American Travel Journal: Visitor Center - Cowpens National Battlefield

The American Revolutionary War battle of Cowpens was fought on January 17, 1781. It was the first major skirmish between the Patriot and British forces since the Battle of Kings Mountain four months earlier. While only 25 miles apart, the terrain of the battlefields couldn't be more different. The earlier battle required Patriot militia to charge hilltop defenders while Cowpens was a large nearly flat plain the separated the drainage areas of the Broad River to the north and the Pacolet River to the southwest near present day Chesnee, South Carolina. The historic Green River Road ran through the field from the east to the northwest. The open field terrain of Cowpens was more suited to the European-style of battle where lines of massed infantry fired muskets at each other and then made a bayonet charge.

After the Continental Army defeat at Camden, Major General Gates was replaced by Major General Nathanael Greene on December 3, 1780 at Hillsborough, North Carolina. Of a paper command of 2307 men, General Greene found only 1482 present for duty of which 949 were Continental regulars. In order to antagonize the British and spread them as thinly as possible, Greene chose to split his army into two parts. He gave orders to Brigadier General Daniel Morgan to use his 600 men to harass the British in the backcountry of South Carolina and "spirit up the people." When word reached the Patriot militias in the region, several hundred more men joined Morgan's forces in the days leading up to the battle. Records show Morgan had nearly a thousand men under his command at the time of the battle.

When Lord Cornwallis heard that Greene had split his forces, he sent Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his 1,100 to 1,200 men. Tarleton's forces were split about evenly between British Regulars in their red coats and Loyalist Provincials in their green coats. Both groups were professionally trained soldiers, unlike the volunteer Loyalist militia that had been relied upon at Kings Mountain just four months prior.

On January 12, 1781, Tarleton learned that Morgan was at Grindal's Shoals on the Pacolet River and began a pursuit that brought him steadily closer to the Patriots. With the real chance of being caught crossing the rain swollen Broad River, Morgan and his officers devised a plan of battle for the Cowpens. The militia under the command of Colonel Andrew Pickens would form two lines with the first line consisting of sharpshooters aiming at British officers and the second line consisting of militia. The militia was to fire two volleys before melting back through the third line formed by Continental regulars commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard. Each line was about 150 yards behind the previous one. Lieutenant Colonel William Washington's dragoons (cavalry) were held in reserve in a swale out of sight. As there was plenty of forage in the area for both men and horses, the army camped at Cowpens on the night of January 16. General Morgan spent most of the night going from unit to unit explaining what he expected from each man and encouraging them to do their duty.

Having camped about five miles from Cowpens, Tarleton had his men up and marching at 2AM on the morning of January 17, 1781. Tarleton arrived at Cowpens around dawn and quickly formed his dragoons on either side of his two 3-pounder "grasshopper" cannons, but didn't wait for his infantry to completely deploy before starting the battle. As the Patriot lines fired and retreated, Tarleton sensed an opportunity to route the Patriots and sent his dragoons straight up the Green River Road chasing the militia. At that moment, Washington's dragoons arrived on the field from their hidden positions and drove the British dragoons from the field.

The Continental line held as volley after volley was fired by both sides. When Tarleton's reserve force of Scottish Highlanders arrived with their bagpipes blaring, Colonel Howard ordered his right flank to reform to fight the new threat. However, the order was misunderstood and the right of the Continental line pivoted to the rear in an orderly retreat. Morgan ordered the retreating men to face about and fire in unison, which they did. In the meantime, the British had broke ranks and were pursuing the Patriots at a run. The quick about face of the Patriots and volley stopped the British advance.

The reformed militia marched around the left end of the Continental line and Washington's dragoons outflanked the British on the other end of the line. This created the only successful double envelopment by Patriot forces during the war. Seeing they were surrounded, the British infantry surrendered en masse. In less than an hour, the British had lost 110 dead, 229 wounded, and another 600 taken prisoner or missing. In comparison, the Patriots lost 24 dead and 104 wounded. Although pursued by Washington, Tarleton managed to elude capture and return to Cornwallis. Nevertheless, as Morgan later recalled he had given Tarleton a "devil of a whipping."

The visitor center has an information desk, museum, theater, and bookstore. Restrooms are located in a separate building across a breezeway from the visitor center. Another excellent park service production, the 18 minute Cowpens: A Battle Remembered is played on request in the theater.

The paved parking area has over seventy regular parking spots, five handicap parking spots, and a dozen bus/RV parking spots. A mostly one-way auto tour road has a designated bike lane. A one mile Battlefield Trail loops through the battlefield.

The entrance to the battlefield is located about 2.5 miles east of Chesnee, South Carolina on the south side of State Route 11. The visitor center is located about 0.4 miles beyond the entrance on Park Gate Road. I visited the battlefield in February, 2017.

1932 U.S. Monument

The Congress of the United States
has caused this monument to be
erected on the site of the
Battle of Cowpens
as a testimonial to the valor and
in appreciation of the services of
the American troops on this field in
behalf of the independence of
their country