The Improbable Victory by Chris McNab

The Improbable Victory by Chris McNab

Author:Chris McNab
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472823168
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2017-03-15T00:00:00+00:00


Often called “the American Cannae” and “the most perfect battle ever fought in the Americas,” Cowpens was one of the decisive battles of the war. Patriot commander Daniel Morgan carefully analyzed British commander Banastre Tarleton’s past actions, and devised an unusual defense-in-depth. Tarleton recklessly attacked before his troops were fully deployed. As Morgan expected, upon seeing the militia withdrawing Tarleton launched a charge that disrupted British unit cohesion. The British were then confronted with a third defensive line of disciplined Continentals, who decimated the British infantry with point-blank volleys of musket fire. In the final phase of the battle, Morgan’s Continentals and militia fighting on foot counterattacked the British infantry. Patriot dragoons, along with mounted militia whom Tarleton thought had fled the field, circled behind the Patriot line and unexpectedly attacked the British light infantry and Fraser’s Highlanders from the left flank and rear. The British infantry surrendered en masse, and a major part of Cornwallis’s army—including many of his best red-coated regulars—was lost. Major Mcarthur of the Highlanders complained bitterly, “the best troops in the service had been put under that boy [Tarleton] to be sacrificed.” (Steve Noon © Osprey Publishing)



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.