Cornwallis leaned on his sword till it snapped, hearing of the Battle of Cowpens--the strategic turning point of Revolutionary War!
"The bloody butcher" is what colonists called British Colonel Banastre Tarleton.
He let his dragoons bayonet and hack hundreds of surrendering Americans at Buford's Massacre during the Battle of Waxhaw, May 29, 1780.
In January of 1781, 26-year-old Colonel Banastre Tarleton led 1,200 of Britain's best troops, consisting of British dragoons, regulars, highlanders and loyalists, in a hot pursuit of the Americans.
American General Daniel Morgan led Colonel Banastre Tarleton into a trap - the Battle of Cowpens, JANUARY 17, 1781.
The Americans took a stand with the Broad River behind them, leaving them no opportunity to retreat.
Seeing this a foolish decision, British Colonel Tarlton gave into the temptation to pursue without doing any reconnaissance.
This scene was depicted in the movie, The Patriot, in which Mel Gibson's character Benjamin Martin, portrayed a composite of the fiercest Carolina leaders:
Gen. Andrew Pickens (nicknamed "the Wizard Owl");
Gen. Francis Marion (nicknamed "the Swamp Fox); and
Col. Thomas Sumter (nicknamed "the Carolina Gamecock").
At the Battle of Cowpens, American General Daniel Morgan had his line of militia fire twice into the charging British cavalry, then retreat around a hill.
At a full gallop, Tarlton's dragoons charged straight on, only to be surprised by a wall of 400 battle-hardened American Continental soldiers who had been hiding behind the militia.
The American Continentals stood immovable, firing at point-blank range.
The militia then circled around,appearing on the other side of the hill to attack Tarlton's flank\
In the confusion, 110 British were killed and 830 captured.
Captured British officer, Maj. McArthur of the 71st Highlanders commented that "he was an officer before Tarleton was born; that the best troops in the service were put under 'that boy' to be sacrificed."
The Battle of Cowpens is widely considered the tactical masterpiece and turning point of the Revolutionary War.
"The bloody butcher" is what colonists called British Colonel Banastre Tarleton.
He let his dragoons bayonet and hack hundreds of surrendering Americans at Buford's Massacre during the Battle of Waxhaw, May 29, 1780.
In January of 1781, 26-year-old Colonel Banastre Tarleton led 1,200 of Britain's best troops, consisting of British dragoons, regulars, highlanders and loyalists, in a hot pursuit of the Americans.
American General Daniel Morgan led Colonel Banastre Tarleton into a trap - the Battle of Cowpens, JANUARY 17, 1781.
The Americans took a stand with the Broad River behind them, leaving them no opportunity to retreat.
Seeing this a foolish decision, British Colonel Tarlton gave into the temptation to pursue without doing any reconnaissance.
This scene was depicted in the movie, The Patriot, in which Mel Gibson's character Benjamin Martin, portrayed a composite of the fiercest Carolina leaders:
Gen. Andrew Pickens (nicknamed "the Wizard Owl");
Gen. Francis Marion (nicknamed "the Swamp Fox); and
Col. Thomas Sumter (nicknamed "the Carolina Gamecock").
At the Battle of Cowpens, American General Daniel Morgan had his line of militia fire twice into the charging British cavalry, then retreat around a hill.
At a full gallop, Tarlton's dragoons charged straight on, only to be surprised by a wall of 400 battle-hardened American Continental soldiers who had been hiding behind the militia.
The American Continentals stood immovable, firing at point-blank range.
The militia then circled around,appearing on the other side of the hill to attack Tarlton's flank\
In the confusion, 110 British were killed and 830 captured.
Captured British officer, Maj. McArthur of the 71st Highlanders commented that "he was an officer before Tarleton was born; that the best troops in the service were put under 'that boy' to be sacrificed."
The Battle of Cowpens is widely considered the tactical masterpiece and turning point of the Revolutionary War.