Sal and Amanda Take Morgan's Victory March to the Battle of Cowpens

by Mary Ann Solesbee

  Amanda continued, explaining that the victory at Fort Moultrie inspired South Carolina’s nickname, the Palmetto State, and that the state’s flag was then created with the palmetto tree and the crescent.

  “We celebrate this day with Uncle Newt every year in Charleston!” Sal beamed.

  “Many say this victory gave the Founding Fathers the courage to write the Declaration of Independence,” Amanda added. “That’s why we celebrate the Fourth of July each year, because it was approved on July 4, 1776.”

  Sal cheered. He was a huge fan of holidays no matter what the cause.

  “From what we studied, it was more about battles than fun!” Jen frowned. “I personally think that it was the people and events that make the story interesting.”

  “You are right, Jen,” Sal said, remembering that this was still a very serious story. “History is the story of people, and these people had a lot more fighting to do. The battles moved to the North and were called the Northern Campaign until the British came back to Charles Town in 1780. This time, they seized it.

  “This victory started the Southern Campaign. General Cornwallis, commander of the British in the South, defeated the Patriots at Camden. After this, the British thought they could take over the whole colony of South Carolina and then go on to take North Carolina and Virginia.”

  “Whoa! How could that have happened? Grammy said we turned the tide of the war right here at the Battle of Cowpens. That’s why we celebrate this Morgan Victory March. I’m supposed to write a speech and tell my cousins about it when they come. And it is complicated!” Ben, frustrated with how much information he was getting at once, worried that this history would never make sense to him.

  Just then, the door slammed, and Grammy May came toward them. “Ben, who are you and Jen talking to? I’ve been watching you out the window. What’s going on?”

  Sal and Amanda quickly disappeared under the nearest rotten log.

  “We’re just reenacting some of the history Jen’s telling me about,” Ben fibbed.

  Grammy smiled, happy that he had been working on his assignment. “You can practice for the reenactment. Jen, of course, we want you to come too. We’re going to invite Ben’s three cousins. It will be such a great time!”

  Ben and Jen breathed a sigh of relief when Grammy walked back into the house. They began frantically looking for their friends under the log.

  Jen paused to look at Ben in amazement. “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” she whispered.

  “Well…I didn’t hear you offering any explanations!” As the search for Sal and Amanda became harder, Ben expressed worry that the salamanders wouldn’t come back and finish the story.

  “Where are our buddies? They weren’t finished telling the tale!” Ben exclaimed.

  “You scared them away!” Jen pointed out.

  “All this commotion and I still don’t have my notes about Morgan’s March written!” Ben said nervously. “And now the two friends we had that could help us are gone!”

  “I’m sure they’ll be back!” Jen sighed. “I have to go home now. Call me if you see them, OK?” Ben, feeling quite defeated, slowly began his walk back to the house.

  Chapter 2

  The Southern Campaign

  Later that night, Grammy sat down with Ben and said, “I think you better send an e-mail to your cousins about the march so they can remind their parents to put the date on the calendar. You know how busy everyone gets, and I sure wouldn’t want them to miss this.”

  “I thought you wanted me to finish the speech first,” Ben replied.

  “Well, you’re coming along with it, so I think it’s OK. And besides, it looked like you got a bunch of work done today,” Grammy answered, confident in her grandson.

  As Ben sat down to send reminders, he could picture each one of his cousins as their e-mail addresses popped up on the screen. There was Sam in Cheraw, Tonya in Columbia and Kara in Charleston. They were all about the same age and had spent every holiday at their grandparents’ home in Pacolet since they were born. Sometimes Ben went to visit them. He especially liked to visit Kara because she lived near the beach.

  Grammy thought about her grands. Even though they were close in age, they were all different in interests and personality. Tonya was her bookworm, always carrying a book and a journal for taking notes. Kara was her social butterfly, always making plans. Sam was her entertainer, on stage at all times. Sometimes his actions got him in trouble. And Ben was her thinker who didn’t see the need for reading and writing, just thinking and doing. Grammy loved spending time with them. She had tons of pictures all over her house and office showing their adventures.

