The morning began early at Cowpens.  My guide, John Robertson and I had the park to our selves (no John I did NOT see who opened that gate).

Cowpens is the battle that is featured in the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot.  It is a masterpiece of strategy by General Daniel Morgan who managed to use the British commander Banastre Tartelton’s instincts against him perfectly.

Morgan and Tarleton had been playing a game of cat and mouse throughout the South Carolina Uplands.  Morgan had, in fact most recently been encamped at Grindal Shoals, home to Moseleys, Fosters, etc.  James Moseley’s ability as a backwoodsman was no doubt much used by Morgan to secure meat and supplies for his Continentals and the assembling militia, as well as in gathering and passing along details of the British movements.  (Possibly also in passing dis-information to the British).  Even though Col. Thomas Brandon’s men were at Cowpens – the militia group that Moseley had gone out to fight with several times before -there is no evidence that James Moseley actually fought at Cowpens but as John Robertson points out the contributions made in gathering the militia (citizen soldiers who had to be informed where the battle was going to be fought and when to turn up) and supplying Morgan with accurate information was one of the factors that led to Morgan’s success.

Tarleton is one of themore famous villians in this war’s history and he had enjoyed much success with hid dragoon’s tactics of charging straight at lines of militia.  In the face of horse charges, he had found that the militia lines would scatter – and often not stop running until they got home.  At Cowpens however Morgan seemed to use everything Tarleton believed about the milita against him.  Concealing his Continentals (the professional soldiers) until the last possible moment, Morgan used the militia very effectively in a series of stands and retreats which drew the British in until they were completely committed, strung out and vulerable at which point the Continental army had an advantage ont he field which they used to great effect.  More on the battle at Cowpens here:http://www.nps.gov/archive/cowp/batlcowp.htm