The Redcoats, Tories, and Indians Tour, Part 3
Musgrove’s Mill, Clinton, Spartanburg County, Cowpens
Total mileage: approximately 138 miles.
THIS TOUR WINDS AROUND the city of Spartanburg and focuses primarily on the battle at Cowpens. It begins at the intersection of U.S. 76 and U.S. 56 in the town of Clinton.
In Revolutionary War times, Hammond’s Store stood in this area. It was here in late December 1780 that a rout of Loyalists by Lieutenant Colonel William Washington’s cavalry took on the appearance of a massacre.
After assuming command of the ragtag remnants of the Continental Army in the South early that month in Charlotte, Major General Nathanael Greene spent the remainder of December reorganizing his new command into a viable fighting force. Meanwhile, he had to worry about enemy activities.
Toward the end of December, William Washington was dispatched to what is now Laurens County to intercept a column of 250 Loyalists sent from Savannah to upstate South Carolina. It was near the current tour stop that Washington caught his prize. Unable to offer effective resistance, the Tories attempted to flee. Close behind were Washington’s horsemen with guns blazing and sabers slashing. When the fray was over, 150 Loyalists were either dead or wounded and another 40 were taken prisoner.
Drive west on U.S. 76 for 1.5 miles to S.R. 30-43, where a state historical marker calls attention to Providence Associate Reformed Presbyterian Cemetery. To see the historic burial ground, turn left on S.R. 30-43 and proceed 0.5 mile southwest.
Among the Revolutionary War veterans buried in the cemetery is William Blakely, Sr., one of the few Patriots who survived the massacre at Hayes Station. Blakely donated the site for the cemetery and the church; the church moved to Clinton in 1802.
Return to the junction of U.S. 76 and S.C. 56. Turn left on S.C. 56 and follow it north for 3.1 miles to S.R. 30-98. Turn right, go east for 4.1 miles to S.R. 30-34, turn right again, and proceed 0.8 mile east to Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church.
A tall iron arch bearing the name of the church welcomes visitors to this historic site. Built in 1842, the existing granite edifice offers simple architectural elegance. It replaced the original church, constructed here in 1763 by Scots-Irish settlers. Although Duncan Creek Presbyterian is not open during the week, you can look through its window to see the front wall near the pulpit, where the names of church members who served in the Revolutionary War are prominently displayed.
Some of those members were among the sixteen veterans of the Revolution buried in the historic cemetery adjoining the church. One of the tombstones marks the grave of Samuel Long, a Patriot soldier who died on November 15, 1776, at the age of nineteen.
Banastre Tarleton set up camp for his legion on the hill near the church. Patriots often camped along nearby Duncan Creek.
Retrace your route to S.C. 56, turn right, and proceed north for 5.5 miles to the southern shore of the Enoree River. On the left side of the road near the bridge is a monument commemorating the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill.
You can gaze across the river to the place where the action took place on the afternoon of August 18, 1780. According to noted historian Hugh F. Rankin, the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill was important “because it was one of the few times during the American Revolution that untrained militia were able to defeat seasoned British troops.” Perhaps even more importantly, the Patriot victory came at a time when American spirits in South Carolina were flagging following the terrible disaster at Camden just two days earlier (see Tour 19, pages 273–75).
Anxious to regain a foothold in the Upcountry after Camden, a force of British regulars and Tories camped at Musgrove’s Mill, which stood nearby on the southern side of the river. To disperse what was thought to be a band of only two hundred Tories, the Americans sent Colonel Isaac Shelby and two hundred raw militiamen to the Enoree. Upon his arrival, Shelby dismissed his plan of a surprise attack when he discovered that the enemy had grown to five hundred with the arrival of three hundred Redcoats.
But that is not to say the Patriot commander was willing to forgo an opportunity to battle the enemy. Shelby took up a defensive position on the northern side of the river near the mouth of Cedar Creek. There, the Americans hastily threw up a breastwork from fallen trees while Shelby plotted a new strategy. He divided his army into three commands: Shelby himself would lead the right wing, Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke the left wing, and Lieutenant Colonel James Williams the center.
When Shelby needed a volunteer to draw the enemy into a fight, Captain Shadrick Inman of Georgia stepped forward to assume the hazardous duty. Accompanied by sixteen expert marksmen, Inman rode close to the British position and opened fire. As expected, hundreds of enemy soldiers sprang into action. Captain Inman and his command then fell back to the American defense works, pursued by three columns—Tories on either side and regulars in the center.
When the attackers were within 150 yards of the Patriot position, they dismounted, formed a line, offered a volley, and moved forward. Not until the oncoming soldiers were within 40 feet of the breastworks did the Americans fire. Their aim at point-blank range was deadly.
