The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-09-07

u
be presented for payment quarterly.
Au letters by mail must be post paid 10 insure
dunctual attention.
THE RATTLE OF THE COWPENS.
may.wi,h truth be said, that in no bat
lie Of the, American Revolution was the
contes, more unequal, or the victory more
SIGNAL and complete, than that OF the Cow
nens.a The British army was superior in
numbers, in discipline, in arms and in every
thing that can constitute an army save the
sonl and spirit Of the sol'lier and the noble
daring of the offer. In lnfaniry they
were as five to four, and in Cavalry as
three 10 one! The American army under
GerS.NIorgan, was retreating detachment,
without artillery, without proper arms, and
without baggage or provisions. In the
language of. d distinguished historian of
that neriod-the earth was their bed,
,he:heavens their covering, and the rlyu-
lets which they cr,,ssed their only drink.
The battle. ground Of the Cowpens is in
Soarlanburg District, about seventeen
miles nar,h Of the Court House, and four
or five miles from the North Carolina line.
The surrounding country is beautiful
and almost perfect plain, with fine growth
of tall pncs. oak and chcsnut. On the
memorable I7lh January, l7Si, the entire
country for miles around the battle ground
was one vast untouched forest. The hi
babitants of the lower part of the District,
had been in the habit Of driving their cat
,Ie into his part of tho country for the pur-
nese Of grazing. and had erected pens in
the neighborhrod for the purpose oil salt
ingand marking them. Hence the origin
Of the name of the battle ground. The
field of battle however, is about two miles
distant from the Cowpens; but inasmuch
az there was no other or nearer known
place in the ncigl,borhood, it was called
..,he rle ofsthe Cowprns." The night
nrevious to the battle, the American army
had encamped on the ground. The po-
si,ion was asfavorabe one, and lay lmme-
dia,ely between the head waters of"Suck
Creek" branch Of "Buck Creck,' which
are rat more than two or three hundred
yards anart. The forces under General
MORGAN were drawn up, about daylight,
IN tie ridge extending from one of these
enrino branches to the other. These
branches, al that time, were well lined
With cane ard small reeds, which made it
exccedingly difficult TO cross over them.
General Morgan was retreati1g INTO North
Carolina, and had determined TO give bat
tle on the other side of the Broad River
General p. .ckens informed him that il
thcv crnssed the river the militia could moi
he kept together. A large portion OF
them had Joined the army the day previous
and were under no regular discipline
This determined, the Commanding Gen
to wait for 'rTarleton, whose forces had beer
marching all night to overiake theZAmerl
can Army, before they could get over tht
Rroad River. The North and South Caro-
lima Militia, under The command OF Gen
Pickens, were posted one hundred an'
Fifty O. two hundred yards in advance o
the continental troops, under Col. How
ard. Col. Brondon's regiment Was place.
on the left of the road leading from Unioi
District into North Carolina; and The ne
piments of Colonels Thomas and Roebacl
on The RIGHT. They were ordered to slan
the fire Of the enemy as long as possible
and then retreat and form again on III
right and left Of the continental troops
About sun rise the British army appeared
in sight and marched within one or lw
hundred yards Of the American lines, an
then displaved to the right and left. wit
a corps Of cavalry on each wing. Gen
~Pickcns ordered the militia not to fire, ur
ill the enemy came within thirty PAGES G
them. They were al lso permitted to she
Ter themselves behind trees, which was
ieas, pruden, ifn"t very sclen'ltc mod
of fighting. A, The celebratlon On! OF the al
niyersary of this battle, in 1852 'he wr
ter Of these sketches was shown, ny seve
al of the old soldiers, theSidentlcal Tree
from behind which they fired during IN
engagement. The British, when torme
rushed forward with shout and huzza,
ifin anticipation of an easy victory. Tn
horse of Col. Brandon was shot down III
der him, and his regiment immedldtel
fred ON the. enemy. inavioIation of the
orders to wait, until he had approache
wi.hin thirty PAGES. The regiments