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

by Mary Ann Solesbee

  “Bravo! Bravo!” two familiar voices cheered.

  Ben beamed with pride but tried to act like he did not care as he watched Sal and Amanda climb over tree roots and perch themselves on top of a large rock.

  “Now, maybe we can finish this story,” Sal muttered.

  “I wish I had something to draw a map on so you could see just how close both sides were to each other,” Amanda continued.

  “I’ve got a dry erase board in my room. Will that do?” Ben asked.

  “Sure!” both Sal and Amanda exclaimed.

  Ben raced in and got the supplies. When he got back to the yard, Amanda picked up the marker and began. First, she drew an outline of South Carolina. Jen commented on how well Amanda could draw, and the tiny salamander beamed with pride.

  “Hey, you are pretty good at that,” Jen commented.

  “Well, it’s easy. It looks like a triangle, you know,” she replied.

  Then Amanda added the names of places that were important to the story. She drew in the rivers: Catawba, Broad, Pee Dee and Pacolet.

  “These rivers were very important to the war in the backcountry because both sides camped near fords in the river so they could get across quickly,” Ben added to show he had been paying attention last night.

  Then Amanda labeled Charlotte, Kings Mountain, Cowpens, Cheraw, Grindal Shoals, Fairforest, Winnsboro, Ninety Six, Clinton and Columbia in different colors and stepped back to look at her work.

  “These are all towns, right?” Ben asked.

  “Nope, remember there weren’t many towns in those days. They were just different places that were important to the story,” Sal answered.

  “I’ll point to the places and explain them as we continue our story,” Amanda suggested as she settled down.

  “Morgan headed west from Charlotte. It was a four-day march across rain-soaked country. He had to cross the Catawba and the Broad. He finally arrived at Grindal Shoals on the north bank of the Pacolet River on Christmas Day 1780 and set up camp,” Sal spoke with authority as Amanda pointed to each of the places.

  “Thank you, Vanna!” Sal mocked his sister.

  “Don’t make fun of Vanna White; she is also a famous South Carolinian!” Amanda shot back.

  “Okay, I know,” Sal snickered as he rolled his eyes at his sister and continued, “Morgan had six hundred soldiers, including militia and Continental dragoons.”

  “What’s a dragoon?” Ben asked.

  “I knew you would ask that,” Amanda boasted. “It’s a mounted soldier who rode on horseback to the site of the battle and then could dismount to fight on foot.”

  Sal resumed, “Late that same day, General Andrew Pickens arrived in Morgan’s camp with sixty South Carolina volunteers.”

  “Andrew Pickens was called the Wizard Owl by the Cherokee because he had been ‘as wise as an owl’ during the Cherokee War,” Jen inserted.

  “He was certainly a great help to Morgan,” Sal continued. “Now where was I? Oh, right, Morgan’s camp. Two days later, General William Davidson arrived from Charlotte with 120 North Carolina militia. He soon left to go get 500 more. About that time, some Georgia Tories were terrorizing the settlers of Fairforest, only twenty miles away.”

  “I know where Fairforest is,” Ben interrupted. “It’s on the other side of Spartanburg.”

  Sal smiled, glad to see that Ben was becoming more and more interested in the story, and then continued, “Morgan sent two hundred of his militia to join William Washington’s dragoons to take care of these Tories because he knew he had to protect the local people to ensure they were on his side.”

  William Washington

  “Scaredy cats!” Ben shouted.

  “Shhh! You want us to finish the story, don’t you?” Amanda warned as she picked up the marker again. “I think we need to review where everyone was. Cornwallis was at Winnsboro, and by now, he knew that Morgan was west of the Broad. Nathanael Greene was still at Cheraw with his part of the army.”

  “Thanks!”Jen chimed in.

  “Cornwallis knew what he had to do. Even though he wanted to go after Greene, he knew he had to deal with Morgan first. So he requested that Banastre Tarleton join him. Tarleton was young, brash and ruthless,” Sal continued.

  Ben paused and asked, “I was just thinking, how did Cornwallis let Tarleton know to come there?”

  “A letter, my friend,” Sal answered. “Handwritten letters were one of the most important parts of the war. The writer used a quill taken from a duck or turkey and ink made from crushed walnuts or berries.”

  “I remember seeing those at Walnut Grove!” Jen exclaimed.

  Sal and Amanda took turns discussing how the letters were delivered by soldiers called couriers. They explained that most of the time couriers had to go through enemy territory, so it was a very dangerous job. It was important that they get there as quickly as possible because the success of the battle depended on it. Couriers risked their lives each time they rode off alone.”

