A Devil of a Whipping

A Devil of a Whipping
Author: Lawrence E. Babits
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2011-02-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0807887668

The battle of Cowpens was a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War in the South and stands as perhaps the finest American tactical demonstration of the entire war. On 17 January 1781, Daniel Morgan's force of Continental troops and militia routed British regulars and Loyalists under the command of Banastre Tarleton. The victory at Cowpens helped put the British army on the road to the Yorktown surrender and, ultimately, cleared the way for American independence. Here, Lawrence Babits provides a brand-new interpretation of this pivotal South Carolina battle. Whereas previous accounts relied on often inaccurate histories and a small sampling of participant narratives, Babits uses veterans' sworn pension statements, long-forgotten published accounts, and a thorough knowledge of weaponry, tactics, and the art of moving men across the landscape. He identifies where individuals were on the battlefield, when they were there, and what they saw--creating an absorbing common soldier's version of the conflict. His minute-by-minute account of the fighting explains what happened and why and, in the process, refutes much of the mythology that has clouded our picture of the battle. Babits put the events at Cowpens into a sequence that makes sense given the landscape, the drill manual, the time frame, and participants' accounts. He presents an accurate accounting of the numbers involved and the battle's length. Using veterans' statements and an analysis of wounds, he shows how actions by North Carolina militia and American cavalry affected the battle at critical times. And, by fitting together clues from a number of incomplete and disparate narratives, he answers questions the participants themselves could not, such as why South Carolina militiamen ran toward dragoons they feared and what caused the "mistaken order" on the Continental right flank.

The Battle of Cowpens

The Battle of Cowpens
Author: Edwin C. Bearss
Publisher: The Overmountain Press
Total Pages: 68
Release: 1996
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781570720451

Recounting the complex strategies that led to one of the great battles of the American Revolution, this book chronicles what happened when opposing forces clashed on January 17, 1781, as Brigadier General Daniel Morgan carried the day with astute military tactics and bold leadership. This account also details the troop movements and strategies of a battle that would foreshadow the Patriot victory at Yorktown.

The Battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens

The Battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens
Author: Melissa Walker
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 041589560X

Through government documents, autobiographies, correspondence, this book presents a look at the Southern backcountry that engendered its role in the Revolutionary War; with attention to political, social, and military history.

Cowpens 1781

Cowpens 1781
Author: Ed Gilbert
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 100
Release: 2016-09-22
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472822374

This is a blistering account of the battle of Cowpens, a short, sharp conflict which marked a crucial turning point in the American Revolution. With Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton and the British troops in hot pursuit, Daniel Morgan, leading a small force of 700 Continentals and militia, chose the Cowpens as the battlefield in which to make a stand. The two forces clashed for barely more than 45 minutes, yet this brief battle shaped the outcome of the War in the South and decisively influenced the conflict as a whole. The authors provide a shrewd analysis of what was perhaps the finest tactical performance of the entire war. Bird's-eye views, vivid illustrations and detailed maps illuminate the dynamism of this clash between two of the most famous commanders of the War of Independence.

The Cowpens

The Cowpens
Author: John Moncure
Publisher: Military Bookshop
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2013-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781782664451

The Road to Guilford Courthouse

The Road to Guilford Courthouse
Author: John Buchanan
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 508
Release: 1999-07-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1620459213

A brilliant account of the proud and ferocious American fighters who stood up to the British forces in savage battles crucial in deciding both the fate of the Carolina colonies and the outcome of the war. "A tense, exciting historical account of a little known chapter of the Revolution, displaying history writing at its best."--Kirkus Reviews "His compelling narrative brings readers closer than ever before to the reality of Revolutionary warfare in the Carolinas."--Raleigh News & Observer "Buchanan makes the subject come alive like few others I have seen." --Dennis Conrad, Editor, The Nathanael Greene Papers "John Buchanan offers us a lively, accurate account of a critical period in the War of Independence in the South. Based on numerous printed primary and secondary sources, it deserves a large reading audience." --Don Higginbotham, Professor of History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

South Carolina and the American Revolution

South Carolina and the American Revolution
Author: John W. Gordon
Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Press
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2021-02-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 1643362100

An assessment of critical battles on the southern front that led to American independence An estimated one-third of all combat actions in the American Revolution took place in South Carolina. From the partisan clashes of the backcountry's war for the hearts and minds of settlers to bloody encounters with Native Americans on the frontier, more battles were fought in South Carolina than any other of the original thirteen states. The state also had more than its share of pitched battles between Continental troops and British regulars. In South Carolina and the American Revolution: A Battlefield History, John W. Gordon illustrates how these encounters, fought between 1775 and 1783, were critical to winning the struggle that secured Americas independence from Great Britain. According to Gordon, when the war reached stalemate in other zones and the South became its final theater, South Carolina was the decisive battleground. Recounting the clashes in the state, Gordon identifies three sources of attack: the powerful British fleet and seaborne forces of the British regulars; the Cherokees in the west; and, internally, a loyalist population numerous enough to support British efforts towards reconquest. From the successful defense of Fort Sullivan (the palmetto-log fort at the mouth of Charleston harbor), capture and occupation of Charleston in 1780, to later battles at King's Mountain and Cowpens, this chronicle reveals how troops in South Carolina frustrated a campaign for restoration of royal authority and set British troops on the road to ultimate defeat at Yorktown. Despite their successes in 1780 and 1781, the British found themselves with a difficult military problem—having to wage a conventional war against American regular forces while also mounting a counterinsurgency against the partisan bands of Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens, and Thomas Sumter. In this comprehensive assessment of one southern state's battlegrounds, Gordon examines how military policy in its strategic, operational, and tactical dimensions set the stage for American success in the Revolution.

Battle of Cowpens

Battle of Cowpens
Author: Morgan Daniel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 134
Release: 2019-06
Genre:
ISBN: 9780578506241

The Battle of Cowpens is considered to be one of the most important victories of the American Revolution. On January 17, 1781, Continental General Daniel Morgan led his ragtag army of Continental regulars and local militia into battle on a South Carolina cow pasture against a superior force of British Army regulars commanded by Banastre Tarleton. Thanks to Morgan's innate understanding of American frontier psychology, and a unique battlefield formation that has been called the only "original tactical thought" of the American Revolution, Morgan defeated Tarleton in a victory many historians believe eventually led indirectly to the British surrender at Yorktown. Battle of Cowpens: Primary & Contemporary Accounts collects for the first time in a single volume the correspondence and memoirs of the soldiers who participated in the battle. Included here are first-person accounts from both Daniel Morgan and Banastre Tarleton, as well as other soliders who participated in the battle from both the British and American sides. Also in this volume are several accounts of the battle written in the years directly following the event, along with correspondence from other principal actors in the American Revolution's "Southern Campaign," including Nathanael Greene, Charles Cornwallis, and George Washington. With an introduction by the editor, Battle of Cowpens: Primary & Contemporary Accounts takes the reader onto the field of this historic American victory with the soldiers who fought there.

The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777-1778

The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777-1778
Author: Stephen R. Taaffe
Publisher:
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2003
Genre: History
ISBN:

Engagingly recounts how this often underestimated Revolutionary War campaign became a critical turning point in the war that led to the ultimate victory of the Continental Army over the British forces.