H-43 The Revolutionary War the Southern Campaign, and the Battle of Cowpens by: Bob Royer Oct-2004 Bibliography Adams The patriot Cowpens a devil of a whipping A People's History of the American Revolution Various pamphlets Before we get to the battle of Cowpens which occurred on January 17, 1781, I want to set the stage for the battle. Cowpens is often overlooked in history but it was a major victory for the patriots. The battle together with Kings Mountain and Gilford Courthouse in NC substantially weakened the British and led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown in VA. Lets first talk about the early events leading up to the start of hostilities, then the Southern campaign and finally the battle of Cowpens. If there is time I'll throw in Gilford Courthouse as well. In the mid 1700's there was growing unrest and dissatisfaction with the British rule and there began to be movements opposing the rule of the British in the American colonies. British troops were garrisoned in NY and governors from Britain had power over all the colonies although there were state legislatures The stamp act was passed in Britain in February, 1765. It was an attempt by the British to raise money for the crown. It required everyone to buy a stamp for newspapers, legal documents, licenses or bonds. There were riots over the stamp act in August of 1765 in Boston. British goods began to be boycotted by the colonists and numerous riots and demonstrations followed. The stamp act was repealed in March of 1766. But in 1767 Britain passed laws levying duties on the import of goods that Americans were forced to import only from Britain. Customs officers came to America from England to collect the duties. (Privateers & Clipper ships) As a result of the demonstrations Britain sent troops to occupy Boston in 1768. More demonstrations and boycotting of goods covered by the duties led to a massacre in 1770 where British troops shot and killed 5 Americans. (Adams Defender) The Boston tea party followed in 1773 when 10,000 British pounds sterling of tea was dumped in the harbor. The colonists elected delegates to a convention in Philadelphia and the first Continental congress was held in 1774 and 1775. The decision to declare independence was a difficult one for the Colonies. There was much disagreement among the delegates and years passed until a decision was reached. The declaration of independence came about 2 years after the first Continental congress. The first major hostilities occurred in Lexington Mass in 1775 in terms of casualties inflicted it was an American victory. Many battles followed that I won't cover here. But by 1778 the war in the north was at somewhat of a stalemate. The British were unable to destroy the Americans, isolate New England or convince the rebels to quit fighting. They held their base at New York and shifted the emphasis somewhat to the south. The War in the South The latest conservative count of Revolutionary war actions in SC is 213. Most were small and unheralded. Even when a small number of people were involved, the significance was magnified because it was frequently friend against friend. The trouble started as far back as 1775 and continued after the war. There was a vicious civil war underway in the south and elsewhere in the colonies. The southern colonies revolted, threw out their British governors and installed their own The Rice Kings in the South sought the help of the backcountry people against the British, and militia was raised. The backcountry people were mainly Scotch-Irish (Ulster), German, English and some Irish. Since the backcountry was heavily Tory the Rice Kings, unhappy with British policies of taxation pushed the backcountry people to support the cause of the patriots. They also had the Tory leaders arrested forcing the Tories underground until the fall of Charleston and the return of the British. They gradually turned more and more people against the British cause. Summer of 1776 2200 British regulars attacked Charleston. Ships from NY and Britain formed at Cape Fear just south of Wilmington, NC. They expected a group of Loyalists originally from the Scottish Highlands to come east to join them in the campaign. 