South Carolina - Battle of Cowpens
Cowpens National Battlefield
Cowpens National Battlefield
This national park area
preserves the scene of Dan
Morgan's stunning victory over a
much-better equipped and
trained British force.
Cowpens National Battlefield
Gaffney, South Carolina
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If you have seen Mel Gibson's movie,
"The Patriot," then you know at least
the Hollywood version of the Battle of
Cowpens.
On January 17, 1781, an American
army of militia and regular
Continentals headed by Daniel
Morgan waited on this field for the
approach of a polished British force
led by the flamboyant Banastre
Tarleton.
Morgan handed Tarleton a smashing
defeat by arranging his men in a
series of lines, his raw militia in front
and his seasoned regulars in the
rear. The front lines were asked to get
off a couple of shots and then fall
back, each volley taking down more
and more British soldiers. By the time
Tarleton's men reached the American
regulars, they believed the Patriots
were in full retreat. Instead, Morgan
wheeled his men around and ordered
them to fire directly into the faces of
the oncoming British.
The strategy worked, costing Tarleton
110 killed and 830 men captured, 200
of whom were wounded.
Coming on the heels of the American
victory at Kings Mountain, the Battle of
Cowpens was a critical defeat for the
British and hastened their final
surrender at Yorktown, Virginia.
Cowpens National Battlefield is located in
Gaffney, South Carolina on South Carolina
Highway 11. The park includes a Visitor
Center, walking trail, monuments and
interpretive displays, as well as a road tour
around key features on the fringes of the
battlefield.
If you are interested in learning more about
the Battle of Cowpens, follow the link below
to an excellent online book available for free
through the National Park Service:
To read more about the Battle of Cowpens,
click here:
