Subject: Cowpens Battle 219th Anniversary From: John Robertson Date: January 08, 2000 15 and 16 January Cowpens National Battlefield. This map http://www.nps.gov/cowp/map2cowp.gif will show you how to get there. The park is about 10 mi. NE of Spartanburg SC and about 10 mi. NW of Gaffney on SC Hwy 11. If you are within reasonable driving distance to the Spartanburg SC area, and are a Rev War buff, this is an event you will not want to miss. There are two days of events and it is hard to take them all in. The Cowpens Forum (in its 2nd year) will have several major authors of studies of the Rev War in the South. This Patriot victory, fought 17 Jan 1781 at daybreak, literally kept the revolution alive when it was near its lowest ebb. The battlefield is visited regularly by those studying military science since it is deemed the tactical masterpiece of the war. The full agenda of events is given at http://www.nps.gov/cowp/events.htm The Mel Gibson movie "The Patriot" is a *fictional* account of the Rev War in the Carolinas and will be released this June. Bring your children and grandchildren to Cowpens on 15 and 16 January and learn what *really* happened! You can find all kinds of info about the park (plus some excellent historical articles) at http://www.nps.gov/cowp/menu.htm You will find me there. I'll be conducting guided tours of the battlefield (they let me!). When I tell the story, you can share the terror of standing in that long militia line (as did my ancestor), commanded to "wait until you can see the whites of their eyes", watching that line of British bayonets moving relentlessly toward you, and knowing that you would likely have only have *one* shot with your long rifle before they were upon you. Only Daniel Morgan would have conceived such a tactic and only he could have persuaded 1000 Carolina militiamen to have done such an unnatural thing. You will also share the dismay and anguish of the 71st Highlanders, arguably among the finest combat troops in the world, as they astoundingly experienced defeat and capture that day. Morgan's opponent at Cowpens was none other than the feared Lt.Col. Banastre Tarleton, the Brit's best cavalry commander on the continent. He had more than twice the dragoons (all regulars) and yet, amazingly, Dr. Larry Babits concludes that it was the superior use of cavalry by the Patriots that tipped the balance in favor of Morgan. It is even more incredible when you learn that 1/3 of Morgan's badly outnumbered dragoons were *militia* who had only had *one hour* of training in the use of the sabre! It is a great story and I never tire of it. Come hear the rest of it. John Robertson ==== SCROOTS Mailing List ==== Go To: #, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, Main |