1600 Tories were defeated and turned back by 1000 patriots in NC preventing them from joining the first campaign against Charleston. The British moved on Charleston without the highlanders. Information they had received said that Charleston's defenses were vulnerable. The affair was a British farce. The British infantry landed on Sulivan's Island and were told that at low tide they would be able to wade through the water to attack the city. They found instead that the water was not shallow at low tide but 7 feet deep. British ships foundered on sandbars when trying to enter the harbor and had to be towed off. Heavy Men of War had to unload their guns and transfer them across the sandbars and then reload them once they got into the harbor. Fort Sullivan partially finished was built with Palmetto logs only 3 walls were finish and some cannon installed. There was an outside layer of 2 logs then sand and an inside layer of another 2 layers of palmetto. The Palmetto logs absorbed over 7000 British cannon balls using over 34000 pounds of British powder in the fight for the city. (South Carolina Flag) Moultrier defended the city from the fort. He fired cannon from the fort every 10 minutes to conserve powder, which was in very limited supply. He devastated the British ships. Finally the British were beaten and abandoned the attempt on Charleston retreating to NY. The South remained relatively untouched for 4 years. There was an Indian war incited by the British between the Cherokee nation and the patriots of the South. The Cherokee were defeated. Andrew Pickens commanded the SC militia and he was prominent in the Indian defeat. England now became convinced that the Southern colonies contained vast numbers of loyal subjects who would rise once a powerful British army arrived. Tory refugees in England had fostered this opinion, and the former VA, NC, SC governors convinced the British that it would be easy to retake the south. The plan was NC, SC, VA would fall and the north would be cut off and have to surrender. On Christmas day 1779, the British sailed from NY to take Charleston for the 2nd time. They encountered many storms and were driven south all the way to North Florida and well off the coast into the Gulf Stream. There were numerous losses of men and ships as well as horses on the trip. They eventually landed in the vicinity of Charleston on February 11, 1780 about 30 miles south of the city. Clinton was the lead general with Cornwallis 2nd in command. Clinton traveled with some resistance across the Ashley to the north of Charleston between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, and then drove south to the city. The British fleet made it past the Fort this time and anchored in the Charleston harbor. The city was now under siege from both the harbor and the north. Sappers dug tunnels in the traditional way of defeating a city at siege. They hauled cannon closer until the defenses were ultimately breached. Finally with ground action, access was denied from the rivers and the defense of the city failed. When Charleston fell (5/12/1780) about 3400 Continental soldiers were captured. The city fathers of Charleston had forced them to stay in the city instead of allowing them to escape to the countryside while they could. There was now no American army in the south. The capture of Charleston was one of the greatest victories of the British during the war. Clinton now turned command of the army over to Cornwallis and sailed back to NY to run the northern campaign. Prior to Clinton's departure the British took a number of key towns. Georgetown 60 miles north east of Charleston, Augusta, Camden on the road to Charlotte, 96, Cheraw close to the NC border, and a few others. (96 got its name because it was believed to be 96 miles from the Cherokee town of Keowee). Savannah also fell. SC in control of the patriots since 1775 was stunned by the fall of Charleston and gave little resistance to the moves of the British. Even Andrew Pickens accepted the pardon from Clinton. (Pardon Concept) Major Ferguson got the job of organizing the Tory forces in the backcountry for the British army. He was appointed to the task by Clinton, and Cornwallis never fully trusted him. More on Ferguson later. Banastre Tarleton was a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Calvary reporting to Clinton and then Cornwallis. He becomes a major player in the Southern campaign. His tactics were swift approach, sudden appearance and immediate assault on the enemy. Weapons of choice were sabers and bayonets. Tarleton had fought in the north and came south as a favorite of Clinton who promoted him rapidly. Because of his tactic in several battles of offering no quarter to the enemy, he became one of the most hated men in the south. Tarleton was sent in pursuit of the patriot governor of SC with about 500 British Calvary. He massacred most of the troops protecting the governor refusing the white flag and quarter. He became known as Bloody Tarleton from then on. (Cheraw) There was pitched fighting going on between Rebels and Tories and sometimes British regulars throughout the Carolinas. (Tories sometimes wore green twigs in their hats and Whigs white paper since they had no uniforms to tell one another apart). There were both Tory and Patriot militias throughout the south and the north. The patriot militias always had local leaders. There were three significant Patriot militia leaders. Pickens and Marion were the best although Sumter was also prominent. Francis Marion-The Swamp fox, was commander of the 2nd SC regiment on the patriot side and he was a guerrilla