I was supposed to end my recent road trip on Friday, 13 January 2023 and return to Savannah, but I noticed on social media that the Cowpens National Battlefield was having a 242nd Anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens event on Saturday and Sunday, 14/15 January, so I extended my trip and stayed in Gaffney, SC so that I could attend the event on Saturday. It was a cold weekend, but there were reenactors representing various Continental, Militia, and British units that took part in the Battle of Cowpens along with Ranger Walks of the battlefield, weapons demonstrations, and speakers about the battle. Unfortunately, this was after my DSLR died during the trip, so I was only able to use the camera on my phone to take photos.

The Battle of Cowpens took place on 17 January 1871 between militia forces and Continental Regulars under General Daniel Morgan and British forces under the command of Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton at “the cowpens,” a crossroads and pasture on the Green River Road between present day Gaffney, SC and Spartanburg, SC in northern South Carolina. Morgan deployed his forces in three lines in the cowpens, using a line of militia skirmishers, a line of militia, and a line of Continental Regulars supported by Continental Cavalry. The plan also featured a double envelopment as the militia fell back toward the Continentals, taking advantage of Tarleton’s aggressiveness and drawing him into a trap. It worked and the Battle of Cowpens became the only successful double envelopment of the American Revolution. The American Victory at Cowpens helped turn the tide in the Southern Theater of the American Revolution by boosting the morale of the Patriots and setting the British on the road to Yorktown, where they would surrender to American and French forces.

The annual anniversary event at Cowpens is something that I’ve wanted to attend for several years and this I year completely forgot about it when planning my road trip. I’m glad I saw their announcement on social media and extended my trip because it was fun and informative; I truly enjoyed it. If you have an interest in the American Revolution, the Cowpens National Battlefield annual anniversary event is worth planning a trip around.