After a brief retreat, the British regrouped. Shelby’s position came under heavy attack by the Redcoats, but reinforcements sent over by Clarke sealed the gap. Then a Patriot marksman drew aim on the enemy commander. When the British soldiers saw their leader topple from his horse, they began a massive retreat toward the river. One fleeing Redcoat drew a bead on Captain Inman and sent a deadly volley into the body of the Georgia officer.
Patriot losses in the battle were minimal—four killed and eight wounded. Enemy losses were heavy—sixty-three killed, ninety wounded, and seventy captured.
Drive across the river and stop on the northern side. Captain Inman’s grave is on the nearby ridge above the Enoree.
The Battle of Musgrove’s Mill provided the setting for a historical novel called Horseshoe Robinson, written by John Kennedy. In that romantic tale, Mary Musgrove, the daughter of the mill’s owner, falls in love with an American soldier. When her lover dies in battle, Mary wastes away and dies. In reality, Mary Musgrove survived the war, married, and bore children. Her grave is located near the site of the old mill on private property.
Laurens County gives way to Spartanburg County on the northern side of the river. Organized in 1798, the county took its name from the Spartan Regiment, a local militia company that was formed in 1776 and fought with distinction throughout the Revolutionary War.
Drive north on S.C. 56 for 2.8 miles to S.C. 49 at Cross Anchor. This town took its name from a long-vanished house constructed by the captain of the British ship Salley. The dwelling featured crossed anchors on stone slabs at the gable ends.
Continue north on S.C. 56 for 11.5 miles to S.C. 150, turn right, and drive 1.5 miles north to S.C. 215 at Glenn Springs. A popular resort grew up here in the mid-nineteenth century around the area’s famous mineral springs. The springs were discovered by Revolutionary War soldiers, who went home boasting of the curative qualities of the water.
Turn left on S.C. 215 and drive northwest for 1.6 miles to S.C. 56. Continue on S.C. 215/S.C. 56 for 1 mile to where S.C. 215 veers west. Follow S.C. 215 for 3 miles to S.R. 42-50, turn left, and proceed 2.1 miles south to S.R. 42-96. Turn right and go 2.3 miles to S.R. 42-727. Located here on the banks of the North Tyger River is Walnut Grove Plantation.
Open to the public, this magnificently restored colonial plantation was the seat of the Moore family during the Revolution. Its centerpiece is the majestic, two-story, white frame, double-chimneyed house, which was one of the finest of its kind when it was constructed in 1765 by Charles and Mary Moore. The Moores were Irish immigrants who moved here from North Carolina after receiving a land grant from King George III.
Their daughter, Margaret Catherine Moore Barry (1752–1823), emerged as one of the great Patriot heroines of South Carolina during the Revolution. Known affectionately as “Kate,” she rendered distinguished service for General Daniel Morgan as a scout prior to the Battle of Cowpens. Incursions by Tories were common in this area during the war. On one such occasion, Kate received word that Tory raiders were on the way. Having no one to care for her small child, she tied the little girl to a bedpost and rode off to sound the warning to her neighbors.
An admission fee is charged to enter the manor house and the well-landscaped grounds. The house contains a fine collection of period antiques. Among the outbuildings on the grounds are a kitchen; a blacksmith shop; a wheat house; a school; the office of the first doctor in the county, Andrew B. Moore; and a barn sheltering a Conestoga wagon.
Also located on the plantation grounds is the Moore family cemetery, where you’ll find the graves of Charles and Mary Moore. Kate Moore Barry is buried beside her husband, Captain Andrew Barry.
Three Patriot soldiers killed during a Tory assault at Walnut Grove were the first to be buried here. Captain Steadman, said to be a young officer of great promise, was confined to a sickbed at the manor house when Bloody Bill Cunningham and his men came calling. According to tradition, Steadman was engaged to one of Charles Moore’s daughters.
As his first order of business, Cunningham killed Steadman in his bed. When they saw what had happened, two of Steadman’s soldiers attempted to flee. They were shot in the back several hundred yards from the house.
All three Patriots were buried near the place where they died, and their graves were the genesis of the plantation cemetery.
When you are ready to leave Walnut Grove, follow S.R. 42-727 north for 0.3 mile to S.R. 42-196. Turn left and drive 1 mile east to U.S. 221, where a state historical marker here honors Kate Moore Barry.
Turn left on U.S. 221 and drive 0.8 mile southwest to the state historical marker near the site of Fredonia. Until it burned in 1977, the plantation home of Thomas Moore stood here. The brother of Kate, Thomas Moore served as a young Patriot officer during the Revolution and as a brigadier general when Americans once again fought the British in the War of 1812. He also represented South Carolina in the United States House of Representatives. Moore constructed Fredonia in 1786.
Continue 0.5 mile on U.S. 221 to S.R. 42-86 at Moore. Turn left and proceed south for 5.2 miles to the junction with S.R. 42-199 and S.R. 42-200. Located here is the Thomas Price House, a two-story brick home built just after the Revolution. As the new republic was being crafted, this house served as a stagecoach stop, general store, and post office. It has been meticulously restored and is open to the public for a fee.