leader. He used superior mobility and was never cavalier about security as many others were. The Tory militia usually had British leaders. Tory Militia came from NY and NJ as well as the south, There were also British regulars that were made up of American volunteers. There were frequent use of spies in all camps, i.e., Tories or Patriots would march with the opposing force and then carry word of the location and plans to the opposite side. The Battle of Camden 8/16/1780 Gates was appointed commander of the American southern army by the continental congress, and a new army was raised. He was a good organizer, but poor tactician. He approached Camden from the north with the new southern army. Cornwallis had come north from Charleston with his army and was resident in Camden. Cornwallis had Tory regulars from the north, Tarleton's legion of horse and foot soldiers made up mostly of volunteers from Ireland, and the NC Tory Militia about 2200 soldiers in total. Gates had about 3000 men. As Cornwallis approached, to begin the battle, the VA and NC patriot militia broke and ran. Gates was far in the rear and unable to see the battle. The Continentals fought well, but in the end, it was a total rout estimates were 250 Americans killed, 800 wounded and captured. There were 65 British killed and 256 wounded. Gates retreated to Charlotte and then to Hillsborough, NC. He began his retreat while some of his troops were still fighting. Gates was disgraced and never commanded troops again. (Thought he should have Washington's job) The Advance to Charlotte As Cornwallis advanced on Charlotte, Davie attacked him. Davie was a Brigadier General under Gates, and was a good soldier. Davie would give battle and then retreat since he was greatly outnumbered. Davie harassed Cornwallis as they foraged for food and when the British sent out messengers. The Battle of Kings Mountain SC Ferguson led a group of Tories. His task was to protect Cornwallis's right flank as Cornwallis moved from Camden into NC. The over the mountain men were mostly from Tennessee (today) where NC, VA and Tennessee meet on the western edge of the Appalachian Mountains. They were fierce pioneers used to Indian fighting and the rigors of pioneer farm life. They were hunters and good shooters. About 900 horsemen road from Cowpens on 6 October 1780 with abut 50 men on foot. Of the 900 440 were over the mountain men and 470 backcountry militia. Cowpens is about 33 miles from Kings Mountain. Ferguson made his stand on Kings Mountain. The rebels were 12 days on the trail to find Ferguson. The battle occurred on 10/7/1780. Ferguson was at the top of the hill camped and resting. The battle lasted about 1 hour. Rebels attacking and being driven back then re-attacking. Ferguson was killed and the Tories asked quarter. Killing continued for awhile in the manner that Tarleton had demonstrated in retaliation for his methods. 157 Tories were killed, 163 wounded too badly to be moved and 698 prisoners were taken. Many of the wounded probably died on the mountain. The next day wives and children came to find their kin. 28 rebels were killed and 62 wounded. The day after the battle early in the morning, the patriots marched with the prisoners. 36 of the Tories were convicted for parole violation at a quick trial in retribution for the hanging of rebel parole violators at 96 by Ferguson. 9-10 were hung immediately. The rest were saved when they decided to stop. Cornwallis was told of Ferguson's defeat and that 3000 rebels were marching toward him for battle. However the rebels were retreating. Cornwallis decided to retreat from Charleston to Winsboro, SC for the winter and to wait for reinforcements from Charleston. After the defeat at Charleston and Camden, the rebels needed a victory and Kings Mountain made their moral soar. The Retreat from Charlotte While Cornwallis held Charlotte, the NC countryside belonged to the rebels. The British only ventured out in force. A single rider was a dead man. Marion cowered the Tories by burning houses and distressing the Tories. Yellow Fever also swept the ranks of the British soldiers. The journey to Winsboro took 2 weeks (about 65 miles). The roads were impassable due to the rain and their guides deserted them after leading them onto the wrong road. Davies mounted militia clipped at their heels. Cornwallis contracted the fever as well and had to be transported via wagon . Marion remains active and Tarleton gives chase but fails to capture or engage him. Sumter wins a small battle against British regulars. Cornwallis is furious and recalls Tarleton to pursue Sumter on 9 November, 1780. On about 20 November 1780 Sumter near Union, SC with about 1000 men faced Tarleton. Sumter had chosen the battlefield and had the superior position. The rebels repelled the British with minimal loss although Sumter was wounded. Tarleton lost 92 killed and 76 wounded. It was a first defeat