Battle of Cowpens (1781): Morgan's Victory over Tarleton

The Battle of Cowpens was fought on 17 January 1781 in the backcountry of South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. A small American army under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan used a carefully planned defence to lure Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s British force into a trap and destroy it in under an hour. The battle is often cited as one of the best-handled tactical victories of the war.

Background

After the Patriot victory at Kings Mountain in October 1780, Major General Nathanael Greene took command of the Continental army in the South in December. Facing a stronger British army under Lord Cornwallis, Greene boldly divided his forces, sending Morgan with a detachment west of the Catawba River to threaten British posts and rally local militia.

Cornwallis responded by sending Tarleton, a young and aggressive cavalry commander, to destroy Morgan. Tarleton’s British Legion had a fearsome reputation, especially after the action at the Waxhaws in May 1780, where many Americans were killed after attempting to surrender.

Morgan’s plan

Morgan, a veteran of Quebec and Saratoga, chose to stand at the Cowpens, an open pasture with scattered trees and gentle rises. With the Broad River behind him, his militia had little chance to run away, and he knew Tarleton favoured headlong attacks.

He arranged his roughly 1,000 to 1,100 men in three lines. In front were sharpshooting riflemen. Behind them stood militia under Colonel Andrew Pickens, whom Morgan asked to fire just two volleys, aiming at officers, before retiring. The third line, on a low rise, was made up of Continental infantry and veteran militia under Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard. Cavalry under Lieutenant Colonel William Washington waited in reserve. On the night before the battle Morgan went among the militia explaining his plan.

The battle

Tarleton’s men, about 1,100 strong, arrived at dawn after a night march and attacked at once. The skirmishers and militia did their job, firing and then falling back, inflicting heavy losses among British officers. Believing the Americans were breaking, the British pressed forward in increasing disorder.

When a misunderstood order caused part of Howard’s line to turn and withdraw, the British surged forward. The Continentals then halted, faced about and delivered a close-range volley, followed by a bayonet charge. At the same moment Washington’s cavalry struck one British flank and the re-formed militia returned to strike the other.

Caught in this double envelopment, attacked on both flanks at once, most of the British infantry surrendered. Tarleton tried to rally his cavalry, many of whom refused to charge, and escaped after a brief clash with Washington and his men.

Key people

Daniel Morgan (c. 1736–1802) was a former wagoner from Virginia who had served as a teamster in the French and Indian War and led a famous rifle corps early in the Revolution. Suffering from sciatica and rheumatism, he left active service soon after Cowpens.

Banastre Tarleton (1754–1833) was only 26 at Cowpens. He remained with Cornwallis until Yorktown, returned to Britain, wrote a history of the southern campaigns and later sat in Parliament for Liverpool.

John Eager Howard of Maryland commanded the Continental line and later became governor of Maryland. Andrew Pickens led the South Carolina militia, and William Washington, a distant cousin of George Washington, commanded the cavalry.

By the numbers

The Americans also captured two small field guns, a large stock of muskets and ammunition, and the colours of the 7th Regiment of Foot.

Consequences

Cowpens cost Cornwallis much of his light infantry and cavalry. Determined to recover the prisoners and catch Morgan and Greene, he burned his heavy baggage and set off in pursuit through North Carolina in what became known as the Race to the Dan, as the Americans crossed the Dan River into Virginia in February 1781.

The chase exhausted his army. On 15 March 1781 Cornwallis won a costly victory over Greene at Guilford Courthouse, then withdrew to the coast and moved into Virginia, a path that ended at the Siege of Yorktown. Congress awarded Morgan a gold medal for the victory.

Legacy

Historians and military schools still study Cowpens as an example of using the strengths and weaknesses of different troops, especially citizen militia, to best effect. The double envelopment has often been compared to Hannibal’s victory at Cannae in 216 BC. The site is preserved as Cowpens National Battlefield.

Timeline

• 1780, 2 December: Nathanael Greene takes command of the Southern Department.
• 1780, December: Greene divides his army and sends Morgan west.
• 1781, 16 January: Morgan camps at the Cowpens as Tarleton approaches.
• 1781, 17 January: Battle of Cowpens.
• 1781, February: The Race to the Dan; Greene crosses into Virginia.
• 1781, 15 March: Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

Why it matters

Cowpens showed how a smaller force of militia and regulars could defeat elite British troops through planning and leadership. It undermined Britain’s southern campaign and set off the chain of moves that led to Yorktown.