  Grammy looked over at Ben as he wrote:

  Dear Cousins,

  I am inviting you to come to Grammy’s house on January 16–18 for the Morgan Victory March. We are all going to dress up in Revolutionary War clothes and do a two-day hike. It’s going to be great. Grammy says to tell your parents to put it on their calendars. You better start training because we are going to have to walk twenty-five miles! Grammy says they give us a real medal when we finish! I’ll tell you more about it later.

  Your terrific cousin,

  Ben

  Grammy smiled because she knew each of her children was already planning to bring her grandchildren to the march.

  “Now, Mr. Terrific, you better get to bed. You have lots to do tomorrow to finish your speech,” Grammy chuckled as she shooed him off to his room.

  Ben brushed his teeth and got in bed. He closed his eyes, but the day’s events were rambling in his head. He muttered to himself, “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to write all of this down in a speech, and I don’t know why Grammy insists! Besides, all my other cousins are not having to do this!”

  “’Cause you need to know your heritage to appreciate it!” a familiar voice whispered in his ear. He opened his eyes, and there sat Sal on his pillow.

  “I thought you two were gone! Where’s Amanda?” Ben asked, perking up and looking around the room for Sal’s companion.

  “She’s right there,” Sal pointed at his sister, who scurried down from the bedpost.

  “We were trying to help you, but we needed to hide from your grandmother. You have to remember to keep quiet!”

  “Yeah, sure!” Ben whispered. “I will!”

  “Now where were we?” Amanda asked as she chewed on a gnat and considered the day’s history lesson.

  “The Southern Campaign, sis! Let me tell it!” Sal cleared his throat and began.

  “The British were not able to do much to win the war in the North, so they headed back south. Their plan seemed to be working when Savannah fell in 1778 and Charles Town and Camden in 1780. The British set up a network of strongholds at Augusta, Ninety Six, Camden and Georgetown to protect their supply lines and support the Tory militia.”

  Ben interrupted in a whisper, “All those places are here in South Carolina, right?”

  “Yes. We were a very important part of the Southern Campaign!” Amanda answered.

  Ben went on to ask about the Tory militia and its role in the war. Sal explained that these individuals were the colonists who lived in the colonies and supported the king and agreed to fight for him as volunteer soldiers.

  “I thought they were the Loyalists. I’m confused!” Ben said in an exasperated tone.

  “Keep it down or we’re outta here!” Sal warned.

  “OK, sorry!” Ben whispered.

  “Loyalists and Tories are the same thing. They are synonyms,” Amanda clarified.

  Ben wanted to know why the Loyalists were fighting for the King, since he had assumed that the colonists all wanted freedom.

  “Well, there were two, maybe three sides to this war. The colonists who lived near the coast got tired of being taxed and not having any voice in the government. It was called taxation without representation. They were the Patriots,” Amanda explained.

  Sal took up the cause. “Many of the colonists in the backcountry just wanted
to stay out of the fight. They didn’t buy much, so they weren’t too worried about taxes. You could just say they were neutral. Loyalists were grateful for the land the king had given them and were happy to be protected by the king’s soldiers. They supported their mother country, England.”

  “Well, I can see their point,” Ben mused. “I have to decide which side was right so I can take a stand for my speech,” Ben muttered.

  Banastre Tarleton

  “Yeah, we heard about that,” Sal smiled. “Why do you think we are here?”

  Amanda went on to explain that militia and volunteer soldiers, were on both sides of the war and they fought against each other. Sal added that it was really a civil war with neighbors fighting against neighbors. Ben, saddened by this, suddenly realized how important it was for him to reenact the battle and write a good speech to honor the lives that were lost in the war.

  Amanda continued, “It looked like the British were winning, but something happened that changed the minds of many of the neutrals in the backcountry. At the Battle of the Waxhaws, a British commander, Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, killed many Patriots even when they were showing the white flag of surrender.”