for Tarleton, although the British claimed victory. Sumter was sidelined which was good for the rebel cause given his skills as a militia commander. Nathaniel Greene Appointed General of the Southern Army A supreme strategist. Second only to Washington. A Quaker with little formal education but widely read. He was expelled from the Quaker's and began to take an interest in Military matters. After several bad congressional appointments, congress let Washington choose the Southern commander to replace Gates. He chose Greene on 10/14/1780. Greene arrived in Charlotte finding the southern army in disastrous shape. Daniel Morgan Appointed Brigadier General of the Southern Army Morgan was a wild wagoneer he headed militia formed at the request of the continental congress. He had given good service and over time rose to the rank of colonel. He was promoted to Brigadier general under the command of General Greene replacing Davie. Greene appointed Davie commissary general, which he reluctantly accepted. His job was to get supplies for the army. Greene split the army out of necessity into two pieces due to lack of provisions and food. He gave Morgan command of one group. Morgan left Charlotte on 10/21/1780 and headed west. He had 400 foot and horse soldiers. 320 Maryland and DE continentals, 200 VA militia and 80 continental dragoons. A total of about 1000 soldiers. Two days after Christmas Morgan with 280 horsemen rode after Tories who were harassing Patriot farms. They caught them just south of Clinton, SC on the road to 96. They killed 150 and captured 40 with only 1 casualty. A small stockade (Fort Williams) existed about 15 miles NE of 96 which was garrisoned by about 150 Tories. The Tories fled and possession was taken of the stockade by the rebels. Fearing an attack on 96, Cornwallis knew he had to deal with Morgan before he could attack Greene. He ordered Tarleton to 96 to protect it from Morgan. Tarleton rode with about 850 soldiers. He determined that Morgan was not moving on 96 after several days in the field.. Fording places to cross rivers were as important then as bridges are to us today. In January of 1781, a deluge fell on the land. Roads became impassable and the land was flooded. The rivers rose by as much as 25 feet. Cornwallis marched north of Winsboro for NC while Tarleton looked for Morgan. Cornwallis slowed to wait for soldiers and supplies coming up from Charleston to join him. By 1/9/1781, communication had broken down between Tarleton and Cornwallis due to the high rivers and the difficulty messengers had in covering the territory. On the 12th Tarleton learned of Morgan's position. He built rafts and swam the horses across 2 rivers to get at him. Pickens had patrols out covering all fording places on the rivers. On 1/14/1781, Tarleton crossed at Musgrove Mill. On 1/15 he approached the Pacelot river and Morgan retreated from Grindal shoals to Burr's Mill on Thickety creek. Tarleton was camped just below Morgan As he moved north, Tarleton had about 1200 men. Tarleton was 26 at the time of Cowpens. His command consisted of British regular Calvary, Artillery and Infantry. Infantry were typically armed with smooth bore muskets and bayonets. Calvary were mounted and armed typically with sabers and pistols Artillery had cannon and used both cannon ball and grape shot. Tarlenton also had about 50 loyalist enlisted to serve as scouts. When Morgan and his men reached Cowpens, he inspected the battlefield and set his plan on January 16. Reinforcements came from all directions and were in place by the night of the 16th. That night Morgan briefed the officers on his plan. The Americans were fed from cattle which had been driven to Cowpens that day. They had the opportunity to rest that evening and to prepare for battle . On the night of the 16th Tarleton camped about 12 miles to the south of Cowpens where Morgan had camped the night before. He roused his men at 3 am on the morning of the 17th and began the march north. It was a difficult march, the ground was wet and the streams were swollen and many streams had to be forded. It was also cold. They covered 7 miles in about 3 hours, and made the final march to Cowpens arriving for the battle at about 7 just before sunrise. After scouting reports on the location of Tarleton, Morgan roused his men at about 5:30 am. They had breakfast and prepared for battle. Morgan's forces consisted of 3 parts. The Continental forces, State Militias, and local militias. The Continentals were the best-equipped and best-trained forces. Most were armed with smooth bore muskets and bayonets. A good infantryman could fire 2-3 shots in a minute. Some also had rifles which would allow them to hit targets out to 200-300 yards. A rifleman might also carry a tomahawk or knife. There were regiments from VA, MD, Del. Cavalry was associated with both the Continentals and the state militias. The Calvary like the British would