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The Race to the Dan
The Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, was a great victory for Daniel Morgan and his army of Continentals and militiamen. They had virtually annihilated Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s famed British Legion, but Morgan’s contingent was in a dangerous position, with a larger British force under Lord Charles Cornwallis only twenty-five miles away. The race was now on to get to a place of safety.
Daniel Morgan’s Masterpiece at Cowpens
Daniel Morgan came out of his self-imposed retirement and returned to the Continental Army near Hillsborough, North Carolina in late September 1780. He felt he could no longer sit on the sidelines while his country was at war. In December, Major General Nathanael Greene sent newly promoted Brigadier General Morgan and 600 men west to threaten British outposts in western SC.
Daniel Morgan Joins Fight for Independence
Daniel Morgan was inspired by America’s desire for independence as early as 1774, when England imposed the Intolerable Acts on the colony of Massachusetts. Morgan felt a natural resentment to this imposition of British authority, tracing back to his unpleasant experiences serving the British army as a wagoner during the French and Indian War.
Daniel Morgan Comes of Age
Daniel Morgan, the victor of Cowpens, was one of America’s best battlefield tacticians during the American Revolution. He rose from a hard scrabble childhood to national prominence solely on his merit and ability, overcoming his lack of political connections and wealth. Morgan’s story is a truly inspirational tale.
Assault on Quebec Ends in Disaster
On December 26, General Richard Montgomery assembled the key officers in his army besieging Quebec City to discuss their next steps. The bombardment of the city had failed to convince British General Guy Carleton to surrender and there were only five days remaining until the enlistments of most of Montgomery’s men expired and they left for home. There was grumbling in the ranks that the retreat should have already started.