Revolutionary War Historical Article
The American Revolution Month-by-Month February 1781
By Compatriot Andrew "Andy" Stough
Editor's Note: This article was reprinted by Permission of the Gold Country Chapter No. 7 of the CSSAR and was slightly edited by the Sons of Liberty Chapter of the CSSAR
To follow the major military actions in February, 1781, is extremely difficult without a map in place. The Carolinas are a tangle of often wide, fast water rivers running generally to the southeast. Such a mass of water creates many swampy areas; in general the area is heavily wooded. Bridges are rare and most river crossings are made at fords; even then, crossings are dependent on the depth and flow of the water. Roads are for the most part merely wagon tracks. On winter days they are a quagmire of mud, in which a wagon can sink to the hub. Nights are a nightmare of frozen ruts for American soldiers on their many night marches. Uniforms have become rags, shoes almost non-existent and worn by a minority of the troops while empty bellies are an affliction upon all. Considering the conditions under which the Continental army lived and fought it is remarkable that they could even remain in the field, let alone fight, and defeat, a war hardened, well equipped and supplied British army.
After escaping British General Charles Earl Cornwallis. Patriot Brigadier General Daniel Morgan rested on the east side of the Catawba. His superior officer General Nathanael Green saw Morgan’s location as untenable. If Morgan was forced into the mountains, Greene would lose the best equipped, most experienced and most dependable men in the entire Southern Army. Such an event would jeopardize the entire Southern force.
After giving orders to General Benjamin Huger to move all prisoners from Hillsboro and Salisbury in North Carolina to a safe place in Virginia, Greene prepared for a possible retreat into Virginia, ordering Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuszko to seize all boats on the Dan River (on the border of North Carolina and Virginia) in the event of a hasty retreat before Cornwallis' three pronged army. Greene arrived in Morgan’s camp January 30th instructing him to rejoin the main army. On February 1st, Morgan broke camp moving north toward the main army.
There was no time to be lost, Greene knew that Cornwallis was burning all but his essential wagons, equipment and supplies. He could now move rapidly and appeared headed for Virginia. Greene, in response, planned to proceed northward over a course that Cornwallis could and probably would follow, moving just fast enough to coax Cornwallis to follow; drawing him ever farther away from his source of supply while Greene would be moving closer to his base of supply and expected reinforcements.
On January 28th, Cornwallis was marching toward Beattie’s Ford on the Catawba near Morgan’s camp. General William Davidson with North Carolina militia were guarding four river crossings on the Catawba. Cornwallis had divided his force in an attempt to allow a flanking and encircling movement that had been successful against the Americans in the past. At 1 a.m. on February 2nd, he sent a heavy force to feint against Beattie’s Ford, the largest of the four fords. The real target was Cowan’s Ford some six miles down river from Beattie’s. Cowan’s was a split ford forming a Y with the bottom of the Y on the south bank. One side was usable for wagons, the other fork safe only for horsemen. There was but one entrance on the south side. On the north side there were two exits a quarter mile apart. Led by a Tory guide, Generals O’Hara and Cornwallis began the crossing. For some reason the guide disappeared before reaching the Y and the attack was made from the ford.
Due to the sound of rushing water and darkness of a cold rainy morning, the militia guards were surprised by the British. General Davidson, a quarter mile away at the wagon crossing, heard the firing and rushed in reinforcements, only to find that the first redcoats were already across and driving back the militia. Davidson rushed to the front and ordered the militia back in an orderly retreat. Davidson was killed and the militia broke and ran in panic. It was a setback but not a fatal one. Morgan and his troops (Cornwallis' real target) had left their camp the day before. By the time Cornwallis was across the river in force, Morgan, having marched all night in the rain, was safe some thirty miles away.
Greene stayed at Morgan’s abandoned camp with a few men to effect a rendezvous with Davidson’s militia, then move on with them to join Morgan. The militia who remained did not go to Morgan’s camp but assembled close to Tarrant’s Tavern. When Tarlton’s cavalry appeared they again fled. Greene waited at the campsite until a messenger came notifying him of Davidson’s death, the dispersal of the militia and that Cornwallis had successfully crossed the Catawba. He then rode alone to Salisbury stopping at Steele’s Tavern. When greeted and asked if he were alone he responded "Yes, alone, tired, hungry and without a penny." At this point Ward relates ". . .on his departure Mrs. Steele brought him two small bags of hard cash telling him that 'You need them more than I do' ". At that moment the two bags of coins were the total finances of the Southern Army.
On February 2nd and 3rd, Morgan passed Salisbury only to find the Yadkin impossible to ford. Fortunately with Greene’s foresight, General Thaddeus Kosciuszko had found boats to move men and supplies while cavalrymen swam their horses across the river. When British general O’Hara arrived at the Yadkin he was rewarded by the wagons abandoned by Morgan but there were no boats available. He was stranded on the south side of the river with Morgan camped on the far shore. O’Hara opened fire on the American camp with field pieces but little damage was done as the camp was set behind a low hill protecting it from cannon fire, there was no reply as Morgan had no field pieces.
