown and half loyal to the rebellion.
Congress entrusted Washington to identify a suitable replacement for General Horatio Gates after his disastrous defeat at Camden. He knew that his small army would be unsuccessful in any direct confrontation with the British, so he violated military convention and split his force in the region.
On December 21, , men under the command of Brigadier General Daniel Morgan were dispatched to take position between the Pacolet and Broad rivers in South Carolina. Greene hoped they would find desperately needed supplies and raise support for the rebellion amongst the bitterly divided civilian population. Cornwallis ordered year-old Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, infamous for his victory at the Battle of Waxhaws, to lead a legion roughly army regulars to Fort Ninety Six to confront Morgan and defend the fort.
On January 16, , Morgan arrived at the river and decided to make a final stand at Cowpens, cornering his force in the bend of the Broad River. Morgan spent the night before the battle talking to as many continentals and militiamen as he could, delivering powerful speeches and rallying his men for the battle to come.
Meanwhile, Tarleton marched his exhausted and hungry soldiers through the day and night in hopes of catching the already entrenched patriot force. When they finally made camp near Cowpens, the British were physically and mentally drained, having slept only a few hours each night for the past week. Regulars and many officers were dangerously malnourished, yet Tarleton roused his forces at am on January 17, , and ordered them to continue in pursuit of Morgan.
His soldiers were arranged in three lines: the frontline consisted of sharpshooters under the command of Majors McDowell and Cunningham; the second of militiamen led by Andrew Pickens: and the final line of about Continental regulars directed by Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard.
Morgan left his force open to flanking from several sides, confident that Tarleton would order a frontal assault. Just after dawn on January 17, Tarleton took the bait and attacked head on. He ordered dragoons and his artillery to engage the Americans. The militia sharpshooters decimated the dragoons, taking particular aim at officers and killing fifteen men within minutes.
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