Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-10

While Tarleton vas hurriesly forming
MS troors Morgan went among his men.
explaining the plan of battle. They were
told not TO be discouraged az the sudden
retreat that would follow the first move
OF the British. for IL would simply be a
rasc TO bring the enemy headlong within
easy range or the sIarpshooters. He was
going 10 demonsrate, as ne had at Sara
toga. at Monmouth at Germantown and
elsewhere. how he could shatter the Brit
ish. All that was necessary was to re
main cool and shoot susfght
Tarleton's legion. the light infantry
ana the eth regiment. comprised the
British battle line. in the center of
which was posted the artillery. a troop
OF Dragons was on either flank. 4
battalion OF the list and the
remainder OF the cavalry formed the re-
serve. Tarleton expected to rout the
Americans with one dash. The light
parties OF militia fell back as the Brit
ish advanced. and then the British hurl-
ed themselves on the front line OF Pick
ems heavy. murderous fire made
Tarletons men waver. but only for a
short time. and the militia fell hack to
the second line. Here Pickens took
post with Howard. Tarleton. unable TO
make further Roadway, ordered up his
reserves.
The British line overspread, so that
II threatened TO outfank Howard To
onset this an order was given to one
company to charge its front. The order
was misunderstood and the company
started to fall back. Morgan thereupon
ordered the line to retire to the cavalry
In order TO relieve the flank. The Brit
ish thought this retrograde movement
the beginning of panic and began a
disorderly and impetuous advance.
Suddenly the Americans were turned
and poured heavy fire upon the Brit
ish. This was so much OF a surprise
fSh int
fusion. Now Morgan ordered a bay
onet charge. The British gave way all
along the line. Their reserves having
been called into action they had no
rallying point. The whole force soon
was in flight.
CORVALLIS was at Fishers creek.
twenty-five miles away. Tarleton. with
remnant Of his command. reached
there at night OF his army of one
thousand men he had lost 100 killed.
including ten officers and 52S wounded
or made prisoners. In addition he lost
his cannon. 500 muskets. standards.
So baggage wagons and 100 dragon
horses.
CORVALLIS was stunned at first by the
disaster that had befallen Tarleton. Only
a short time before the left wing Of his
army. commanded by Ferguson. had been
captured by the over-the- Alleghenies men
mountain. Now came the crushing blow
to Tarleton. But for the reinforcements
that had arrived at Charleston under
Gen. Leslie. Lord CORVALLIS would have
been IN desperate situation. In
Jealous attempt to retrieve himself he
determined to burn all his baggage. trans
form his army into light troops prevent
Morgan from crossing the Catawba and,
that accomplished and a merging OF Nor
gan's and Greene's armies prevented,
crush first one and then the other.
But Morgan. divining the plan of Corn
wallis. was too quick for his lordship
With his prisoners. he was making
forced march for the Catawba before
CORVALLIS had put flame to his baggage
With all of Morgan's exertions he mar
rowly escaped. When he crossed the
was in sight. That night heavy rain
fell. and the next day the river was in
flood. Morgan was safe from pursuit
With his prisoners sent north to Virginia,
and the arms and stores captured AT
Cowpens turned over TO Greene, he was
ready once more for action. But there
was little more action for him. Stricken
with rheumatism he had TO give up his
command few weeks later. Some OF
his troops were turned over to Col. Otho
Williams. and a portion to Light Horse
Harry Lee. and formd the rear guard OF
Greene's army in the retreat TO the Dan,
and the advance guard I'm the campaign
that followed. and which cleared the
Carolinas OF the British.
No battle of the revolution was more
clean cut and sweeping than that OF Cow
pens. With smaller force and with
militia mainly, Morgan defeated the flow
er of the southern army OF the British
Surely glory enough for the teamster who
got 400 lashes on his back at the order
of an angry British officer
From his southern triumph Morgan
went back to his farm near Battletown
This farm he called Saratoga. in honor OF
the field where he believed he did his
greatest military work. At the time of
the whisky instruction he was placed a.
the head of the Virginia troops. He went
to Congress for one term and that cured
him OF politics. The farm and his beloved
Battletown satisfied his ambition there
after. When. as age crept on him. his
health failed. he had to give up the farm
and went to live in Winchester. There
he died in his sXty-siXth year. II is said
Of him that no man loved lite more and
yet risked his life more willingly. Often
he declared he gladly would live as gal
ley slave in this world rather than take
a chance in the unknown.
Copyright, 1910, by Richard Spillsns)