"Seldom has a battle, in which greater numbers were not engaged, been so important in its consequences as that of Cowpens," wrote John Marshall.

The annihilation of Major Patrick Ferguson's corps at Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780, by the "backwatermen" had stalled for the time being the British campaign aimed at the subjugation of North Carolina. Spirits that had been dampened by the crushing defeat inflicted on Major General Horatio Gates by the British at Camden in August soared.

In early October, the Continental Congress directed General George Washington to designate an officer to replace Gates as commander of the Southern Army. Washington moved promptly, and he named Major General Nathanael Greene as Gates' replacement. [1]

Greene reached Charlotte, North Carolina, on December 2, where on the following day, Gates formally turned over to him command of the Southern Army. [2] The first tasks of the new commander would be to restore discipline and to provision his troops. When he reached Charlotte, he learned from Gates that there were but three days' provisions on hand in the magazines. To make the situation more embarrassing, the region had been stripped of surplus food and forage by the army.

General Greene soon learned from his chief engineer, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, that the region on the Pee Dee River, near Cheraw Hill, was unravaged by war and could subsist the army. But as Cheraw Hill was farther from Lord Charles Cornwallis' base at Winnsboro than Charlotte, a march to that point would be interpreted as a retreat by the Patriots. Greene would therefore have to take some action to encourage the South Carolina partisan bands led by Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, and Andrew Pickens. To meet this situation, Greene made a daring decision: he would divide his army. As his critics would point out, in event of disaster, this decision was opposed to the established rules of warfare. Military writers held that to divide an inferior force in the face of a superior enemy was to invite destruction in detail of one's forces.

On the other hand, there were compelling reasons to disregard the classic rule. First, Greene saw that by separating his army, it would be easier for both to subsist on the country, drawing rations and forage from regions where the British obtained their supplies. Second, if Cornwallis advanced against Greene's right wing, the left might threaten Charleston; if against the left wing, the British posts at Ninety-Six and Augusta would be endangered. As to the danger of either wing being attacked and mauled, Greene relied on the mobility of the Americans to outdistance the slow moving British infantry columns. [3] Thus, Greene had matured the only scheme of operations from which he could hope for success.

General Greene confirmed Brigadier General Daniel Morgan in the command of the light infantry, now composed of 320 Maryland and Delaware Continentals, 200 Virginia militia under Major Triplett, and "from 60 to 100" light dragoons under Lieutenant Colonel William Washington. This would constitute one of the two wings into which the army was to be divided; the other was entrusted to Brigadier General Isaac Huger. Greene would march with Huger's wing. [4]

On December 16 Greene notified Morgan, "You are appointed to the command of a corps of Light Infantry, a Detachment of Militia, and Lieutenant Colonel Washington's Regiment of Light Dragoons." With this force he was to proceed to the west side of the Catawba River, where he was to be reinforced by a body of North Carolina militia led by Brigadier General William Davidson, and by the militia lately led by General Sumter. This force would be employed "either offensively or defensively" against the foe west of the Catawba.

His mission would be to afford protection to that part of "the country and to spirit up the people—to annoy the enemy in that quarter—collect the provisions and forage out of the way of the enemy.

Should the British march toward the Pee Dee, where Greene proposed to take position, Morgan was to move in "such direction as to enable you to join me if necessary, or to fall upon the flank or into the rear of the enemy, as occasion may require." [5]

Hard rains that flooded the lowlands delayed Greene's departure, but on December 20 General Huger put his column in motion. The march was very difficult: the roads were ribbons of mud, the horses were too weak from lack of forage to pull the wagons without frequent halts, and the soldiers not much better off. On the 26th the left wing reached Cheraw Hill and camped. [6]

