The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1929-05-09

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lHITASEA1XAN most Americana but which was one
S-S-@ of the most important of all the
Revolutionary conflicts. The story of the sur
render OF CORVALLIS at Yorktown, the browning
event of the Revolution, is known to all, but York
town might not have been possible had ii not been
for two earlier victories. One of them took place
at Kings Mountain, when the frontiersmen of
North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia over
whelmed the British leader Ferguson, and the
other the battle of Cowpens
In connection with the action of congress pro-
yidng for the Cowpens national monument the
historical section of the army college pre-
pared Historical statement" printed as a house
document, which gives by far the best account
of this battle that has yet been written. The
Importance of that battle is shown in the follow
ing statement from the document:
Tarleton Neader of the British at Cowpens) in
his narrative, commenting the two disasters
which the British suffered in South Carolina, said
that the fall of Ferguson at Kings Mountain
a catastrophe which put an end to the first ex
petition into North Carolina and that the battle
of Cowpens overshadowed the commencement of
the second expedition. This comment taken in
conjunction with the apprehension of George
Washington that 1.-THE Southern states will look
upon this victory much more decisive in its
consequences than it really is briefly summarizes
the result of the battle of Cowpens The effect
the time to hearten greatly the patriotic
cause and to distress the British army and their
Tory sympathzcrs beyond measure. 1t was the
lowed by Others which finally led to the surrender
of CORVALLIS army at Yorktown
To have proper understanding of this battle
and it's Importance it is necessary to take into
account the military situation in the South and
some of the previous events Briefly, these
as follows:
Following the capitulation of Charlestown
May ~, 1880, all of South Carolina in
diton of subjugation within few months and ia
September British headquarters were moved to
Charlotte Town, N G. Prior to this Lieutenant
Colonel Ferguson had been detached with a small
force of provncials to organize the militia and
operate Corvallis flank. On the seventh of
October his entire command was lost at Kings
Mountain Following this disaster the British
field army withdrawn more than sixty miles
to Wynnesborough and there remained on the de-
fensive while awaiting information relative to the
rehabilitation of Gates armJ (Which had suffered
disastrous defeat at Camden August 16)
commanded by Greene.
Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton, the only officer
naming after Ferguson's death, used by Cornwall
lis for the command of rowing troops, sent
into the district north of Ninety Six to oppose
General Morgan, and somewhat later CORVALLIS
resumed his march northward. Tarleton and Nor
gan met at Cowpens on the seventeenth of Janu-
airy and in a battle noted for the unusual tactics
adopted by the Americans the British were de-
feated with heavy losses by force inferior in
numbers, considerable portion of which was
militia.
CORVALLIS hoped to destroy drive out of
South Carolina the corps commanded by General
Morgan. There was also hope that by
rapid marches the British main army would get
between Greene and Virginia and by that means
force the Americans to fight without receiving
any achievements from that state or, failing in
this to oblige Greene to quit North Carolina with
precipitation and thereby encourage the friends
of the Crown to make good their promises of
general rising to assist the British commander in
re establishing the royal government
Morgans purpose had been tC harass Corn
wallis foraging and scouting parties .and being
more than hundred miles away from Greene at
the time CORVALLIS believed that Tarleton
could crush Morgan before Greene could come
TO his aid Morgan knew that Tareton was com
ing after him but he had no intention of engag
ing in battle until he could do so on ground of
his own choosing.
The place where General Morgan established his
camp the night of the sixteenth the in
tersecton of the Mill Gap road and the road from
the present city of Spartanburg running northeast
into North Carolina and crossini the Broad river
at Island Ford The position selected for
the action lay both sides of the Mill Gap road
on both sides of the camp. The ground Is slight
ly undulating and at the time covered with
trees of red oak, hickory and pine Being used
for grazing Of cattle there but little If
any underbrush Two very slight elevations