52. Cowpens National Battlefield, South Carolina

               Hello and welcome back to our blog on the National Park Service.  In this post we visit the location of one of the most pivotal battles of the American War of Independence at Cowpens National Battlefield.

Entrance Sign

BACKGROUND:

               By the winter of 1780-81, the American War of Independence was looking its bleakest since the fall of New York city in 1776.  The British “Southern Strategy,” changing the axis of their offensive to the southern colonies in the hopes of finding greater loyalist support among the populace had thus far succeeded, with the British capturing the cities of Savannah and Charleston and crushing the southern American army at Camden.  While victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain had buoyed American morale, the British still controlled most of South Carolina and all of Georgia.  Hoping to stabilize the situation, George Washington sent two of his best commanders, Generals Nathaniel Greene and Daniel Morgan, to take control of the southern army and challenge the British.

               Upon arriving in the south, Nathaniel Greene went against all military logic and split his army in the hope that the British would do the same.  The British commander, General Lord Cornwallis took the bait, and detached his best troops under the command of dashing cavalry officer Banastre Tarleton to chase after Daniel Morgan’s element of the American army.  Morgan’s force retreated deeper into South Carolina, stopping at a place called “The Cow Pens,” a field where local farmers would graze their cattle.  As Tarleton’s troops approached Morgan arrayed his men in three battle lines.  The first two, made up of local militia would skirmish and wear down the British before falling back, allowing his third line of veteran regulars to finish the fight.

               As Tarleton’s men attacked, Morgan’s strategy unfolded exactly as planned.  The two militia lines fired volleys into the advancing redcoats and pulled back, luring the British straight towards the American regulars.  As the third American line exchanged fire with the British, Morgan’s plan almost unraveled when troops on the American right flank misheard an order and started pulling back leading the British to chase them pell-mell.  At the last moment the Americans wheeled about and fired into the British at point blank range inflicting massive casualties.  The Americans charged while American cavalry under Colonel William Washington, George Washington’s cousin, swooped in around the British flank.  The militia rejoined the fight and soon almost the entire British force was surrounded.  Only Tarleton and the British cavalry were able to escape.

               The Battle of Cowpens was a disaster for the British.  Lord Cornwallis had lost the cream of his army while the American casualties had been light.  The defeat forced Cornwallis into facing Greene two months later at Guilford Courthouse which resulted in an even more disastrous pyrrhic victory.  The double disasters in the south left Cornwallis no choice but to retreat to the Virginia coast where he was cornered by Washington’s army at Yorktown.

               Cowpens would dwindle in the American consciousness thanks to its distance from George Washington who was campaigning in the north, and post Civil War historians who tried to downplay the south's contributions during the War of Independence.  The battle has only recently gotten proper attention following a renewed focus by historians on the southern theater, and thanks to its (extremely historically inaccurate) depiction as the climactic battle in The Patriot. 

Monument obelisk commemorating the victory at Cowpens located in front of the visitor center.

THE BATTLEFIELD:

               Cowpens National Battlefield is located in northern South Carolina, northeast of Spartanburg.  The area surrounding the battlefield is still rural which has helped preserve the battlefield in its original state.  The actual battle was rather small in scale, with little over a thousand troops for the British and under one thousand for the Americans, and as such the battlefield is rather small compared to other battlefields.  The battlefield is maintained by the NPS to look as much as possible as it did during the battle, a lightly wooded area with somewhat open fields with long grass.  A replica of the original colonial era road runs up the center of the battlefield.  A tour roads circuits the battlefield hidden by woods while trails trace the events of the battle through interpretive signs.  The visitor center is located in the northwest corner of the battlefield near the entrance and provides exhibits and a short film.

A view taken looking along the colonial road from the starting position of the British.  The first of the three successive American battle lines was located in the middle distance of the photo near the cluster of trees with the interpretive sign alongside the road.

TRAVEL TIPS:

               Cowpens National Battlefield is a roughly half-hour drive from Spartanburg, South Carolina and a little over an hour from Charlotte, North Carolina.  The battlefield is open year-round from 9am to 5pm with major holiday exceptions.  For a more authentic experience, visitors are recommended to see the battlefield in the winter as the battle was fought in January.  While the park does have a driving tour, the road is set back from the actual battlefield so some walking will be necessary to properly see the battlefield.  The park trails are paved and handicapped accessible.  Passport stamps can be found at the visitor center.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

The silhouette of the colonial soldier marks the third American line held by Morgan's Continental regulars. 

An early monument on the battlefield erected by the members of the Antebellum era Washington Light Infantry South Carolina militia on the right flank of the third American line where the climax of the battle was decided.