  “How awful! Everyone knows what waving the white flag means!” Ben insisted.

  “Of course. But Tarleton was so ruthless he got the nickname ‘Bloody Ban.’ And it backfired on ole Bloody Ban, ’cause we had something in the backcountry the British didn’t understand,” Sal said excitedly. “The settlers in the backcountry were mostly Scots Irish who were fiercely protective of their families. They had come to the New World to offer a better life for their children, and they had tried to stay out of all this. But they didn’t want their fellow countrymen to be treated in such awful ways.” Amanda and Ben leaned in to listen to Sal as he excitedly explained what happened next.

  “They rose up and joined the Patriot cause with a new kind of army that used backwoods tactics. They were good riders, sharp shooters and had a strong network of support. They had come to raise their families in peace, but they were not going to be pushed around!”

  “Well, this is beginning to make sense,” Ben sighed. He secretly wondered how the salamanders knew so much about South Carolina history and the Revolutionary War.

  “Uncle Newt has taught us about history since we were just babies. And we’ve listened to the tour guides at Walnut Grove for most of our lives,” Sal said, as if he had read Ben’s mind.

  Nathanael Greene

  “That’s what ambassadors are supposed to do: represent their country or, in our case, state. You can’t do that unless you know its history,”Amanda affirmed.

  “What did the backcountry Patriots do when they got all fired up?” Ben asked, really getting into the story.

  Sal, anxious to get on with the tale, felt it was important to discuss these brave individuals. “Well, that’s the wild part. Neighbors fought neighbors. Feuds were the order of the day. That’s why the American Revolution was a civil war in many ways; sometimes families were fighting each other!”

  Sal continued the story, explaining how in late 1780, General George Washington sent General Nathanael Greene into this mess to take command of the southern army. Greene was a smart military strategist who could figure out good battle plans. Greene made a surprising move. He split his army in two and put Daniel Morgan in charge of the strongest fighting men. Greene sent Morgan and his men southwest of the Catawba River. Greene and the rest of the army went to Cheraw near the Pee Dee River to regroup and recover.

  “Daniel Morgan must have been one more fantastic soldier, ’cause he’s what this whole march is about. The entire state is talking about the march, and there are billboards posted all over town! He’s also the reason why I have to write this stupid speech!” Ben whined.

  Thomas Sumter

  Sal laughed. “Morgan was instructed to cut off British supply lines, hamper their operations and annoy them. He was also to ‘spirit up the people.’ And Morgan was the right man for the job. Volunteer militia from North Carolina, commanded by Brigadier General Davidson, and South Carolina, commanded by General Thomas Sumter, were supposed to help him.”

  Amanda added, “Oh, boy that was a problem! That Gamecock Thomas Sumter didn’t want to be told what to do and was furious that General Greene had not put him in charge instead of Morgan, so he refused to obey any orders Morgan gave.”

  “That’s not what soldiers are supposed to do!” Ben added. “They are to obey orders no matter what!”

  Sal continued, “Dividing the troops was a smart battle plan because this forced Cornwallis to divide his army too. He would be confused about which to pursue, Greene or Morgan. This move also bought Greene some time to rest his tired soldiers.”

  “Was this why the Battle of Cowpens happened?” Ben asked.

  Sal, moving at a quick pace to get all his facts straight, told Ben that he was getting to the best part and to be patient. Ben sat up in bed and listened.

  “Morgan headed west from Charlotte. He set up camp between the Broad and Pacolet Rivers. He was on both sides of the Pacolet.” Sal paused to explain why armies were always placed near rivers. “Remember there were no bridges then, so they had to be near a ford in the river where soldiers and horses could cross. Forage was often near the river too.”

  “Forage? What’s that?” Ben asked.

  “Forage is simply food for animals, in this case, horses. Remember, the soldiers had to eat too. The food had to be brought to them, so it was also important that the camps be set up near places that could be easily reached,” Sal explained.

