Cowpens

January 17, 1781

Strategic Context
Britain’s American colonies revolt in 1775, provoking a large military response from Britain. The overall
strategic situation of the American Revolutionary War turns decidedly in the American favour as the
Americans win the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 and France declares war on Britain in 1778. However, the

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southern theater is yet to be won or lost. In December 1780, both American and British sides are reinforced
near Charlotte; Nathaniel Greene now leads 3,000 Americans against Charles Cornwallis’ 4,000 British.
Greene takes the offensive by sending Daniel Morgan with roughly 1,000 men in a western turning maneuver

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and taking the remainder to a camp near Charleston. Cornwallis opts to try and destroy both forces
simultaneously by sending Banastre Tarleton with 1,100 men against Morgan and Alexander Leslie with the
rest to contain Greene. Tarleton reaches Morgan’s position and attacks as part of the plan’s first stage.

Stakes
+ A British victory would allow Cornwallis to
subsequently send Tarleton to decisively
envelop Greene’s main force at Charleston.
+ An American victory would allow Greene to
reunite his forces after mistakenly dividing them
against a stronger force.

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

 Cowpens, 1781
Strength

 British  Americans

 Banastre Tarleton  Daniel Morgan

 850 regulars  450

 250 regulars
 450 militia
 cavalry
2 guns  125
 Well  cavalry
Well

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

North America c. 1763
The battlefield consists of a flat, open plain. There are various elevation changes, different enough to obscure visibility along
certain lines of sight but very gradual.

Americans
(Morgan)

British
0 250m 500m
(Tarleton)
Tarleton
The
A British
Tarleton
mutual
Tarleton is heavily
deploysinfantry
slaughter
advances committed
continue
three ensues
infantry between
with to
toadvance
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line; that
met
along
lines
his is
by
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but both
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are volleys,
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byappears
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run unable
right
true;
sniper senses
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American
fire the
infantryfire
time asare
right
regiment
infantry
but otherwise theand
American
for a just
cavalry
aiming double amilitia
asright
continue envelopment;
flanking
and flee.
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standing
forwards on hiscavalry
up to orders
left and on
the
unimpeded. his
another
British
cavalry
battle
left
regulars.force
wing
line behind
and
forward
Tarleton his in
militia
knows center as losing
onpursuit
hehis
is a reserve.
right theTarleton
of wing American
sweep
battle plans
and to rout
around
rabble;
sends his the
the hisunreliable
British
left infantry
flanking American
flanks,
storm
force militia
over toawith
surrounding
forward a frontal
ridge
large
smash and attack.
numbers Morgan’s
are promptly
Morgan’s heldmain
of British
right, met line
withis amade
byinfantry.
militia. up
anentirely
Tarleton
solid
Here, wall urges
order offire
ofto infantry,
his fromhidden
final
right-turn cavalry
isthe in a reserve
shale. In
previously
misunderstood
Morgan’s
front
and of this
the
undetected
forward militia
but sharpshooters
main line are militia
about-turn
American
they andand
flee instead
battle line.hastily
assharpshooters
retreat.
his
The Morgan
center withdraw
Britishwith
halts
infantry
cavalry to and
instructions the
thisdisintegrate.
rout
meanwhile next
to fire
orders battle
two shots
the beforeposition.
militia
Unsupported
pursue fleeing.
to
the American
and Morganagain
about-turn
surrounded, groups
militia andhisfire.
astride
the cavalry
theThe
British into one main
attacking
ridge
infantry striking
British
untilonMorgan
the are
wingsforce far inby
stunned
orders havehisnohis rear,sudden
this
cavalry
choice hidden by
tobut a slope.
burst
sweep
to lay of He
fire.
around
down
plans to lure Tarleton into a trap in which his own infantry, naturally aiming too high, will get the better of the British regulars.
Meanwhile
flank in
their arms. andtheforce
American
themrear,
back. the other militia begin to reorganize.
Americans British
Americans
(Morgan)
(Banastre
(DanielTarleton)
Morgan)
850450
regulars
regulars
250450
cavalry
militia
125 cavalry

Americans British
Regular infantry Regular infantry
Militia infantry Artillery
Cavalry Cavalry

N
Symbol guide

British
0 250m 500m
(Tarleton)
 Cowpens, 1781
Casualties & Aftermath
British: Americans:

930 >100
or or
85% 10%

Morgan and Greene retreated into southern Virginia immediately after reuniting, closely
pursued by the British. With Morgan unable to command in the field due to severe
arthritis, Cornwallis defeated Greene at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in March. The
victory was so costly that Cornwallis withdrew into Virginia where he was outmaneuvered
and forced to surrender to American supreme commander George Washington and
French allied command Comte de Rochambeau at Yorktown in October.

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

 The Art of Battle:
Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com

By Jonathan Webb, 2009