Greene on the evening of the 4th stopped at Salem, then moved on to Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, arriving on the 6th where Huger’s division joined them. Cornwallis was by this time at Salem 25 miles away. Greene decided that if he received reinforcements of Continentals from Virginia to add to the 1,426 in place from Delaware and Maryland that he could make a decisive stand at Guilford Courthouse. The expected troops did not appear and Greene began a race for the Dan River. Cornwallis, in haste to catch Greene burned even more of his supply train. His 3,000 soldiers burdened only with what they could carry moved faster than Greene with his supply train.
Greene was in a quandary. To continue a retreat could lead to depression on the part of his troops and encourage Tories to rise up for the King. To fight against these odds was an invitation to defeat for the only army in the South. Determining to continue a retreat but a fighting retreat, Colonel Otho Williams of Maryland was given command of a light corps to destroy bridges and in every way impede Cornwallis' progress while leading him to the upper Dan as Greene and Huger moved to the lower Dan. Colonel Pickens and his irregulars, having stood fast under fire, were still with Greene. They were now sent to rouse militia to harass Cornwallis, cut off his foragers, and prevent any intelligence about Greene’s location or actions from reaching Cornwallis.
On the evening of February 8th, troops under Colonel Benjamin Williams moved west toward Salem and the upper Dan. Morgan on February 9th, reached Guilford Courthouse uniting with Greene’s command. Greene and Huger then moved toward the lower Dan. Cornwallis misinterpreted the movement of light troops as an indication that Greene would move toward the upper Dan.
On February 13th, Colonel Otho Williams had moved at a rapid pace, sleeping only 6 hours a night to stay ahead of Cornwallis who was making 30 miles a day.Colonel Henry Lee’s Legion, the rear guard for William’s force was surprised by British Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s cavalry. In the fight Tarleton lost 18 men and was put to flight. Williams, deciding that he had led Cornwallis far enough astray, broke away to join Greene and the main force. Unfortunately Cornwallis had also taken the same route and was close behind. Williams pushed on through the night arriving at the Dan barely ahead of Cornwallis. Kosciuszko again had boats waiting to ferry the men while the horses swam across the river. Cornwallis, without boats, was left on the south side with no way of crossing the Dan. Greene’s entire army had escaped.
Safe in Virginia, Greene went into camp to rest and restore his command but, his troubles were not over. Many of the militia were nearing the end of their enlistment and cantonment life would be fraught with morale problems among the Continentals. Greene again called for the promised Virginia Continentals, if he received them he would again move south into the Carolinas.
On February 24th, Patriot General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, on a country road, met British Colonel John Pyle with a mounted contingent coming in the opposite direction. Pyle, a loyalist, was bringing fresh Tory troops to reinforce Cornwallis. He mistook Lee and his cavalry for Tarleton’s Legion as Tarleton and Lee wore similar uniforms. As the two units passed each other Lee congratulated Pyle’s men on their loyalty believing by this ruse that when they were solidly abreast that he could require them to surrender. As usual, someone at the end of the American file did not get word of the plan and gave the signal that this was enemy cavalry. An attack began with the confused loyalists shouting "You are killing your own men". The engagement lasted only a quarter of an hour. Lee had planned at the proper time to reveal his true identity and demand Pyle’s surrender but the premature alarm precluded any further exchange of information. From then on it was kill or be killed. Loyalists who tried to escape were cut off by American militia and Catawba Indians who were not seen as they moved through the trees alongside the road. The Americans lost one horse, few Loyalists survived the fight. Colonel Pyle hid in a nearby pond until nightfall keeping only his nose above water. It was yet another telling blow to the morale and recruitment of Loyalists.
Now to catch up with John Paul Jones. His return to the United States was by an indirect route to avoid the British Navy. However, he did engage in one skirmish with a British privateer Triumph. He forced the Triumph to surrender but as he (Jones) was putting a prize crew in the water Triumph suddenly set sail and escaped. Being faster more maneuverable than Ariel it escaped. This was Jones' final engagement in the U.S. Navy. He arrived at Philadelphia on February 18th.
In March, 1781, Greene with the promised reinforcements moves back into the Carolinas to face Cornwallis.
References: Arthur Meier Schlesinger’s "Almanac of American History"; Christopher Ward's "The War of the Revolution"; Bruce Lancaster's " The American Revolution"; Dan Higginbotham’s “The War of American Independence”; Robert M. Utley's and Wilcomb E. Washburn's " Indian Wars"; Colin C. Calloway's "The American Revolution in Indian Country".
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