Retrace your route to U.S. 221 at Moore. Proceed northeast on U.S. 221 for 3.4 miles to S.C. 215 at the town of Roebuck, which was originally known as Becca. The name was changed to honor Colonel Benjamin Roebuck, the commander of the Spartan Regiment in the closing months of the Revolution.
Turn left on S.C. 215 and drive northeast for 4.1 miles to S.C. 296. Turn left and proceed 2.7 miles to Nazareth Church Road, where a state historical marker commemorates the venerable church and its cemetery.
Turn right on Nazareth Church Road and proceed 0.4 mile to the historic Presbyterian church. Organized in the late 1760s by Scots-Irish settlers, the congregation has long been influential in the region. Many early members of the church fought in the Revolution. Their well-marked graves can be found in the sprawling burial ground adjacent to the church.
Return to the junction with S.C. 296. Turn left, go west for 2.1 miles to S.C. 290, turn right, and drive northwest for 3.1 miles to 1-85. Merge right on to 1-85 and drive 6.5 miles northeast to Exit 69; leave 1-85 here at S.R. 42-41 (Blackstock Road). Proceed 0.8 mile northwest on S.R. 42-41 to S.R. 42-123 (Mount Zion Road). Turn left and proceed to Fort Prince Road.
Two colonial forts—Gowen’s Fort and Wood’s Fort—were located several miles from here. They were established near the Cherokee boundary to protect white settlers from Indian attacks. Both forts saw action between Patriots and Indians and Tories during the Revolution. Nothing remains at the site of either fort.
Anthony Hampton, a flax broker, settled near Wood’s Fort with his wife, his daughter, and his numerous sons in 1774. As tensions mounted between the colonies and Great Britain, two of Hampton’s sons, Edward and Preston, were sent to enlist the aid of the Cherokee Indians in the fight for independence. Upon their arrival at the Indian village, the two Hamptons were dismayed to discover that British agent Cameron was already at work arming the Cherokees and inciting them to fight the colonies. Cameron promptly imprisoned the brothers and gave their horses and guns to the Indians.
Several days later, Anthony Hampton, unaware of the incident involving his sons and of the growing crisis with the Indians, extended his hand to greet a Cherokee chief, only to be killed in return. His wife, a son, and a grandson were then summarily slaughtered. Another grandson was taken away by the Indians, who held him for many years. Before departing the bloody scene, the warriors burned the Hampton estate.
Sometime after the so-called Hampton Massacre, Colonel Andrew Williamson embarked upon his campaign against the Indians. One of his captains was Henry Hampton, who later killed a Cherokee brave wearing the coat of one of his slain brothers.
Five Hampton brothers served as Patriot officers. One of them, Edward, was killed by Bloody Bill Cunningham.
Turn left on Fort Prince Road and drive 0.3 mile south to Fort Prince Boulevard. Located near the junction are Fort Prince Memorial Gardens and a D.A.R. marker for the colonial fort that served as a British outpost during the Revolutionary War.
Fort Prince was the scene of some spirited action in July 1780. That month, a Tory force from the British stronghold at Ninety Six moved north into Spartanburg County, where it suffered a series of stinging defeats, the first occurring on July 12 at Cedar Spring (visited later in this tour).
Before dawn on July 17, Captain Edward Hampton and his fifty-two men set out to find the retreating Tories. They encountered them 5 miles from Fort Prince. When Hampton’s men attacked, eight Tories fell on the spot. The others took flight and were pressed by the hard-charging Patriots until they reached the safety of Fort Prince, which was garrisoned by British soldiers under Colonel Alexander Innes.
Like the other colonial forts in the area, Fort Prince was built to protect early settlers from the Indians.
Turn left on Fort Prince Boulevard and drive east for 0.2 mile to 1-85. Proceed north on 1-85 for 3.3 miles. Take Exit 72-B and drive south on S.C. 56 for 2.3 miles to its merger with U.S. 221. Continue south on U.S. 221/S.C. 56 for 0.9 mile to U.S. 29 (Main Street) in downtown Spartanburg, the county seat.
Morgan Square, the expansive plaza that covers two blocks in the heart of the city, is located near the junction. The square is dominated by a towering monument to General Daniel Morgan, the American hero at Cowpens (visited later on this tour). Erected in 1881 to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the battle, the monument was the culmination of a national effort to honor Morgan. The town of Spartanburg and Spartanburg County provided the base of the monument, and the original thirteen states, Tennessee, and the federal government funded the twenty-one-foot granite shaft and nine-foot bronze statue of Morgan. Sculpted by J. Q. A. Ward, the statue depicts Morgan as a Revolutionary War rifleman.
