The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-10-16
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1922.
NEGLIGENCE A CRIME.

NEGLIGENCE A CRIME.
The Records seconds the motion OF
the esteemed Spartanburg Herald
when it rises to remark that "some-
thing should be done about the Cow
pens battle-ground" We are nonethe
less gratified /, note that the esteem
ed Greenville News chimes In on the
Herald's plea with the declaration
that, # nothing has been done, it is
high tra. that something was doing
there.
Ii the Cowpens battlefield were To-
Gated in New York state it would long
go have been beautified with mark
crs, paths and monuments that would
have made It thing Of beauty and a
JOY forever. 1t was at the battle of
Cowpeas that the victorious tide of
he British army was turned and the
backbone Of British exploitation was
over over here.
The Cowpens battlefield is situated
a ,ntly-rilling ride-top and coulc
be easily made one of the most at
tract We spots as it is one of the most
f,mous-in the State CT South Caro-
lima. Yet for more than 200 years
little attention has been paid to the
spot where our forefathers battled the
Eritish invader to a finish, and prac-
lily freed US of the foreign yoke.
1t may be interesting to the young
- generation of today to know how
the battle-ground became so named
At the time of the Revolutionary war
there were vast plantations on either
\ the battlefield. The planters
we're attle growers as we'll as cottor
growers in that day and time anu
hev penned up their cattle at times
on the high ground there. The Amer
can army under General Morgan met
.Ne flower Of General Tarlton's troops
on that spot and the battle, largely
and-to-hand affair, was fought in
the co~ pens.
Although the Britons who partici-
pated were veterans Of known train
ing and bravery, they were entirely
outclassed in that sort Of fighting, and
the Americans-most of whom could
shoot out a squirrels eye 100 yards
away,-simply annihilated them. 1t
is said that rivulets Of blood trickled
down both sides Of the slight rise
shortly after the struggle ended. The
American losses were nothing to COM
pare with the losses of the foe. Some
time after the battle, the battlefield
was rudely laid out and an iron mark
CT was said to have been put in r'aco
It is further repeated that this iro~
marker was destroyed during the wa~
between the States. by persons who
got out Of going to the front in one
way or another, in order that they
might get iron for plows and other
farm implements. We do not know
the particulars in that respect, but
simply are repeating neighborhood re.
ports that have come down to person
who lived around the battlefield lon,
otter the periods just mentioned.
The State Of South Carolina shoulT
take over the Cowpens battle-ground
and beautify and protect it. 1t should
hove done that $50 years ago, but
since it hasn't it may be that it will
not do go in future. In that case the
people Of Spartanburg, Gaffney and
centers Of culture and patriotism
rear the historic scene should attend
tc it. And so far as that goes the
civic societies Of Columbia, Charles
ton and other towns and localities il
South Carolina might aid. Too lon,.
have we shamed ourselves by gros:
criminal negligence Of our most his
toric battlefield d!-Columbia Record