be mounted, and equipped with pistols and sabers. The state militias were made of up infantrymen and Calvary who came from VA, NC, GA, and SC. Pickens commanded the SC militia. The local militia was the original colonial defense forces. They kept the local peace. They tended to be poorly equipped with a burlesque appearance. They usual served for short terms but it was a legally required duty to report when you were drafted. In SC all available men were called out for the battle. Spartenburg country was there in force, and militia members came in smaller numbers from outlying areas. The Cowpens was an open wood known locally as Hannah's Cowpens. The ground sloped gently toward the south, the direction from which Tarleton would approach. At the far end were two low crests, separated by a wide swale. When Morgan sent word to the backcountry to meet at the Cowpens there was no doubt where they were to meet. Cowpens were common through out the Piedmont. But when a person spoke of the Cowpens every settler within hundreds of miles knew of the region south of the Broad River where the Green River Road and the Island Ford Road intersected. Morgan had about 1000 men, and a third were untested militia. He needed their firepower but it was risky to put them where the cavalry or bayonet wielding infantry would attack first. He formed his troops in 3 lines straddling the dirt road that curved through the Cowpens. In the front he placed about 120 sharpshooters whose job was to slow the enemy and then fall back. A 100 yards behind the skirmishers he placed the Carolina and Georgia militia, under Andrew Pickers. They were to fire 2-3 volleys and then go to the rear of the engagement. About 150 yards behind Pickens he placed the Continentals from Maryland, Delaware and veteran VA militia consisting of about 500 men. He told them to be prepared for the withdrawal of the militia and to fire low. In the rear behind the crest he stationed the Calvary to protect the militia when they withdrew, and to be held in reserve. The stage was now set for the battle of Cowpens (January 17, 1781) The British arrived just before dawn. Tarleton sent cavalry forward to drive in the skirmishers. About 15 British were killed by the sharpshooters before they withdrew. Tarleton then without pause formed his line of battle. He set the infantry astride the road on each flank. He held 200 Calvary and another infantry division in reserve. The British surged forward and the fighting became pitched and the advance faltered. Now Tarleton ordered up the reserves and threatened to out flank the American. The American right fell back Morgan road up and chose new ground for the Continentals to rally on. When they reached that point, they faced about and fired point-blank at the closing redcoats and plunged into the battle with bayonets fixed. The British retreated and were pursued by the American Calvary. It was all over in about an hour. The British losses were staggering. 110 dead, over 200 wounded, and 500 captured. Morgan lost 12 dead, and 60 wounded in a decisive victory. (About 800 out of Tarleton's 1200 soldiers) Why was Cowpens important? Although it was a short battle, Cowpens was an important turning point in the revolutionary war. Morgan captured and killed several hundred British troops. Cowpens followed another important victory at Kings Mt. in Oct 7, of 1780. After Cowpens Cornwallis burned his baggage to move faster, and chased Morgan who rejoined Greene's southern army. Cornwallis chases Greene into VA who crosses the Dann River to safety. Cornwallis retreats to Hillsborough, NC to forage and recoup from the march to catch Greene. After a few weeks, Greene crossed back into NC and after, maneuvering for position met Cornwallis on the field of battle at Guilford Courthouse near present day Greensboro, NC in March of 1781. Pickens was with Greene in NC and fought well. It was a near win for Greene, but he withdrew from the battle after administering significant losses to Cornwallis, who claimed victory. Cornwallis retreats to Wilmington and then to Yorktown for the final battle. Cornwallis surrenders to Washington at Yorktown in October of 1781. Following Guilford Courthouse, Greene took 20 months to recapture SC from the British. He attacked Camden and after a significant battle he withdrew. The British claimed victory, but were so weakened they abandoned Camden. He besieged the fort at 96, and after a battle he withdrew again, the British were so weakened that they withdrew from 96. At Eutaw Springs south of Camden and north of Charleston Greene met the British again in a fierce battle with each side suffering heavy casualties. Again he withdrew, and the British retreated to Charleston. The British withdrew from Charleston on December 14, 1782 and Greene entered Charleston in Victory. The formal battle in the South was over. The treaty of Paris ends the war in September of 1783.