Simply put, Daniel Morgan (1736–1802) was one of the greatest soldiers his country has ever produced. He was born in New Jersey just across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania, where his grandfather had settled after coming to America from Wales. Morgan was a first cousin to Daniel Boone. As a teenager, he left home and settled in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where he became acquainted with George Washington. Working as a teamster, he transported vital supplies to outposts on the frontier and thus acquired his famous nickname, “Old Wagoner.”
In 1756, the six-foot, two-hundred-pound frontiersman struck a British officer in retaliation for being slapped with the flat of the Redcoats sword. As a consequence, British officials ordered that the American receive five hundred lashes. Twenty-five years later, when the opportunity for revenge presented itself, General Daniel Morgan said that he owed the British one stripe because the drummer boy of long ago—who beat his drum once for each blow struck—had miscounted.
For much of the remainder of the colonial period, Morgan settled down to life as a Virginia farmer. When needed, he also took part in the ongoing frontier warfare with the Indians. As a military courier in 1758, Morgan was severely wounded when an Indian sent a bullet that plowed through his neck and mouth and knocked out half his teeth.
On June 22, 1775, Virginia commissioned Morgan as the captain of one of its two rifle companies. Almost immediately, the Virginians were sent north. In the fall of that year, Benedict Arnold led an American assault against Quebec, and the van of the attack force was led by Morgan. When Arnold fell in battle, the Virginian assumed his command.
Later in the Quebec campaign, British forces captured Morgan. He was held for six months. After his parole and exchange, he was commissioned colonel of the Eleventh Virginia on November 12, 1777. By the next spring, George Washington’s immediate command included Colonel Morgan and his five hundred elite riflemen.
At the two battles at Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777), Morgan played a vital role in achieving victory for General Horatio Gates over General John Burgoyne. Morgan and his command suffered at Valley Forge during the harsh winter that followed. He served with General Washington until June 1780, when he was ordered to report for duty in the South under Gates. Disappointed that the transfer did not carry a promotion with it, Morgan resigned his commission and went home to farm, citing his arthritis as the official reason.
But Daniel Morgan was too much of a soldier and an American to stay away from the war for good. When he learned of the disaster at Camden in August 1780, he was moved to action. He joined Gates at Hillsborough, North Carolina, in late September. A month later, the Continental Congress commissioned Morgan a brigadier general. When Nathanael Greene assumed command of the Southern Department in December, the stage was set for Morgan to assume a key role in the dramatic reversal of the sagging American fortunes in the South.
From Morgan Square, head west on U.S. 29 for 0.7 mile to S.R. 42-296. Turn left, drive southwest for 1.2 miles to Crescent Avenue, turn left again, and proceed 0.8 mile to Darby Road. Located at 106 Darby Road is the Jammie Seay House. Constructed in 1790, when the United States was in its infancy, this is the oldest home in Spartanburg. Set on a knoll, the structure is crafted of hand-hewn logs, and its chimney is made of field-stone. Jammie Seay, its builder, was born in Virginia. During the Revolution, he fought for the American cause in his native state and in Pennsylvania. He settled in Spartanburg County in 1784.
Continue on Crescent Avenue for 0.5 mile to U.S. 221, turn left, and proceed north for 0.6 mile to Marion Avenue. Turn right, go 1 mile east to U.S. 176, turn left, drive 0.3 mile north to Otis Boulevard, and turn right. Located at 502 Otis Boulevard is the Spartanburg County Regional Museum. Established in 1961, the museum offers displays and memorabilia about the history of Spartanburg and the Upcountry. Of special interest is the permanent exhibit on the Battle of Cowpens.
Return to the junction of U.S. 176 and Marion Avenue. Turn right on Marion, drive one block to S.C. 56 (Union Street), turn left, and proceed south for 2.2 miles to S.C. 295. Continue south on S.C. 56 (as it becomes Cedar Springs Road) for 0.4 mile to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind.
At the foot of the hill on which the school stands is an ancient spring known as Cedar Spring. Local Patriots gained a handsome victory at this site, thanks to the work of a heroine.
In July 1780, Cedar Spring was owned by Captain John Thomas, Sr., who was in prison with two of his sons at Ninety Six for breaking their wartime parole. Meanwhile, the regiment under Colonel John Thomas, Jr., used Cedar Spring as its campsite in preparation for joining the army of General Thomas Sumter.
The elder Thomas was visited by his wife on July 12. That evening, she happened to overhear some of the wives of the British soldiers at Ninety Six discussing the plans of the local garrison to attack the Patriot encampment at Cedar Spring.
Before daybreak, Mrs. Thomas was in the saddle for the 60-mile ride from Ninety Six to her son’s camp. After a nonstop journey, she arrived at Cedar Spring on the night of July 13 with news of the impending attack.