  Amanda, anxious to tell what she knew, quickly explained how Uncle Newt had told them that food was a really important reason that the colonies won the Revolution. “The Patriots knew the land better than the British, so they could get food more easily. And farmers who were also Patriots shared their crops. Sometimes the Patriots had women who traveled with them to cook and take care of the wounded too.”

  Ben jumped into the conversation. “Jen told me about them. She said they were called camp followers. I wish she was here to learn all about this.”

  “Don’t worry, she can hear it in your speech,” Sal grinned at Ben.

  “Oh, don’t remind me!” Ben groaned.

  Amanda was hopeful that she was helping Ben’s cause to learn as much as he could about the war and continued, “We have some really strong river systems in South Carolina. They were all used during the Revolution. The rivers in the Lowcountry led to swamps. Francis Marion attacked the enemy and then hid in the swamps. Banastre Tarleton said, ‘As for this old fox, the devil himself could not catch him!’ That’s how Marion got the nickname ‘Swamp Fox.’

  “I know our salamander ancestors always lived near the rivers. I’m sure they were spurring on the Patriots…just think of that! My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather might have watched as the Swamp Fox crossed the Santee!” Amanda said dreamily.

  “Get real!” Sal snapped.

  “Well, it could be that way. I’m gonna ask Uncle Newt what he thinks!” Amanda shot back.

  Ben warned, “Hey, you two, cut it out!”

  But it was too late. Grammy had already called from her room, “Ben, are you OK? What’s all that noise and who are you talking to? Go to sleep now! I don’t want to have to come in there.”

  With that, Sal and Amanda scampered off the bed and out the window.

  “Hey, guys, come back!” Ben whispered loudly, but it was too late—the salamanders were already out the window and halfway across the yard.

  Chapter 3

  Rivers, Rivers and More Rivers!

  The next morning, Grammy greeted Ben as he came in to breakfast. “Good morning! I have some good news. Your Aunt Melissa has invited us to come to Cheraw to see a play about Dizzy Gillespie.”

  “Who is that?” Ben asked. Grammy told him about Dizzy’s career as a world-famous trumpet player from Cheraw. Ben was delighted to learn that the play was being held at the Theater on the Gr
een and his cousin Sam was in it.

  “When do we go?” Ben jumped up and down with excitement.

  Even though he did not care one bit about the play, he was excited about hanging out with Sam and taking a break from worrying about the speech.

  “This afternoon, but now, I want you to get started on your speech before we leave,” Grammy insisted.

  At that very moment, Jen peeked in the screen door.

  “Come on in, Jen,” Grammy called as she started to set her a plate for breakfast.

  Ben’s smile widened. “Yeah, thank goodness she’s here to help me!”

  “Well, good morning to you too!” Jen shot back at him.

  Ben suggested that they go outside and sit under the tree again where it was cooler.

  Grammy, occupied with preparing for their trip later, waved them off and said, “See you two later; I’ve got some errands to do before we leave for Cheraw.”

  “Oh, you’re going too?” Jen asked Ben as they headed out the door.

  “Yes, I can’t wait to get out of here so Grammy will forget about this speech for a while!” Ben said as he began looking around for any sign of his salamander friends.

  “I don’t think you’re going to get off that easily,” Jen said as she, too, searched for the pair.

  “I know,” Ben frowned.

  “Well, maybe Sal and Amanda will show up again.”

  “They did, last night! In my room!”

  “And let me guess…you scared them off again!”

  Ben told Jen that Sal and Amanda had shared more information about the Revolutionary War the night before and how Grammy had suspected something was up.

  “Why didn’t you call me? Did you learn anything new for your speech?”

  “We just left off at the Battle of Cowpens, but I learned that General Nathanael Greene was sent by George Washington to lead the Southern Campaign. Greene divided his army into two parts to confuse Cornwallis. He took one part to Cheraw to rest, and Morgan took the other part from Charlotte to the Pacolet River.”