Morgan's command of approximately 600 left Charlotte on December 21, the day after Greene's column had started for Cheraw Hill, and reached the Catawba River that evening, and the next morning crossed the river at Biggin's Ferry. Pushing on by way of Cane Creek, Morgan's troops crossed the Broad on the 24th, and on Christmas went into camp on the left bank of the Pacolet, at Grindall's Ford. [7] Here Morgan was joined, a few days later, by a party of mounted militia under Colonel Pickens and Lieutenant Colonel James McCall. [8] General Davidson reported to Morgan on the 29th with 120 Whigs whom he had recruited in Mecklenburg. Leaving Major James McDowell in charge of the North Carolina militia, Davidson hurried off to bring into the field 500 more whom he had enrolled. Before he could return, however, the battle had occurred. [8]

On December 27, Morgan learned that about 250 Georgia Tories had advanced to Fair Forest. To rout this force, he ordered out Colonel Washington's troopers and 200 mounted militia under Colonel McCall. The Tories retired in face of Washington's advance, but after a hard ride of 40 miles they were overtaken on the 28th at Hammond's Storehouse. Washington attacked immediately and scattered the Tories with great loss. Although at considerable distance from any supporting force, and within range of the British strongholds at Ninety-Six and Winnsboro, Washington moved against Fort Williams, 15 miles northeast of Ninety-Six. The British commander abandoned the post, and Washington, perceiving the wisdom of withdrawing, returned to the Pacolet. [10]

The action at Hammond's Store goaded Lord Cornwallis into action. He realized that Greene had made a wise move in dividing his army. Cornwallis knew that it would be a mistake to move with his entire force against Greene, because it would leave the posts at Ninety-Six and Augusta open to attack by Morgan, nor could he assail Morgan without leaving Greene free to march on Charleston. The situation was not only embarrassing, but it was made extremely irritating by the raids of the American partisans. Lord Cornwallis realized that to cope with this situation he would have to divide his force. His favorite cavalry officer, Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, was ordered to Ninety-Six with his British Legion. Orders were issued for Major General Alexander Leslie to march upon Camden, while he with the main column would advance from Winnsboro up the watershed separating the Broad and Pee Dee rivers. [11]

Tarleton broke camp at the beginning of January and crossed the Broad with his Legion, the 1st Battalion, 71st (Fraser's Highlanders), and one 3-pounder. By the time he had pushed 20 miles beyond Brierly's Ferry, Tarleton had satisfied himself that Colonel Washington had pulled back from Fort Williams and that Ninety-Six was not endangered. He therefore determined to bring up his baggage train, which he had left at the ferry, camp, and make certain recommendations to Lord Cornwallis regarding how to cope with Morgan and Greene. He saw that Cornwallis could not afford to begin another invasion of North Carolina with Morgan in position to hit his exposed flank, and, brushing it aside, sweep down on Ninety-Six. Consequently, he proposed to force Morgan into battle, or, failing in that, to drive him over Broad River, where Cornwallis, sweeping up the left bank, could pocket him.

Cornwallis was impressed and agreed to reinforce Tarleton with 200 men of the 7th Fusiliers, 50 of the 17th Light Dragoons, and a few artillery men with another light 3-pounder. The addition of these units would give Tarleton a striking force of nearly 1,100 effectives. Colonel Tarleton as soon as he was reinforced moved out. Since he had tremendous self confidence and little respect for the Patriots' fighting ability, he expressed no concern when Major Newmarsh told him that most of the 200 men in his 7th Fusiliers were recruits. [12]

As the rivers and streams were running bank full as a result of recent rains, Tarleton's column experienced considerable difficulty in effecting a crossing of Indian and Duncan creeks. Meanwhile, his scouts and spies kept track of Morgan's movements. They reported that Morgan was being constantly reinforced. Tarleton accordingly forwarded a message to Lord Cornwallis, asking that he be allowed to retain the 7th Fusiliers. Cornwallis was agreeable. Upon receipt of this information, Tarleton resumed his march toward the northwest on the 12th. He hoped by this move to locate fords to facilitate the passage of the Enoree and Tyger by his infantry. As Tarleton's column pushed toward the source of these rivers, Cornwallis' army was feeling its way forward from Winnsboro. He had been compelled to slow his pace to allow General Leslie, then struggling through the swamps along the Pee Dee, to get into position. [13]