Briefly discuss why it was written

The chapter titled “THIS UNEXPECTED EVENT ” : ANNIHILATION AT THE COWPENS was written to stress the strategic and consequential importance of the immemorial battle fought between the British and American armies at Cowpens in South Carolina in 1781.

The American victors led by their Commander Daniel Morgan, used the most advanced and pioneer tactical strategies to counter the might of the British who had so far made victorious inroads into other parts of the world by using their time tested and advanced military strategies.

The inspiration for using such a strategy could have been taken from the double envelopment techniques used by Hannibal during the classic Battle at Cannae in 216 BC, whereby he 2 conclusively defeated the massive Roman army that was almost twice the size of his own. It is understood by many that the victory at Cowpens was due to a rare opportunity available to the American Commander and the presence of mind along with the trust imposed in him by his generals led to the landmark victory that had noteworthy consequences in setting the course for future events in American history. The battle at Cowpens was comparatively small in view of the other battles

of the time when the British struggled to establish their supremacy in America, but it proved that the so far considered to be unbeaten British Commander Tarleton was also vulnerable in the face of the new tactical strategies of the American infantry and cavalry. The results of the battle set the course for a reduction in the morale of the British army who were taken aback by the unimagined tactical techniques used by Morgan and his officers. The result of the battle was a confirmation that the Americans demonstrated proper use of battle techniques using the cavalry and infantry.

The victory was indeed a landmark one and the remains of the battle ground and the remnants of the memoirs remain intact and preserved to this day to match the accounts of the actual battle field so as to remind Americans of 3 the victory that paved the way and set course towards establishing their supremacy against the British. b. Writer’s Conclusion. What does the writer conclude about the period or event? The basis of forming conclusions about the Battle at Cowpens can be exhaustively had from the various vantage points set up and maintained at the actual battle site.

On the strength of their location and description that is conclusively associated with the written accounts of the battle by several writers and the participants in the battle who were also commanders and rank holders in the cavalry and infantry, a feel of the actual thought process of Commander Morgan and his Officers can be experienced. The writer feels that indeed Commander Morgan was a pioneer in such battle strategy and displayed exemplary courage and leadership qualities to boost the morale of his people and to synchronize the timely availability of logistical support as

and when required. His main line of defense was based on tactical use of formations with an element of surprise and operational security. He used the militia very effectively by planning ahead and placing them at the right locations to counter enemy infringement. He established a skirmish line by effectively using advanced technology and light infantry that had so far 4 never been used in the 18th century. Although the British deployed their formations in a linear battlefield, there were psychological effects of fatigue that halted the initial signs of victory.

Initially the British under the leadership of Tarleton, made victorious strides pushing back the Americans causing for some time discouragement amongst their ranks, but the British suddenly started to loose ground in the face of tactical moves by Morgan and his ranks. There had to be a fast retreat under immense pressure from the Americans leading to large number of casualties amongst the British. However in this context the battle is remembered due to its learning lessons by way of the great sense of battle discipline displayed amongst the soldiers, close combat techniques and the collection and

assessment of battlefield information on the part of the British. The Battle at Cowpen paved the way for the future use of creating psychological impact as was done effectively when the retreating Americans under the orders of their Commander Howard took an about turn and indiscriminately fired at the Britishers who were unaware of such a move and which turned the table against them. In this context, Howard acted under instructions from Morgan as part of the plan and the effect of such fire 5 power was decisively in favor of the Americans. Consequently, another

noteworthy conclusion of this event is that the battle is a perfect laboratory example for analysis of psychological factor working in war and how it can be effectively used against the enemy. Evidence Supporting the Conclusion. Incorporate evidence offered by the writer to support the chapter. Why should I believe this person? The Battle at Cowpen was a battle that set new trends and patterns of tactical strategies to counter enemy supremacy, which is aptly proved by the course of events that followed 1781 to set new landmarks in American history. The

chapter gives a detailed account of the battle, the course of events and the intricacies that changed the initial victorious trend of the British on the battlefield. All that is written in the chapter about the battle is supported by a real existence of the actual battle site and the different stages of the battle being earmarked by Vantage Points 1 to 12, which aptly prove that the site is there and that the battle did take place in 1781. The vantage points give an account of the different stages of the battle where most of the action happened and the visitor is made to have a taste and gut feeling of the battle

actually happening before him, as the entire site can be viewed and observed 6 from one spot. So there is full evidence in support of the chapter by way of the actual existence of the battle site that is maintained to this day. References Scott Withrow, Park Ranger, The Battle of Cowpen, may 2005, http://www. nps. gov/archive/cowp/batlcowp. htm The Battle of Cowpens 1781, http://www. britishbattles. com/battle-cowpens. htm John Buchanan, The American Revolution in the Carolinas, http://www. theamericanrevolution. org/battles/bat_cowp. asp