The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-07-03
The Battle of the C0wpens.

The Battle of the Cowpens.
The battle-ground of the Cowpens is in
Spartanburg District, about seven miles
from the town of Spartanburg, and four
or five miles from the North Carolina
line. The surrounding country is beau
tiful and almost perfect plain, with fine
growth of tall pines, oak and chestnut.
This was the case fifty years ago. This
growth may have been all cut down now,
and the land in cultivation, for aught I
know. On the memorable 18th of jan
uary, 1871 the entire country for miles
around the battle-ground was one vast
untouched virgin forest. The inhabi-
tants of the lower part of the District
had been in the habit of driving their
cattle into this part of the country for
the purpose of grazing, and had erected
pens in the neighborhood for sailing and
marking them. Hence the name of the
battle-ground. The field of battle, how
ever, was about two miles from the Cow
pens; but inasmuch as there was no nearer
known place in the neighborhood, it was
called "The Battle of the Cowpens."
/ was shown many years since map
representing minutely and most satisfac-
torily the scene of this signal and glori-
GUS victory, with the order and position
of the opposing armies. l also had the
pleasure of having the entire battle
ground pointed out to me by one of the
Surviving gallant officers who comman-
ded in the battle. The American army,
under Gen. Morgan, had encamped the
night before the battle between the wa
ters of Suck Creek and branch of Buck
Creek, which are only two or three hun
dred yards apart. There was, fifty years
ago, little field on either side of the
road, where the American army had en-
camped that night. On the morning of
the 18th of February, 1871, about day
light, Gen. Morgan drew up his little ar
my on slight ridge extending from the
head of one of these spring branches to
the other. The road over which the
American army had been retreating to
avoid Col. Tarleton and the British army
leads from the upper part of Union Dis
trict into North Carolina, and passes i'm
mediately between these two branches,
which at that time were pretty we'll lined
with cane and small reeds. The road
leading from Spartanburg Court House
also intersects the Union and Island Ford
few PAGES south of the head waters of
this branch of Buck Greek.
Gen. Morgan was unwilling to give
battle to the enemy until he had crossed
the river into North Carolina. He was
informed, however, that the militia we're
unwilling to pass out of the State, and he
was therefore forced to risk battle. The
enemy had been marching all night to
overtake him, and was worn down. This
contributed, no doubt, in some measure
to Morgan's great victory. His men
were fresh and had rested all night. The
South Carolina and North Carolina mill
tia, under the command of Gen. Pickens,
were posted one hundred and fifty yards
in advance of the Continental troops, un
der the command Of Col. Howard. Col.
Brandon's Regiment was placed on the
left of the road, and Col. John Thomas,
Jr.,' and Col Roebuck's on the right.
They were ordered not to fire till the en-
emy come within proper range, tostand the
enemy's fire as long as possible, and then
to fall back and form line of battle in
rear of the Continentals. The British
army marched up the road within one
hundred yards of the American lines and
then deployed to the right and left with
a corps of cavalry on each wing. The
Americans were permitted to shelter
themselves behind trees whilst the enemy
was marching on them and firing rapid
ly. Several of the old soldiers told me
at the celebration of the anniversary of
the Battle nearly fifty years since, that as
many as three were very often behind the
same tree. Some of them undertook to
point out the very trees behind which
they took shelter. There was at that
time no underground on the battle
ground.
The British marched up, said the old
soldiers, with terrible huzza and shout
ing as if they anticipated an easy VIC
tory. They fred rapidly as they came,
but their fire did little execution, as the
militia were protected by the trees. 1t
would seem too that their firing was wide
of the mark, as saw bullets cut out of
the trees twenty feet above the ground.
The militia under Gen. 'Pickens fired but
once. The enemy charged them with
fixed bayonets, which they had not, and
consequently they made rapid retreat
and formed as ordered behind the Cont
nentals. But their fire did great execu-
ton, and the old soldiers told me that
when they went to bury the dead the
next day, they found the bodies close
| together in q straight line clear across
the battlefield.
The brunt of the battle was bravely
borne by Col. Howard's regulars after the
militia fell back. Three hundred of the
enemy were killed and wounded, and five
hundred of them taken prisoners. The
remnant of Col. Tarleton's cavalry was
pursued by Col. William Washington
fifteen or twenty miles to Goudelock's,
where he was falsely informed that the
enemy were out of his reach, when in
fact they were just ahead of him. Tarle-
ton had pressed Mr.. Goudelock to 60 and
pilot him across the Pacolett. Mrs.
Goudelock was afraid that her husband
might be killed if Washington overlook
the British, and therefore said that the
enemy had passed long since. The feel
lngs OF wife overcame her principles OF
patriotism and truth. Had the Ameri-
can cavalry continued their pursuit fif-
teen minutes longer, this remnant of the
British army would have been captured.
The places where the dead were buried
were distinctly to be seen at the celebra-
tion of the anniversary, to which have
already alluded. Sundry relics of the bat
| fln ct,nh h,,I rnAc on1 haun.
ncts--were given to me on that occasion.
! l noticed that two or three of the bullets
were pewter. Lead being scarce, no
doubt some of the Wings had converted
their pewter spoons and plates into bull
lets.
AS York District prides herself on
Kings Mountain, and is about to cele-
brate the centennial of the Battle, Spar
tanburg may well have equal pride in
her COwpcns.