Colonel Thomas decided to lie in wait for the Tories. On the following evening, he left his campfires burning and moved his 60 soldiers to the rear. When the enemy force of 150 men spotted the fires, it charged into an empty camp. Suddenly, the darkness was ablaze with the fire from Colonel Thomas’s command. After sustaining heavy losses, the Tories retreated.
Turn around near Cedar Spring and return to the junction with S.C. 295. Turn left on S.C. 295, proceed east for 3.5 miles to S.R. 42-30 (Whitestone-Glendale Road), turn left, and drive north for 2.4 miles to S.C. 47 near Lawson’s Fork Creek at Glendale, where a state historical marker calls attention to Wofford’s Iron Works, which stood here until it was burned late in the Revolution. Erected in 1773, the ironworks was the first of its kind in South Carolina.
Patriots and Tories went at each other with a vengeance along Lawson’s Fork Creek. In August 1780, this area was the site of a skirmish between Patriots and Loyalist troops from the command of Major Patrick Ferguson. At dawn on August 8, the thousand-man army of Colonel Isaac Shelby, Elijah Clarke, and William Graham was alerted that a sizable detachment of dragoons and mounted riflemen from Ferguson’s command was on the move. The Patriots hurried from their camp near Cedar Spring to Wofford’s Iron Works, where they set up a defensive position and waited for the expected attack.
Led by their immediate commander, Major James Dunlap, the Loyalists made two gallant charges against the Patriots. On the second, the fighting was hand-to-hand. At length, the Loyalists realized they could not overcome the well-entrenched Patriots, so they began a retreat. They were pursued for almost a mile.
This skirmish is sometimes referred to as the “Peach Orchard Fight.” For many years, two peach trees grew at the site. According to tradition, they sprouted from peaches that fell out of the pocket of a British soldier during the war.
In the days leading up to the Battle of Cowpens, Lieutenant Colonel William Washington had his horses shod at the ironworks while Morgan and Tarleton were jockeying for position.
Continue on S.R. 42-30 for 5.5 miles to U.S. 29. Turn left and drive 1.7 miles northeast into the heart of the town of Cowpens, where you’ll notice Revolutionary War murals on the downtown buildings. However, the town is not to be confused with the site of the Battle of Cowpens.
It is another 1.3 miles on U.S. 29 to the Cherokee County line. Established in 1897, the county took its name from the Indian tribe that, by and large, sided with the British during the Revolution.
Continue east on U.S. 29 for 4.2 miles to the bridge over Thicketty Creek. This waterway received its name from the dense vegetation that grew here in the eighteenth century. General Morgan and William Washington camped in this area as they prepared to do battle with Banastre Tarleton.
Thicketty Fort (also known as Fort Anderson) stood near here. In late July 1780, Colonel Isaac Shelby moved against this Loyalist outpost with a force of six hundred mountain militiamen. When a demand for surrender was made at daybreak on July 26, the commander of the fort refused. Shelby promptly ordered his marksmen to move within range and then issued another surrender demand. After surveying the soldiers that surrounded his fort, the Loyalist captain capitulated. Shelby thus took the base, its garrison, and its stores without firing a shot.
Continue on U.S. 29 for 5.5 miles to East Meadow Street in Gaffney, the seat of Cherokee County. Turn right on Meadow and proceed one block to North Limestone Street, where you’ll see the Cherokee County Administration Building (the former Carnegie Library). Located on the lawn of the building is the grave of Colonel James Williams. Two Civil War-era cannon surmount the granite foundation of the tomb of this Revolutionary War hero, who fell at the close of the Battle of Kings Mountain.
As the Loyalist troops were laying down their arms to surrender at Kings Mountain, a shot rang out and mortally wounded Williams, who had recruited men from both Carolinas to make a stand against Patrick Ferguson. Colonel Arthur Campbell witnessed the needless death of his comrade in arms. Without hesitation, the Virginia officer ordered his soldiers to shoot point-blank into the Loyalist prisoners. According to one of Campbell’s junior officers, “We killed near a hundred of them and hardly could be restrained from killing the whole.”
Williams was initially buried in the Buffalo section of Cherokee County. In 1915, he was reinterred at the current tour stop.
Turn north on North Limestone Street, go two blocks to West Frederick Street, turn left, and drive 0.5 mile northwest to S.C. 11 (Baker Boulevard). Proceed northwest on S.C. 11 for 7.5 miles to S.R. 11-37. If you gaze to the left at this junction, you will see Thicketty Mountain, long a geographic landmark in this area. Both armies used the peak as a point of reference in their movements to the showdown at the Battle of Cowpens.
As you continue on S.C. 11 for 3.8 miles to the entrance to Cowpens National Battlefield, consider the situation facing General Daniel Morgan in mid-January 1781. Nathanael Greene had divided his army. Morgan had at his command just over half of the American forces in the South. To the Old Wagoner, Greene had entrusted six hundred Continental soldiers and three hundred militiamen. With this force, Morgan was to move quickly in front of Cornwallis’s army as it marched into upstate South Carolina and disrupt the British lines of communication. Of even greater importance was Morgan’s mission to bring the dispirited South Carolina militia back to their arms. In his orders to Morgan, Greene noted that “the object of this detachment is to give protection to that part of the country and spirit up the people.”
