Changes

{| border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="300" style="margin-left:5px"

{{War

|align="center" colspan="2"|[[Image:AmRev Logo.PNG|300px]]

| image      = AmRev Logo.PNG

|-

| date        = January 17, 1781

!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: gray  no-repeat scroll top left;"|Battle of Cowpens

| location    = [[Cowpens]], [[South Carolina]]

|-

| victor      = Americans

|Occurred

| combatant1  = [[United States]]

|January 17, 1781

| combatant2  = [[Loyalist]]s

|-

| commander1  = [[Daniel Morgan]]

|}

| commander2  = [[Banastre Tarleton]]

The '''Battle of Cowpens''' occurred on Jan. 17, 1781, during the [[American Revolution]]. American General [[Daniel Morgan]] ordered his line of militia to fire into [[British]] [[General Cornwallis]]' and Colonel Tarleton's soldiers, who included Highlanders, dragoons and loyalists.  The British pursued the Americans, but American Continentals were waiting for the British over a hill.  [[Mel Gibson]]'s movie "The Patriot" depicted this battle.

| casualties1 = 73 killed

| casualties2 = 110 killed

}}

The '''Battle of Cowpens''' occurred on January 17, 1781, during the [[American Revolution]]. American General [[Daniel Morgan]] ordered his line of militia to fire into [[British]] [[General Cornwallis]]' and [[Colonel Tarleton]]'s soldiers, who included Highlanders, dragoons and loyalists.  The British pursued the Americans, but American Continentals were waiting for the British over a hill.  [[Mel Gibson]]'s movie "The Patriot" depicted this battle.

The Americans scored a huge success, killing 110 British and capturing as many as 830.

The Americans scored a huge success, killing 110 British and capturing as many as 830.

==Background==

==Background==

On December 2, 1780, Major General [[Nathanael Greene]] formally took command of the Southern Department of the Continental Army in Charlotte, North Carolina, succeeding Horatio Gates, who had been relieved following his disastrous defeat at the [[Battle of Camden]] in August. Since that battle, the American army had deteriorated badly in numbers, supplies, and morale; at the time Greene took over, it contained only about 2,500 soldiers, only a third of them properly equipped. In light of these poor conditions, Greene decided to withdraw from Charlotte to a more secure location on the Pee Dee River, where the army could reorganize; however, to avoid the appearance of retreating in the face of Cornwallis' army, he divided it into two segments that would stay in the area for the immediate future, one commanded by himself, the other by Morgan.

On December 2, 1780, Major General [[Nathanael Greene]] formally took command of the Southern Department of the Continental Army in Charlotte, North Carolina, succeeding Horatio Gates, who had been relieved following his disastrous defeat at the [[Battle of Camden]] in August. Since that battle, the American army had deteriorated badly in numbers, supplies, and morale; at the time Greene took over, it contained only about 2,500 soldiers, only a third of them properly equipped. In light of these poor conditions, Greene decided to withdraw from Charlotte to a more secure location on the Pee Dee River, where the army could reorganize; however, to avoid the appearance of retreating in the face of Cornwallis' army, he divided it into two segments that would stay in the area for the immediate future, one commanded by himself, the other by Morgan.

==Battle==

==Battle==

[[Image:map-05.gif|thumb|250px|right|Map of the skirmish which took place between the Pacolet and Broad rivers]]

[[File:map-05.gif|thumb|250px|left|Map of the skirmish which took place between the Pacolet and Broad rivers]]

Morgan and Tarleton met on January 17 at Cowpens, a mostly open field just south of the Broad River that received its name from being a popular place to graze local cattle. At first glance, the location appeared to give the British every advantage: the lack of natural barriers to the west and east meant Morgan was in danger of being flanked on either side, while the Broad River was immediately in his rear and thus precluded an easy retreat. However, Morgan deliberately selected the site, later explaining that as many of his troops were poorly-disciplined militia, and thus prone to flee at the first opportunity, he felt it necessary to give battle on ground that offered no option of retreat. He also expected Tarleton, whose boldness and contempt for the enemy was well-known, to attempt a frontal assault, rather than a flanking maneuver.

Morgan and Tarleton met on January 17 at Cowpens, a mostly open field just south of the Broad River that received its name from being a popular place to graze local cattle. At first glance, the location appeared to give the British every advantage: the lack of natural barriers to the west and east meant Morgan was in danger of being flanked on either side, while the Broad River was immediately in his rear and thus precluded an easy retreat. However, Morgan deliberately selected the site, later explaining that as many of his troops were poorly-disciplined militia, and thus prone to flee at the first opportunity, he felt it necessary to give battle on ground that offered no option of retreat. He also expected Tarleton, whose boldness and contempt for the enemy was well-known, to attempt a frontal assault, rather than a flanking maneuver.

==Aftermath==

==Aftermath==

 

The Battle of Cowpens was a complete tactical victory for the Americans. Of the 1,100 or so soldiers in the British force opposing them, 712 (wounded and unwounded) were taken prisoner (though some put the figure as high as 830), in addition to about 110 killed. These casualties, which virtually wiped out Tarleton's brigade, represented a significant portion of Cornwallis' overall army, the more so as they occurred mostly among trained regulars he could hardly afford to lose. In addition, the battle marked a personal humiliation of Tarleton, who had gained a reputation as a bloodthirsty terror to the Patriots, and thus re-energized the American cause in the South.  [[John Marshall]] noted the significance of the victory, writing: "Seldom has a battle, in which greater numbers were not engaged, been so important in its consequences as that of Cowpens."<ref>The Life of George Washington : Commander in Chief of the American Forces, During the War Which Established the Independence of his Country, and First President of the United States, p. 401</ref>

The Battle of Cowpens was a complete tactical victory for the Americans. Of the 1100 or so soldiers in the British force opposing them, 712 (wounded and unwounded) were taken prisoner (though some put the figure as high as 830), in addition to about 110 killed. These casualties, which virtually wiped out Tarleton's brigade, represented a significant portion of Cornwallis' overall army, the more so as they occurred mostly among trained regulars he could hardly afford to lose. In addition, the battle marked a personal humiliation of Tarleton, who had gained a reputation as a bloodthirsty terror to the Patriots, and thus re-energized the American cause in the South.  [[John Marshall]] noted the significance of the victory, writing: "Seldom has a battle, in which greater numbers were not engaged, been so important in its consequences as that of Cowpens."<ref>The Life of George Washington : Commander in Chief of the American Forces, During the War Which Established the Independence of his Country, and First President of the United States, p. 401</ref>

American casualties in the battle were much lower; Morgan reported only 73 killed and wounded. The battle plan Daniel Morgan developed for Cowpens has been much studied down the years, not only for its brilliance on paper, but also for how it played to the strengths rather than the weaknesses of his untested militia. Historian John Buchanan suggested that on this occasion, Morgan was "the only general in the American Revolution, on either side, to produce a significant original tactical thought."

American casualties in the battle were much lower; Morgan reported only 73 killed and wounded. The battle plan Daniel Morgan developed for Cowpens has been much studied down the years, not only for its brilliance on paper, but also for how it played to the strengths rather than the weaknesses of his untested militia. Historian John Buchanan suggested that on this occasion, Morgan was "the only general in the American Revolution, on either side, to produce a significant original tactical thought."