The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-19
COWPENS.
THE BATTLE MONUMENT UNVEILED
AT SPARTANHURG.
Correspondence Columbia Reai,tee.

AT SPARTANsURG.
| Correspondence Columbia Register
SPARTANRURG, s. c., May 10. 1881.
Spartanburg is all alive 70 day, aud her
| people, as well as the visitors who are
pouring in from I'll directions, are filled
with enthusiasm in anticipation of the
celebration to take place TO- morrow. The
monument stands in the public square
in front of the Court House, and between
it ond the Court House is the stand from
which the speaking is TO take place. The
stand is substantial wooden covered
platform, with tier Of seats back of the
| speakers. East of the monument and
| stand is frame work of seats for the
ladies, capable Of accommodating several
hundred persons. The drapery for tho
| monument is the same which was used
| TO veil the Farragut monument, at Waah.
ington, and consists of two naval flags,
so arranged as to fall gracefully around
the statue, and TO come away readily at
the proper time. A number of gas iets
| are placed around the monument. go as
to display, when lighted, the names of
Morgan, Pickens, Washington and How.
ard, one on each of 4ue four sides. Over
the. public square is suspended large
eagle, made entirely Of immortelles, and
presented for this occasion by friends in
New York, of Col. j. H. Hunt, of Spar.
tanburg.
The monument and stand are tasteful.
ly decorated with evergreens and United
| States flags, and flags are dispIaved in
various buildings. An immense United
States flag is suspended across the cubic
square by wire stretched from the Mer.
chants Hotel to the Central Hotel.
THE BATTLE OF cowPENs
was fought on January II, 1881. In the
latter part of 1880 the condition of South
Carolina was truly lamentable. The
State was overrun by the British and TO.
ries, and there was no organized resis-
tance to the British arms in the lower
part of the State, except such rs was
offered by the persistent attacks of the
followers of Marion and Sumter. The
cause of the Americans seemed to be
waning, and the British and tories were
grow ing more and more bold and cruel
until the tide Of war was turned by the
decisive battle at Kings Mountain in
October Late in December, General
Morgan was seut to operate between
Pacoiet and Broad Rivers and strike
where he could do the most good. Being
in camp at Grndall Ford on tho Pacolet
en- the 14th, he received intelligence that
CORVALLIS and Tarleton were in motion
70 dislodge him; he abandoned that DO.
sition and on the evening of the 10Th
went into camp at the Cowpens, called
Hannah's C0wpens, because a man by
the name OF Hannah kept his COWS there.
am informed that tho surrounding sec.
tion OF country formerly partonk Of the
character of the Western prairies, the
young growth Uf timber being frequently
destroyed by fires, and grass being abun.
dant, 80 that it was O favorite grazing
place for cattle.
Tarleton supposed that Morgan was
retreating, followed him eagerly and
anticipated an easy victory. About SUM-
rise on the 17tli he attacked the Ameri.
can camp, and f. and out ..s mistake.
The action lasted about an hour, and re.
| suited in the famous and decisive victory
we are now celebrating. The muster
rolls of the American army arc so i'm
perfect, and the militia were collected 80
hurriedly that it 10 impossible to get at
the number engaged on their side. The
most reasonable estimate is $50 men.
more than half of whom were un,liscip
lined militia. The British had LOO. all
1f whom were choice and trained troops
They had superior force of cavalry and
two pieces of artillery. Their loss was
at least 30 killed, $50 wounded and GOO
prisoners, together with their two pieces
of artillery, IS wagons, rs negroes, 100
horses, and most of their baggage. Cur
loss was about IL killed and SO wounded
The Cowpens is i'll the upper edge of
Spartanburg County and very near the
North Carolina line. The battle field is
sixteen miles Northeast of Spartanburg.
1t has never been cleared since the bat
tie, and good many of the old trees
which were there when the battle was
fought are there still but dense under.
growth has sprung up 30 that one cannot
see through it now, whereas the view was
comparatively unobstructed then.
THE NEW MONUMENT.
The public square in SpaStanbnrg,
| where the monument stands, will here
after be known as Morgan Square"
This granite column is erected by the
old Thirteen States and Tennessee, and
cost, with foundation and erection, about
$1,000. Ex Captain Courtenay, of the
Washington Light Infantry, now Mayor
of Charleston, undertook the chairman.
ship Of the committee of construction in
January, 1890, and has voluntarily un.
dergone AZ amount Of labor the past fif:.
teen months in correspondence and
arranging general details which could
not have been compensated in money.
The motive for this gratuitous service
was the reunion of the "Old Thirteen"
on the soil Of South Carolina, the promo.
tion of kindly feeling among all sections
Of the Union, and the public recognition
| OF the patriotic and successful services of
Daniel Morgan, one Of the first in and
the last out of the war for independence,
whose merits have been strangely over.
looked in the ?ast, and as we'll, doing
honor to the gallant Howard, of the old
Maryland Line, the great cavalry leader.
fTiiiihnl Washington, and the inhexible
Andrew P,ckons, the leader of the up.
country South Carolina Rebels, and re-
viving in the public mind the glo-
ries of this field and the patriotism of
the armies who won the fight.
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MONUMENT.
Tits memorial is designed in simple
and nnpretentious style. which is certain.
ly in keeping with the character of the
hero or the fight, while the sturdy dignity
OF the architectural portion Of tie design
IL calculated TO arouse in the minds of
those who behold it, that veneration and
respect and quiet admiration for its pro.
portions, which the Doric order always
commands.
The monument Is properly divided into
tnree different parts, viz: The base, the