T6+-+6.5A

T6 - 6.5A Jae'Von McClain, Matt Carpenter (Battle of Cowpens)
 * Conflict in Cowpens **

It was a cold, winter day in the city of Cowpens, South Carolina. It was 1781 and a fight was brewing in this city. In need of cattle, land, power, and freedom, the Colonists marched in on January 17 ready and well prepared to fight the British army. The British desperately wanted to gain back the trust and faith of their fellow loyalists. The colonists knew this, but also had plans of their own, liberty. The colonists were well armed with militia and sharpshooters, while the “redcoats” were regularly armed. The Colonists were ready to defend what was theirs. As the British marched in, and the first shot rang in and out of the town, bullets and arrows were fired. The battle had begun

General Morgan and his troops had defeated the British lead by Banastre Tarleton. The battle started around 7:00 A.M. and lasted about an hour. General Daniel Morgan had never worked with the troops he was given; but the troops were willing to do whatever was needed in order to win the battle. General Morgan also had little experience with the battlegrounds he was forced to fight on but he came up with a great strategy that used the resources at hand.

General Morgan split up his soldiers into three different groups. Sharpshooters, Militia, and the continental army were split into 3 lines of infantry. Morgan ordered his sharpshooters to fire at British dragoons and other British soldiers who appeared to be leading the British troops. After the sharpshooters would fire a couple shots, they were ordered to retreat and lure the British right into the second line of Continental infantry, the militia. The Militia’s order was simple. Fire two or three shots at British soldier and retreat. The order was simple yet critical; the Patriots were hoping this would lead the rest of the British soldiers right into the Continental Army, who would destroy the remaining British and lead them to victory.

Morgan’s plan was then put into action. He lined up his sharpshooters on a hill in order for the best possible protection and accuracy. His sharpshooters did as they were told, took out some of the British soldiers and more importantly, some of the troops’ leaders. After the British realized where the shots were coming from, they quickly charged the Patriots hoping the Patriots would be caught off guard. The British were astonished, running into a full force of militia. The Militia also followed their orders, killing the British soldiers that faced them. This is where Morgan’s plan nearly fell apart. After the British had nearly half of their soldiers lost due to rushing the colonists, the British soldiers stayed in their position, hoping the Patriots would retreat leading to a British victory. Morgan quickly realized what the British were doing, and ordered the Continental army to charge the remaining British soldiers. Morgan’s plan worked to perfection, the British were caught off guard and were wiped out; leaving every British soldier either captured by the Patriots, or killed.

After blood had been shed, after soldiers had died, after bullets had been fired, and after a victor had been crowned, the Colonists had finally built upon their road to freedom in the United States of America. The British had let down their colonists once again to an unworthy, uneducated, and fairly trained, team of colonists. The colonists may have not been well trained nor educated, but they had a couple traits that were instilled in them that gave them hope that they could win and those were determination, hope, faith, will power, grit, and courage. They stood behind these traits and went towards what they wanted most, freedom. After all had been said and done, the colonists, our great colonists, had won. This was a key victory in reclaiming the south.

After the war, General Morgan had this to say, " As to war, I am and always was a great enemy, at the same time a warrior the greater part of my life and were I young again, should still be a warrior while ever this country should be invaded and I lived."

 Also, a reporter name Lawrence Babits said this, "  Tarleton deserves credit for his rapid marches, hard, driving attacks, and an approach to warfare that seems more modern than that of some contemporaries. The ability to obtain information ahead of the army, the rapidity with which he pursued and destroyed opposition forces, and achieved maximum efforts, at times, from a rather motley group, reflect favorably on his abilities, even though he was often somewhat impulsive on the battlefield."