The St. Louis Republic., 1901-01-13
FAMOUS SPEECHES.
The Battle of the Cowpens.

manded by Colonel Tarleton. The battles
OF Cowpens and Kings Mountain wero
! marked events I'm the history OF the cam
paign that decided the Revolution. mo
Southern campaign has been somewhat
| sighted In many OF the histories OF mo
War for Independence. but it was deoi-
! sive. The campaign that led up To the sur
render at Yorktown Is as thrilling ana as
| heroic as any in tho annals OF American
| arms.
In his history Of the United States. Ban
| croft gives this explanation Of the name Dy
/ which the locality of the battle or January
1 Il. l7sl. was known. lie says that In South
| Carolina. where tho grass IS springing
| through every month OF winter. cattle IN
those days grazed all the year round; never
housed. nor fed by the hand OF man. but
| driven from time TO time into cowpehs.
where the owners gave salt 10 the herd
and each marked those which were MS
! own.
Two miles from suoh an inclosure. on a
wide plain covered with primeval pines and
chestnut and oak, about sixteen miles from
spartsnburg. seven miles from the Chero-
| kee Ford on the Broad River, ana httlo
| less than five miles from the line OF Nortn
| Carolina. Morgan encamped his party LOT
| the night During the night Pickens re-
| turned from a short absence with more
| than a hundred militia, and another party
/ OF fifty came in. The moment was c"ihs
when It was safest to night
on the 18th. at an hour before dayhs"'.
Morgan. through his excellent system OIL
spies. knew that Tarleton's troops we're ap-
preaching his camp. His own men, nuhDeI-
ing 50 cavalry and 237 infantry Of the troops
Of the United States and $50 militia from
the States Of Virginia. North Carolina
South Carolina and Georgia SO in all. quiet
ly breakfasted and prepared for battle. The
| ground chosen was an open wood between
the springs OF two little rivulets. with
slight ridge extending from one of them 10
the other. The wood was free from under
growth; no thicket offered covert. no swamp
refuge from cavalry.
Tarleton had been sent by CORVALLIS TO
| intercept Morgan's retreat. The British
commander was impatient because Of the
Americans success. He wrote 10 Tarleton;
IF Morgan Is anywhere within your
reach shall wish you to push him to the
utn ost. No time IS to be lost
Tarleton answered by promising either to
destroy Morgan's corps or push It before
him over Broad River toward Kings Noun
tain. and he wished the main army 10 ad-
frgitives- 81 feel bold in offering my opin-
ion." he wrote. "as # flows from we'll
founded inquiry concerning the enemy's de-
signs" To this Cornwallis replied: You
have understood my intentions perfectly
So II was that Morgan had resolved to
make a stand al the Cowpens and had
drawn up his men TO the best advantage.
with sharpshooters in the best positions.
Tarleton's troops. numbering a little more
than LOO. having two field pieces and
great advantage in bayonets and cavalry.
after a march OF twelve miles. came in
sight at o'clock. and drew up IN single
battle line. The legion infantry formed
their center. with the Seventh Regiment
on the right the Seventy-first on the left
and two light companies OF a hundred men
each on the fanks. The artillery moved
in front. Tarleton. with $50 cavalry. was in
the rear. No sooner were they formed than
their whole line rushed forward with the
greatest impetuosity and with shouts.
They were received by a heavy and we'll
directed fire. first from the American skir-
mishers and then from the whole OF
Pickens's command: but their superiority
OF numbers enabled them to gain the
tanks OF the Americans. who were thus
obliged 20 change their position. They
formed. advanced on the enemy and gave
them volley which threw them into dis
order. The Virginia rifemen. who had
kept their places. instinctively formed
themselves on the sides OF the British. so
that they who. two or three minutes be-
fore. had threatened to turn the Americans
found themselves. as II were within n pair
OF pincers. exposed to the converging OBJ
lique fire OF two companies OF sharpshoot-
ers on each flank and a direct fire in front.
Lieutenant Colonel Howard perceived the
wavering OF the British and gave orders
for the line to charge with bayonets, which
was done with such address that the enemy
fed with the utmost precipitation. leaving
their field pieces behind them. The Amer
leans followed up their advances so effec-
tually that the British had no opportunity
OF rallying. Lieutenant Colonel William
Washington. having been Informed that
Tarleton was cutting down the rifemen on
the left pushed forward and charged his
party with such frmness that they broke
their ranks and fed, while Tarleton made
no attempt to recover the day They were
completely routed and were pursued TWEEN
ty-four miles by the cavalry.
OF the Americans. only twelve were killed
and sixty wounded. OF the enemy. ten
commissioned officer5 were Killed ana
more than a hundred rank and file: 200
were wounded: twenty-nine commissioned
officers and more than go privates were
taken prisoners. besides seventy negroes.
Two standards. upward OF a hundred dra-
COON horses thirty-flve wagons. 500 mus
kets and two field pieces that had been
taken from the British at Saratoga and
retaken at Camden, fell into the hands OF
the victors. The immense baggage OF Tarle- |
leton's army party. which had been left in
the rear. was destroyed by the British
themselves
modest report. must be attributed 20 the
Justice OF our cause and the gallantry OF
our troops. My wishes would induce me to
name every sentinel in the corps"
Morgan was as prudent as he was daring. |
and he retired rapidly with his men and |
prisoners and was soon beyond the Yad- |
kin on the way to Virginia. He had no |
army with which to stand against Corn |
wallis's thousands.
Tho fame Of the victory Of Cowpens 1
spread in every direction. CORVALLIS was |
cast down, and Tarleton Inundated while |
the Americans rejoiced.
1t is said that Tarleton was slightly |
wounded in the vigorous attack made on /
him and his reserves by Colonel Washing |
ton. 1t is OF this battle that the story Is |
told OF Tarleton's ridicule Of Colonel Wash
ington TO an'American lady, the wife of /
Of