Battle of Cowan's Ford
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Cowan's Ford was a battle in the Southern Theater of Cornwallis
's 1780–1782 Campaign that eventually led to the British Army
's surrender at Yorktown
during the American Revolutionary War
. It was fought on at Cowan's ford
on the Catawba River
in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
, between a force of about 5,000 British and fewer than a thousand Americans who were attempting to slow the British advance across the river. The American general William Lee Davidson
was killed in this battle.
, General Nathanael Greene
replaced Horatio Gates
as Commander of the Southern Department
of the Continental Army
. Rather than attempt to confront the much larger and better equipped British Army under Cornwallis
directly, Greene
attempted to wear down his opponents by engaging the British in a series of small battles. Of these battles, Greene stated of the Continental Army
: "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again."
Following the Battle of Cowpens
, Cornwallis
was determined on destroying Greene
's forces. Cornwallis
ordered his men to burn their supplies and pursued Greene
in the "Race to the Dan" (The Dan River which flows through Southern Virginia and Northern North Carolina).
During the preceding weeks, Cornwallis
's army had swung to the left and approached the swollen waters of the Catawba in late January. For three days, the British forces camped at Ramsour's Mill, where they were joined by the remains of Banastre Tarleton
forces.
On , General Daniel Morgan
reported to General Nathanael Greene
from his camp in Sherrills Ford
that his forces had observed the British army moving towards the Catawba River. Morgan
reported that he was attempting to collect the militia and delay Cornwallis
's forces from crossing the river. To this end, Morgan
ordered General William Lee Davidson
with 500 militia (two hundred and fifty of which were without flints for their muskets) to Beatties Ford.
Cornwallis
marched his forces eastward toward the river to Jacob Forney's, where they camped for another three days after he had determined that the Catawba river at Beatties Ford was impassable because of the raging current.
began to move his army despite the heavy rain fearing any further delay would cause him to lose his chance of destroying Greene
's army. Some six weeks after the engagement, Cornwallis
wrote that he had ordered a detachment under Lieutenant Colonel Webster to "make every possible demonstration by cannonading and otherwise, of an intention to force a passage" at Beatties Ford while he would march down the river to Cowan's Ford.
General Greene
arrived and ordered General Davidson
,who had placed his men at the various fords along the eastern bank, to slow the British Army's crossing of the Catawba River. Greene
and Morgan
then left to accompany the bulk of their forces towards Salisbury, North Carolina
.
Davidson
dispatched a company of cavalry and infantry southward four miles to Cowan's Ford. The cavalry was to see that the British did not make a surprise crossing under cover of darkness. Toward nightfall Davidson
joined the detachment at Cowan's Ford. Davidson evidently feared that Tarleton
's troops might slip across the river in the darkness and get behind him, from which position they could attack him as the British infantry began its crossing and therefore set up camp a half mile from the river, with pickets watching from the water's edge the Cowan's Ford.
Near daybreak, after a difficult march in which the British
lost some of their cannon, Cornwallis
's army reached Cowan's Ford. Cowan's Ford was actually two fords; one, the horse ford, though shallower than the other, was longer, because it crossed the stream to an angle; the other, called the wagon ford, went straight across the river but was much deeper. Without hardly hesitating, the British
began crossing the swollen stream straight across along the wagon ford and soon the horses were over their heads in the raging torrent.
Davidson's forces immediately began to confront the Redcoats. The militiamen were picking off many British soldiers as they struggled in the water. The Redcoat's return fire was heavy. Shortly after arriving on the scene, Davidson was struck from his horse by a rifle ball through the heart.
Late that evening Davidson
's naked body was found. His corpse was evidently robbed by British soldiers, a fact established on when Davidson
's wallet was brought back from England where it had been held in the Public Records Office in London since the Revolution.General Davidson is buried at Hopewell Church in Mecklenburg county, NC.
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
's 1780–1782 Campaign that eventually led to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's surrender at Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. It was fought on at Cowan's ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
on the Catawba River
Catawba River
The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles long...
in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
, between a force of about 5,000 British and fewer than a thousand Americans who were attempting to slow the British advance across the river. The American general William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
was killed in this battle.
