Changes

==Background==

==Background==

Following his triumph at the Battle of Camden in August 1780, Charles Cornwallis had established firm control over [[South Carolina]] and [[Georgia]], and was in a position to expand into [[North Carolina]] and possibly [[Virginia]] in the near future, as the defeated American army, which had fallen back on [[Charlotte]], was badly outnumbered and disorganized. His advance was delayed, however, first by the defeat and destruction of a detachment under Patrick Ferguson at the Battle of King's Mountain in October, then by the Americans' resumption of the offensive after Greene took command of the American army in December. Despite the numerical odds, Greene had divided his army in two in order to harass Cornwallis' forces in South Carolina, a tactic that proved highly successful with the [[Battle of Cowpens]] on January 17, 1781, in which part of his army, under [[Daniel Morgan]], wiped out a brigade under [[Banastre Tarleton]].  

Following his triumph at the [[Battle of Camden]] in August 1780, Charles Cornwallis had established firm control over [[South Carolina]] and [[Georgia]], and was in a position to expand into [[North Carolina]] and possibly [[Virginia]] in the near future, as the defeated American army, which had fallen back on [[Charlotte]], was badly outnumbered and disorganized. His advance was delayed, however, first by the defeat and destruction of a detachment under Patrick Ferguson at the Battle of King's Mountain in October, then by the Americans' resumption of the offensive after Greene took command of the American army in December. Despite the numerical odds, Greene had divided his army in two in order to harass Cornwallis' forces in South Carolina, a tactic that proved highly successful with the [[Battle of Cowpens]] on January 17, 1781, in which part of his army, under [[Daniel Morgan]], wiped out a brigade under [[Banastre Tarleton]].  

In the aftermath of Cowpens, Greene rejoined Morgan, who suggested a retreat westward into the Appalachian Mountains, reasoning that the rugged terrain would make pursuit by the British impossible. However, Greene by now had learned that Cornwallis had in turn reacted to the news of Cowpens by destroying his baggage train and heavy equipment and cutting loose from his base at Winnsboro, South Carolina, intending to match the mobility of his less-encumbered foe. Greene therefore decided upon a march north, not west, his goal the Dan River on the Virginia-North Carolina border. His reasoning was that by "retreating" just slowly enough to convince the British to continue their pursuit, he would wear them down and draw them far away from their supply base; Cornwallis would be left isolated and vulnerable, and Greene, drawing supplies and reinforcements from Virginia, could engage him on a more favorable basis.

In the aftermath of Cowpens, Greene rejoined Morgan, who suggested a retreat westward into the Appalachian Mountains, reasoning that the rugged terrain would make pursuit by the British impossible. However, Greene by now had learned that Cornwallis had in turn reacted to the news of Cowpens by destroying his baggage train and heavy equipment and cutting loose from his base at Winnsboro, South Carolina, intending to match the mobility of his less-encumbered foe. Greene therefore decided upon a march north, not west, his goal the Dan River on the Virginia-North Carolina border. His reasoning was that by "retreating" just slowly enough to convince the British to continue their pursuit, he would wear them down and draw them far away from their supply base; Cornwallis would be left isolated and vulnerable, and Greene, drawing supplies and reinforcements from Virginia, could engage him on a more favorable basis.