Morgan had barely begun to operate in the Upcountry when he began receiving disconcerting news from Greene. In Charleston, General Alexander Leslie had arrived with British troops to bolster Cornwallis’s campaign in the Carolinas. In Virginia, a British force of twenty-five hundred men had landed. And then came tidings from Greene that had a direct impact on Morgan: “Colonel Tarleton is said to be on his way to pay you a visit. I doubt not but he will have a decent reception and a proper dismission.”
Morgan was faced with a dilemma. Without knowledge of Tarleton’s troop strength, the makeup of his army, and its position, he could plan little in the way of strategy. To gain the intelligence he needed, Morgan turned to Andrew Pickens, the wizard of the South Carolina frontier.
Pickens had recently rejoined the American cause after making several difficult decisions. He had been offered a colonel’s commission in the Royal militia and protection by the British army. Disdaining that offer, he then had to wrestle with his Presbyterian conscience. At length, his patriotism overcame his sense of honor as a soldier, and he broke his parole and took up the sword in the nick of time for Morgan. As Pickens rode off to join the Americans, a British officer who had come to admire him shouted friendly words of warning: “You will campaign with a halter around your neck. If we catch you, we will hang you.”
Because Pickens and his militiamen were intimately acquainted with the upstate frontier, they became Morgan’s eyes and ears as he sought out information about Tarleton. By January 15, preliminary reports from Pickens’s scouts gave hints that the approaching enemy force might be larger than the 550 men of Tarleton’s legion. Up to that point, Morgan had exuded confidence that he could effectively stand and fight against Tarleton. However, the specter of a much larger attack force was a source of great concern.
Then scouts rode in with the worst possible news. Morgan promptly dispatched a notice to Greene: “We have just learned that Tarleton’s force is from eleven to twelve hundred British.” In fact, the fast-approaching attack force was composed entirely of regulars. And Morgan had heard firsthand accounts of how ferociously those professional soldiers had fought against Continentals and militiamen at Camden.
On the evening of January 16, Morgan was encamped at Thicketty Creek when breathless horsemen galloped up to sound the alarm: Tarleton was but 6 miles away! Storming out of his tent, Morgan shouted orders to his troops, who were busy preparing breakfast. Soon, the camp was a beehive of activity as soldiers readied themselves for a forced march.
When the order to march was sounded, Daniel Morgan, suffering excruciating pain from a chronic hip ailment, rode at the head of the column. He realized full well that the lives of his soldiers—and perhaps the fate of the American colonies—now rested squarely on his shoulders. Behind him marched the ever-faithful Continentals from Delaware and Maryland, some of whom had served since the beginning of the war. One of Morgan’s junior officers, Lieutenant Thomas Anderson, had maintained a daily record of the miles he had marched since arriving in the South in May 1780. As he picked up the march on January 16, Lieutenant Anderson noted that the total in his log book was 1,435 miles.
Also behind Morgan was a small band of militiamen who had left their homes in the hour of their country’s greatest need. To those gallant volunteers, the general had made a solemn promise: “I will ask you to encounter no dangers or difficulties, but what I shall participate in.”
True to his word, Morgan led the desperate attempt to escape “Benny,” as he called Tarleton. To his men, the red-headed British officer was known as “the Butcher.”
As Morgan’s army moved in the direction you are now driving, the soldiers could see the Blue Ridge Mountains on the horizon. The mountains promised safety, but to reach them, the men would have to cross the Broad River, located just across the state line in North Carolina. And the river was rising rapidly. A night crossing at Island Ford would be hazardous at best.
As Morgan neared Cowpens, so named because locals grazed their cattle here in preparation for delivery to market, he took notice of the terrain. If he were going to stand and face Tarleton, this was the place to do it. From a slope of the Green River Road, the route of his march, the landscape dipped on the left and right, where there were creeks. Marshy ground surrounded Cowpens. Such terrain would render a British flanking movement impossible.
Suddenly, General Daniel Morgan, perhaps the most professional soldier the Americans had, made a fateful decision. He turned to his staff officers and said, “On this ground I will best Benny Tarleton or I will lay my bones.”
To walk the very ground where this dramatic chapter in American history took place, turn left at the entrance to Cowpens National Battlefield and follow the park road to the visitor center.
As soon as you leave your vehicle, your attention will be drawn to the spectacular Centennial Monument (also known as the U.S. Memorial Monument) on the front lawn of the visitor center. Dedicated in 1932 by the federal government to honor the sacrifices made by Americans here, the granite obelisk was originally placed on the battlefield near Morgan’s third line. When the existing visitor center was constructed for the nation’s bicentennial, the monument was moved to its present location.