Background
After the British victory at the Battle of CamdenBattle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a major victory for the British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War...
, General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
replaced Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga – Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg – and...
as Commander of the Southern Department
Departments of the Continental Army
In the American Revolutionary War units of the Continental Army were assigned to any one of seven regional or territorial departments to decentralize their command and administration. This was necessary because the regiment was the largest permanent unit in the Continental Army...
of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. Rather than attempt to confront the much larger and better equipped British Army under Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
directly, Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
attempted to wear down his opponents by engaging the British in a series of small battles. Of these battles, Greene stated of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
: "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again."
Following the Battle of Cowpens
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory by Patriot Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War...
, Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
was determined on destroying Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
's forces. Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
ordered his men to burn their supplies and pursued Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
in the "Race to the Dan" (The Dan River which flows through Southern Virginia and Northern North Carolina).
During the preceding weeks, Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
's army had swung to the left and approached the swollen waters of the Catawba in late January. For three days, the British forces camped at Ramsour's Mill, where they were joined by the remains of Banastre Tarleton
Banastre Tarleton
General Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British soldier and politician.He is today probably best remembered for his military service during the American War of Independence. He became the focal point of a propaganda campaign claiming that he had fired upon surrendering Continental...
forces.
On , General Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
reported to General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
from his camp in Sherrills Ford
Sherrills Ford, North Carolina
Sherrills Ford is a census-designated place in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 941 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
that his forces had observed the British army moving towards the Catawba River. Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
reported that he was attempting to collect the militia and delay Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
's forces from crossing the river. To this end, Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
ordered General William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
with 500 militia (two hundred and fifty of which were without flints for their muskets) to Beatties Ford.
Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
marched his forces eastward toward the river to Jacob Forney's, where they camped for another three days after he had determined that the Catawba river at Beatties Ford was impassable because of the raging current.
Battle
On , CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
began to move his army despite the heavy rain fearing any further delay would cause him to lose his chance of destroying Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
's army. Some six weeks after the engagement, Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
wrote that he had ordered a detachment under Lieutenant Colonel Webster to "make every possible demonstration by cannonading and otherwise, of an intention to force a passage" at Beatties Ford while he would march down the river to Cowan's Ford.
General Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
arrived and ordered General Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
,who had placed his men at the various fords along the eastern bank, to slow the British Army's crossing of the Catawba River. Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
and Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
then left to accompany the bulk of their forces towards Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
.
Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
dispatched a company of cavalry and infantry southward four miles to Cowan's Ford. The cavalry was to see that the British did not make a surprise crossing under cover of darkness. Toward nightfall Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
joined the detachment at Cowan's Ford. Davidson evidently feared that Tarleton
Banastre Tarleton
General Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British soldier and politician.He is today probably best remembered for his military service during the American War of Independence. He became the focal point of a propaganda campaign claiming that he had fired upon surrendering Continental...
's troops might slip across the river in the darkness and get behind him, from which position they could attack him as the British infantry began its crossing and therefore set up camp a half mile from the river, with pickets watching from the water's edge the Cowan's Ford.
Near daybreak, after a difficult march in which the British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
lost some of their cannon, Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
's army reached Cowan's Ford. Cowan's Ford was actually two fords; one, the horse ford, though shallower than the other, was longer, because it crossed the stream to an angle; the other, called the wagon ford, went straight across the river but was much deeper. Without hardly hesitating, the British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
began crossing the swollen stream straight across along the wagon ford and soon the horses were over their heads in the raging torrent.
Davidson's forces immediately began to confront the Redcoats. The militiamen were picking off many British soldiers as they struggled in the water. The Redcoat's return fire was heavy. Shortly after arriving on the scene, Davidson was struck from his horse by a rifle ball through the heart.
Late that evening Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
's naked body was found. His corpse was evidently robbed by British soldiers, a fact established on when Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
's wallet was brought back from England where it had been held in the Public Records Office in London since the Revolution.General Davidson is buried at Hopewell Church in Mecklenburg county, NC.