American Revolution Battle Of Cowpens Analysis
Brandon Parsons
February 16, 2015
HIUS 221-B29
“American Revolution: Battle of Cowpens,” in Battlefield Detectives (A&E). 45:46 mins.
In the Battle of Cowpens, the 800 American soilders led by General Daniel Morgan decisively defeated 1200 British soilders led by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. The American soilders consisted mostly of hunters and farmers and had much less training than the British soilders. The main reason that the Americans were able to pevail was a result of the strategies used by General Morgan. Morgan was smart enough to know that because he was defending and not attacking he had the power to control the terrain. Morgan had his men set up in a spot where the only option the British had was to go directly into …show more content…
The first line of the American troops were armed with rifles while the Britsih soilders were armed with muskets. The rifles fired with more accuracy and distance then the muskets. This allowed American soilders to pick off British officials before they were even in range to fire back. Taking out a lot of officials and even calvarymen really softened the blow of the British soilders This was a massive advantage for the American soilders.
Also, even though General Morgan only reported 800 men, there is a very good chance he had many more than that. Almost 800 soilders that said they fought in the Battle of Cowpens applied for pension about 50 years after the war ended. Considering the fact that many of the soilders that fought at Cowpens would die in later battles and it is unlikely that every soilder would apply for pension there could have been close to 2000 american soilders fighting in this battle. This would make the British the underdog and not the American soilders like has been previously …show more content…
Historical Statements Concerning the Battle of Kings Mountain and the Battle of the Cowpens, South Carolina. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off, 1928.
Babits, Lawrence Edward. A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.
Bearss, Edwin C. The Battle of Cowpens: A Documented Narrative and Troop Movement Maps. Johnson City, Tenn: The Overmountain Press, 1996.
Fleming, Thomas J. Cowpens: "Downright Fighting" : the Story of Cowpens. Washington, D.C.: Division of Publications, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1988.
Roberts, Kenneth Lewis. The Battle of Cowpens: The Great Morale-Builder. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1958
Articles
Gabriel, Michael P. 2013. "The Battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens: The American Revolution in the Southern Backcountry." Canadian Journal Of History 48, no. 3: 527-528. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 16, 2015).
Mason, Keith. 2000. "A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens." Journal Of American History 86, no. 4: 1757-1758. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 16,
February 16, 2015
HIUS 221-B29
“American Revolution: Battle of Cowpens,” in Battlefield Detectives (A&E). 45:46 mins.
In the Battle of Cowpens, the 800 American soilders led by General Daniel Morgan decisively defeated 1200 British soilders led by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. The American soilders consisted mostly of hunters and farmers and had much less training than the British soilders. The main reason that the Americans were able to pevail was a result of the strategies used by General Morgan. Morgan was smart enough to know that because he was defending and not attacking he had the power to control the terrain. Morgan had his men set up in a spot where the only option the British had was to go directly into …show more content…
The first line of the American troops were armed with rifles while the Britsih soilders were armed with muskets. The rifles fired with more accuracy and distance then the muskets. This allowed American soilders to pick off British officials before they were even in range to fire back. Taking out a lot of officials and even calvarymen really softened the blow of the British soilders This was a massive advantage for the American soilders.
Also, even though General Morgan only reported 800 men, there is a very good chance he had many more than that. Almost 800 soilders that said they fought in the Battle of Cowpens applied for pension about 50 years after the war ended. Considering the fact that many of the soilders that fought at Cowpens would die in later battles and it is unlikely that every soilder would apply for pension there could have been close to 2000 american soilders fighting in this battle. This would make the British the underdog and not the American soilders like has been previously …show more content…
Historical Statements Concerning the Battle of Kings Mountain and the Battle of the Cowpens, South Carolina. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off, 1928.
Babits, Lawrence Edward. A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.
Bearss, Edwin C. The Battle of Cowpens: A Documented Narrative and Troop Movement Maps. Johnson City, Tenn: The Overmountain Press, 1996.
Fleming, Thomas J. Cowpens: "Downright Fighting" : the Story of Cowpens. Washington, D.C.: Division of Publications, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1988.
Roberts, Kenneth Lewis. The Battle of Cowpens: The Great Morale-Builder. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1958
Articles
Gabriel, Michael P. 2013. "The Battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens: The American Revolution in the Southern Backcountry." Canadian Journal Of History 48, no. 3: 527-528. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 16, 2015).
Mason, Keith. 2000. "A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens." Journal Of American History 86, no. 4: 1757-1758. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 16,