Battle of Cowpens

Battle of Cowpens
Part of the American Revolutionary War
The Battle of Cowpens, painted by William Ranney in 1845. The scene depicts an unnamed black man (left), thought to be Colonel William Washington's waiter,[1] firing his pistol and saving the life of Colonel Washington (on white horse in center).
The Battle of Cowpens, painted by William Ranney in 1845. The scene depicts an unnamed black man (left), thought to be Colonel William Washington's waiter,[1] firing his pistol and saving the life of Colonel Washington (on white horse in center).
DateJanuary 17, 1781
Location
Cherokee County,
near Cowpens, South Carolina
Result American victory
Belligerents
United States

 Great Britain

Commanders and leaders
United States Daniel Morgan Kingdom of Great Britain Banastre Tarleton
Strength
1,887–1,912[2] 1,150
2 guns[3]
Casualties and losses
25 killed
124 wounded[4]		 110 killed
229 wounded
629 captured or missing
2 guns lost[5][6]

The Battle of Cowpens was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War fought on January 17, 1781, near the town of Cowpens, South Carolina. American Patriot forces, estimated at 2,000 militia and regulars under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan faced 1,000 British troops under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton.

The American victory was the worst loss suffered by British units since General John Burgoyne surrendered to General Horatio Gates at the Saratoga in 1777. Pro-independence enthusiasm surged when news of the battle spread.[7] Tactically, Cowpens demonstrated that American patriot militia, when properly led, could inflict heavy casualties on Britain's best-trained troops.[8]

Morgan's militia disbanded after the battle, leaving 550 soldiers under his command. British General Charles Cornwallis pursued Morgan during December 1781 and January 1782 with his army of 2,500 men. Morgan evaded Cornwallis to join General Nathanael Greene’s army near Greensboro, North Carolina in early February, setting the stage for the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.[9]

  1. ^ a b "Patriot Minorities at the Battle of Cowpens". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/cowp/learn/historyculture/patriot-minorities-at-the-battle-of-cowpens.htm
  2. ^ Buchanan, 319; Papers of Nathanael Greene, Vol. 7, p. 155
  3. ^ Babits
  4. ^ Edgar, Walter B., The South Carolina Encyclopedia, p. 235
  5. ^ Babits, Lawrence E. (1998). A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-2434-8, p. 142
  6. ^ Buchanan, John. The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1997, ISBN 0-471-16402-X, p. 326
  7. ^ Crawford, 2024 p. 179-180: Abigail Adams dubbed Morgan "the rising Hero in the South."
  8. ^ Crawford, 2024 p. 180: Crawford notes that satisfactory militia performance was a revelation less significant to the British, and more to the American revolutionary leadership.
  9. ^ Crawford, 2024 pp. 181-183