Inside the visitor center are a small museum, an audiovisual program, a gift shop, and rest rooms.
When the park was established in 1929, it consisted of only a single acre at the site of some of the most intense fighting. In 1981, to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the battle, more than 840 acres of the battle-ground were acquired.
The best way to enjoy the historic battleground is to walk the 1.25-mile trail that begins and ends at the visitor center. There are approximately a dozen markers along the trail that detail the happenings at each particular site. Markers 1 and 2 set the historical context of the battle and pay homage to the American soldiers who made such a heroic stand here.
On the night before the battle, General Morgan’s army camped on the ground where blood would be spilled on the morrow. Before the freedom fighters retired for badly needed rest, their commander carefully explained his plan of battle to them. He understood Benny’s fighting tactics—Tarleton, he knew, would come straight at the Americans in an all-out charge. To counter the assault, Morgan decided to align his troops much as he had at Saratoga. Three defensive lines were to be formed on the road that ran through Cowpens. In the first line of defense, he would place 120 of his best marksmen, who would offer deadly fire at the British vanguard and then fall back. Manning the second line a hundred yards behind the skirmishers would be militiamen from the Carolinas and Georgia, commanded by Andrew Pickens. In the third line would be the stalwart Continentals from Delaware and Maryland and two companies of ex-Continentals from Virginia.
After the battle plan was explained, the soldiers retired, but their general did not. According to sixteen-year-old Thomas Young, a volunteer in the American cavalry, “Long after I laid down, he was going among the soldiers encouraging them and telling them that the ‘Old Wagoner’ would crack his whip over Ben in the morning, as sure as they lived. … I don’t believe he slept a wink that night.”
Morgan was not worried about his battle-tested Continentals. It was the militia and its proclivity to bolt from the field in the heat of battle that caused him great concern. Thus, he spent the evening limping about the camp, helping the volunteers with their equipment, and telling jokes to break the tension. He reassured them about their duty in the coming battle: “Just hold up your heads, boys, give them three fires, and you will be free. Then when you return to your homes, how the old folks will bless you, and the girls will kiss you.”
By allowing the militiamen to fall back after three shots, Morgan reckoned he would get the maximum performance out of them. Privately, he acknowledged that “when men are forced to fight, they will sell their lives dearly.”
At two o’clock in the morning on January 17, 1781, reveille sounded in the British camp. An hour later, Tarleton broke camp and pushed his army through the cold and darkness to a showdown that he believed offered “the most promising assurance of success.”
Continue on the trail to Marker 3. En route, you will pass the first monument erected on the battlefield. Placed here in 1856, it honors the Washington Light Infantry.
When you reach Marker 3, you will be standing at the point where the right flank of the Continentals fanned out before sunrise on the bone-chilling morning of January 17.
Most of the Americans were awakened by none other than General Morgan, who rode through the camp shouting, “Boys, get up! Benny is coming!”
As the soldiers from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia formed their line here, Morgan offered words of encouragement: “My friends in arms, my dear boys, … this day you must play your parts for honor and liberty’s cause.” He then reminded them of their past glories on the battlefield and urged them not to despair when the militia fell back.
Proceed to Marker 4. This is the spot where Andrew Pickens positioned the militia. Pickens and many of his militiamen had broken their paroles by returning to arms. These men understood that no quarter would be given them by Tarleton’s soldiers. Little did Pickens know that in recent days, British soldiers had already been at work against him. At his plantation, a raiding party had pushed his wife and children out in the cold and then set fire to every building on the estate. Many of those in his command had suffered similar cruelties. Now, at Cowpens, they were bent on revenge.
One of the men who stood here on that January morning in 1781 was William Kennedy. Regarded as one of the best marksmen in South Carolina, Kennedy treasured his deadly rifle, which was known for its unique sound. When Kennedy’s weapon cracked, his fellow soldiers would remark, “There is another Tory less.”
Determined to get all he could from his skirmishers out front, Morgan directed Pickens to position the Carolinians on the right and the Georgians on the left. As the fight neared, the enthusiasm along the front line grew. Morgan rode up and challenged the men, “Let me see which are most entitled to the credit of brave men, the boys of Carolina or those of Georgia.”
All was now ready. To keep warm, the Americans stamped around and blew on their hands. Nothing was left to do but to make the place a killing ground. One of the Delaware soldiers noted that every man in Morgan’s command was “in good spirits and very willing to fight.”
Proceed to Marker 5.
At 6:45 A.M., the sun was just rising above Thicketty Mountain when the British army poured out of the forest along Green River Road. A green-coated officer—easily recognized by the skirmishers as the hated Tarleton—rode ahead to survey the American lines. The British commander suddenly heard bullets flying by his head as Patriot rifles cracked. Dragoons were rushed forward, and the British line formed at the site where you now stand. British drummers pounded their instruments, fifes played military tunes, and artillery boomed as Tarleton’s men pushed ahead with bayonets glistening.
