Saturday, November 1, 2008

Cowpens National Battlefield


Cowpens National Battlefield
When us Yankees think of the Revolutionary War we think of Paul Revere’s ride and the Boston Tea Party. In South Carolina, they think of the Southern Campaign from 1778-1781. When the British realized that they had lost the North, they headed to the Southern States to try to keep control for the rice and spices produced there. The British sailed into Charleston taking control and then began their march towards Yorktown, VA. Tarleton was a ruthless British officer. Morgan was a frontiersman who was a volunteer. The Battle at Cowpens was a decisive defeat for the British. The battle was over in less than an hour. British losses were staggering, 110 killed, 229 wounded and 600 captured or missing. Morgan’s losses were: 24 killed and 104 wounded. This battle on January 17, 1781 was a decisive victory for the Continentals. What amazed us about the battlefield itself is the close proximity of the actual firing lines. They would fire within 40 yards of one another. The total battlefield was less than a .5 mile and Morgan’s victory was quick and precise.

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