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On cold morning at sunrise on 17 January 1781, 1065 American Patriots, led by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, make ready to battle the 1,150 British Regulars led by Lieutenant Banastre Tarleton in the peaceful pasture lands of Cowpens near Chesnee, South Carolina. Tarleton had pursued the American troops to this place as hunter would to corner his prey, without knowing how many men Morgan commanded. Morgan had the high ground - a ridge that dipped down to a shallow swale and rose again to a higher ridge. Just behind the crown of the second ridge was a deeper gully where the calvary was concealed. Morgan spent the evening of the 16th moving from campfire to campfire talking to his soldiers before combat, encouraging them, building their resolve. On the morning of 17 January, near dawn, Morgan’s men met the British on the wide-open South Carolina pastureland. Morgan knew his men and he knew Tarleton’s. General Morgan, hoping to hinder any impulse among his troops to retreat, positioned his forces between the Broad and Pacolet rivers and ensured a head-on encounter with the enemy. Morgan worried that his men would panic in the early stages of combat, as they had in the American fiasco at Camden months before. Boosting morale in his men and safeguarding their confidence with two rivers, Morgan took a chance against Tarleton’s more disciplined and trained troops. Betting that Tarleton would employ typical British field battle tactics by lining up his men in a linear assault, Morgan deliberately left his flanks open, inviting Tarleton’s troops to take the bait. Morgan formed his defense into three separate lines: the first of skirmishers; the second of militia, and the third and last line consisting of the better-trained Continental Army units. He ordered some trained men to be in first two lines and to shoot British officers first, so when the British would get through the lines, the Royal Army would be leaderless and disorganized. As the British advanced, Morgan commands his militia in the second line to fire two volleys and then immediately retire to the rear of the line to fight in reserve behind the line of Continentals. This maneuver gave the impression that the Americans were fleeing, while at the same time concealed the third line, which could fire on British troops as they assaulted the hill. The arrangement worked. The British suffered heavy casualties in the initial attacks. By the time they reached the third American line, they fell apart. Depleted of officers, Tarleton’s men continued to try and press their advantage. An hour into the fighting, elements of Morgan’s Virginia Regiments fired point blank into the British as they attempt a feeble flanking move on the right. Just when the British assault was blunted, the Americans fixed bayonets and plunged into the enemy. In the melee that followed, Americans seized the two small field pieces the British had brought along for artillery support. The British line crumbled with Regulars throwing down their arms and surrendering. The American cavalry advanced from behind the third line to cut off the British, shocking and devastating the Royal Army soldiers that were left standing. Morgan ordered 100 cavalrymen under William Washington (second cousin, first-removed to George Washington) to meet Tarleton’s men at the third line. Washington’s horsemen attacked on the right and the reformed militia from the first two lines to strike left, overwhelming Tarleton's frazzled troops. Those British who could, tried to run—only to be hotly pursued by the American cavalry. Washington personally took on Tarleton with his saber, shouting insults as he attacked. Tarleton then shot Washington’s horse out from under him and Tarleton, like his men fled the field. By 8 am the battle is over. The estimated casualties are 1,017 with 149 American and 868 British. After Cowpens, Cornwallis gave up on his efforts to win in South Carolina and pursued Greene’s force into North Carolina. He defeated Greene at the Battle of Guilford Court House in March, then withdrew to Virginia to rest and refit his tired and depleted army. Washington then seizes the opportunity to trap and defeat Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, which was the last major conflict of the Revolutionary War. battlefields.org/learn/revoluti…