After taking a deadly toll with their first volley, the skirmishers fell back to the second American line—the militia. Pickens and his colonels rode up and down the line urging the soldiers to aim at “the epaulette men”—the British officers with gold braid on their shoulders. Because the range of their muskets was only fifty feet, the Americans faced a test of nerves as they watched the deadly bayonets move closer and closer. Finally, Pickens screamed, “Fire!” His order was repeated up and down the line. Three hundred Patriot guns blazed.
When Tarleton’s line regrouped, the militia retreated in order. Morgan’s plan was working perfectly.
Proceed to Marker 6. Here is the place where the dragoons served as the British front line.
After the militia had completed its assigned task, it was up to the Continentals. As they had done with the first and second American lines, Tarleton’s men fired too high at the troops from Maryland and Delaware. But on came the red-coated infantry. The fighting was fast and furious, and the battle now hung in the balance.
Colonel William Washington acted quickly to neutralize Tarleton’s vaunted cavalry, while Morgan reorganized the militia and persuaded it to fight on. Waving his sword, he cried out, “Form, form, my brave fellows! Give them one more fire and the day is over! Old Morgan was never beaten!”
Pickens then rode among his charges and screamed, “Are you going to leave your mothers, sisters, sweethearts, and wives to such unmerciful scoundrels, such a horde of thieves?” Although some of his backwoodsmen had headed for the hills, many followed Pickens back into battle and helped turn the tide in favor of the Americans.
On the trail just south of the current stop is the site of one of the most famous personal encounters in the annals of military history.
As the battle neared its close, Colonel William Washington spotted his old adversary Banastre Tarleton and galloped straight toward him. Tarleton, escorted by two junior officers, was ready for the challenge. Washington swung his sword at one of the officers, but his weapon broke. Just as that officer was about to deal Washington a deadly blow with his saber, Washington’s young bugler rode up and shot the attacker. Tarleton’s second escort drew his sword to do the same work, but a nearby Continental slashed off his arm. Then Tarleton attacked. Using his broken sword, Washington was able to deflect the blow. Relentless as always, Tarleton drew two pistols and fired at Washington. The American was unharmed, but his horse was wounded. Realizing that the cause was lost, Tarleton suddenly turned and galloped away.
Follow the trail to Marker 8, the site of another portion of Pickens’s line of militia. At Cowpens, the militia performed as well against British regulars as it did in any battle of the war.
Proceed to Marker 9. Here was the center of the Continental line.
Continue the trail to the cluster of Markers 10, 11, and 12. The American victory was completed at this site. Fifty minutes was all that it took for Morgan to best Tarleton. So overjoyed was the Old Wagoner that he grabbed up his nine-year-old drummer boy and kissed him.
Tarleton’s army was decimated. His losses were staggering: 100 dead, 229 wounded, and 600 taken prisoner. Morgan’s losses were surprisingly light: 12 killed and 60 wounded.
Follow the trail back to the Centennial Monument in front of the visitor center. This is a good spot to consider the importance of the events that transpired here in January 1781. Morgan’s lethal blow to Tarleton’s command deprived Cornwallis of regulars he could not replace. During his famous chase of Nathanael Greene that began two weeks after the debacle at Cowpens, Cornwallis suffered greatly from a lack of manpower. For that, he had Daniel Morgan to thank. Ultimately, this shortage of troops led Cornwallis to Yorktown in a futile attempt to unite with British troops in the Virginia Tidewater.
Return to your vehicle and continue on the park road as it passes several parking overlooks with markers. Approximately 1.3 miles from the visitor center, you will reach a picnic area. Proceed another 0.6 mile to the Robert Scruggs House. This restored log cabin has been placed on the grounds so visitors may have an opportunity to see a dwelling similar to the ones in which the Carolina militiamen lived.
Continue 0.3 mile to the Thicketty Mountain observation area, where you can get a good look at the geographic landmark.
Drive another 0.4 mile to the turnout near the site of Daniel Morgan’s campsite.
As a token of the appreciation of the American nation, Congress voted to award a gold medal to Morgan. Nine years passed before there was enough money for the federal government to buy the medal.
Morgan was at his home in Winchester, Virginia, when he received a letter dated March 25, 1790, and signed by his former commander, President George Washington. It read, “You will receive with this a medal, struck by the order of the late Congress, in commemoration of your much approved conduct in the battle of the Cowpens and presented to you as a mark of the high sense which your country entertains of your services on that occasion. This medal was put into my hand by Mr. Jefferson, and it is with singular pleasure that I now transmit it to you.”
The tour ends here at Morgan’s campsite, the place where he formulated the strategy that derailed Cornwallis’s plan to subdue the American South.