Cowpens National Battlefield: History, Battlefield Trail and Visitor Tips

On the foggy morning of January 17, 1781, in a South Carolina pasture called the Cowpens, an outnumbered mix of Continental soldiers and militia pulled off one of the most brilliant tactical victories of the Revolutionary War. Cowpens National Battlefield doesn't get the attention of Yorktown or Lexington, but the battle fought here changed the course of the war in the South. I walked the battlefield trail with the park's self-guided tour, and it's one of the best history stops I've made.

Quick facts

• Location: Cowpens National Battlefield, upstate South Carolina

• Run by: The National Park Service. Check the park's website for current hours and fees.

• Trail: The Battlefield Trail, a roughly 1-mile loop from the visitor center

• Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

• Best tip: Use the NPS app's self-guided tour as you walk

• Crowds: Quiet on a weekday when I visited

The road to Cowpens

By late 1780 the American South was in chaos. The British had taken Charleston, defeated the Patriots at Camden and were pushing deep into the Carolinas under General Cornwallis. General Nathaniel Greene took command of the Southern Continental Army and split it in two, keeping one half and giving the other to Brigadier General Daniel Morgan.

Morgan's job was to distract and divide the British, harass Loyalist supply lines and buy time. His movements drew the attention of Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, a 26-year-old British cavalry commander known for brutal tactics, including the massacre at the Waxhaws, where surrendering Patriots were cut down. Morgan, a tough frontier veteran of the Battle of Saratoga, knew his men feared Tarleton. He decided to use that fear to his advantage.

Morgan's trap

On the night of January 16, Morgan chose his ground: a flat, open pasture near the Broad River with woods on both sides. Instead of one battle line, he built three, plus cavalry in reserve:

• Skirmish line: sharpshooters out front, ordered to slow Tarleton with well-aimed rifle fire and then fall back.

• Militia line: ordered to fire two volleys and then retreat.

• Continental line: regulars from Maryland and Delaware, with Virginia and North Carolina militia, holding firm in reserve.

• Cavalry: light dragoons under William Washington, waiting to strike.

It was bait, and Tarleton was the prey.

How the battle unfolded

At dawn Tarleton attacked aggressively, just as Morgan predicted. The sharpshooters fired and melted back into the trees. The militia delivered two deadly volleys, dropping about two-thirds of the British officers, then retreated through the Continental line. To Tarleton it looked like a rout, so he pushed forward, right into the Continentals, who stood firm.

Then Morgan sprang the trap. Washington's cavalry charged the British flank while the Continental line pivoted, catching Tarleton's army in a double envelopment. Of about 1,100 British troops, more than 800 were killed, wounded or captured. Tarleton barely escaped with a handful of men.

The defeat wrecked Cornwallis's left flank and pulled him into a desperate chase across North Carolina that set the stage for his surrender at Yorktown nine months later. Morgan's use of militia, deception and terrain is still studied by military leaders today.

Walking the battlefield trail

The Battlefield Trail is a roughly 1-mile loop that starts and ends at the visitor center. Signs along the way mark where each line stood, so you can walk the battle in the same order it happened. Highlights include:

• Washington Light Infantry Monument: erected in 1856 by the Washington Light Infantry of Charleston, near where the final stage of the battle was fought.

• The race for the grasshoppers: near the end of the battle, two Continental officers raced to capture the British "grasshopper" cannons, light three-pounders. Captain Anderson of Maryland won by using his spontoon to vault onto one. Captain Kirkwood of Delaware captured the other. The sign has an illustration of Anderson mid-leap.

• Morgan's camp: the spot where Morgan's "flying army", drawn from the Carolinas, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia, camped without tents the night before the battle. Some of the militia had fought at Kings Mountain months earlier.

• The skirmish and militia lines: markers, including a sharpshooter figure, show where the first two lines waited for the British to come within range.

• The Scruggs House: an old farmhouse on the battlefield. In 1849, historian Benson Lossing used it as a reference point to locate the battle site, which he said presented "a most dreary appearance" after decades of farming had turned the open forest into stumps, pine thickets and cornfields.

Map and directions

Get directions to Cowpens National Battlefield in Google Maps. Want to see where else I've been? Check out the CDR Adventures Travel Map.

Tips for visiting Cowpens

• Download the National Park Service app before you go. Its self-guided tour follows every sign on the trail and adds a lot of context.

• Start at the visitor center, then walk the loop. The trail is mostly flat and easy, so it works well for families.

• I was there on a weekday and it wasn't too busy, so it was a very peaceful walk along the battlefield trail.

• The battlefield is run by the National Park Service. Check the park's website for current hours before you go.

Is Cowpens worth visiting?

Yes. It's not as famous as other Revolutionary War sites, but few battlefields let you follow a battle this clearly, line by line, on the ground where it happened. If you're anywhere near upstate South Carolina and you like American history, make the stop.

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