  Ben took a moment to think about how these individuals didn’t have e-mail, instant messages or even phones or post offices. He thought to himself that it must have been a miracle that they ever got through to each other!

  “We know that the use of letters was important because many of the letters written by soldiers on both sides have been found and are housed in museums today as artifacts for us to see,” Amanda added.

  “There were even secret messages written in code, and both sides had spies,” Sal informed them. “The most famous spy was Benedict Arnold. He was a brigadier general for the Patriots, but he betrayed George Washington in letters to the British.”

  “Glad he wasn’t from South Carolina!” Jen interjected.

  “OK, back to the story. It was late in December. Cornwallis told Tarleton that there was no rush to carry out his orders,” Sal explained.

  “Boy, that was a mistake!” Ben laughed. “He must have forgotten about Morgan!”

  “I thought you weren’t a fan of Morgan!” Jen teased Ben.

  “I was just saying…” Ben muttered.

  “A spy came into Cornwallis’s camp and told him that Morgan and Washington were going to unite at Ninety Six with three thousand men. About the same time, another rider came in with the news that Morgan’s men were within fifteen miles of Ninety Six. Of course, it was William Washington’s men who had done this. Cornwallis believed the false reports and sent word for Tarleton to go after Morgan immediately,” Sal concluded.

  “Wow! Where was Morgan?” Ben asked.

  “He was still at Grindal Shoals trying to get the troops together so he could fight Tarleton if he did attack. Morgan wrote a letter to Colonel William Hill of Sumter’s brigade asking him to send men to assist with gathering forage and provisions. Hill refused, saying General Sumter had instructed all his colonels not to obey any orders from Morgan.”

  Amanda piped up, “It’s a wonder Morgan didn’t go find that Gamecock himself because he was furious at such disobedience to a commanding officer. But he had heard how General Greene had already tried to appeal to Sumter to help with no success.”

  “Sumter was used to doing things his own way. He had been a shining star at the beginning of the war. When all seemed lost after the fall of Charleston, he blazed across the Lowcountry and contributed greatly to the cause. But he was not a team player,” Sal paused.

  “That makes me mad. I love our state, and now I’m ashamed of Thomas Sumter!” Jen said dejectedly.

  Amanda smiled. “Now, Jen, you have to remember these superheroes were human! They were just like all of us. They had their good and bad sides. He was still a great soldier who did much for the cause, and we honor him.”

  “I bet Morgan never did anything like that. I don’t think he had a bad side!” Ben said with conviction.

  Sal picked up the story again. “Tarleton and Cornwallis agreed on a plan. Tarleton would destroy Morgan or push him to Kings Mountain, where Cornwallis would be waiting. Both men had to travel nor
th to accomplish this goal. On January 12, Tarleton learned that his scouts had located Morgan’s camp at Grindal Shoals. He took off after Morgan, but the rain made it almost impossible to cross the river.” Ben and Jen listened intently, waiting to see how Morgan got out of this mess.

  “Oh no, I don’t know how Morgan got out of there, but I know he did!” Ben screeched.

  “Shh! You want to hear the rest of the story, don’t you?” Amanda chimed in.

  “Oh, sorry!” Ben looked embarrassed.

  Sal began again. “On January 14, scouts informed Morgan that Tarleton had crossed the Enoree and Tyger Rivers the same day. On January 15, Tarleton approached the Pacolet, where Morgan had scouts covering all the fords to inform him of the British crossing. He knew Tarleton was hot on his trail!”

  “Oh no, he’s not gonna get Morgan!” Ben interrupted again.

  “Morgan knew he did not need to be caught between Tarleton and Cornwallis, so he abandoned his camp at Grindal Shoals and retreated to Burr’s Mill on Thicketty Creek just a few miles west,” Sal continued.

  “We cross Thicketty Creek every time we go to Spartanburg,” Jen exclaimed.

  “Meanwhile, Tarleton was shocked that he had not found Morgan at Grindal Shoals. Cornwallis was still only forty miles north of Winnsboro because he had been waiting for troops from Charleston to join him,” Sal explained.

  “Thank goodness for good scouts!” Ben cheered.

  “And thank goodness Cornwallis couldn’t keep up!” Jen added.

  “Tarleton and Cornwallis both wrote letters to each other on January 16. Tarleton stated that he had missed Morgan but that he must be stopped, and Cornwallis said that he feared Morgan had too much of a head start for him to catch him.”

  Ben jumped up. “Wait a minute! The Battle of Cowpens was on January 17! I know ’cause Grammy keeps talking and talking about how important that date is!”

  “You’re right. Neither man knew it, but both letters were written on the eve of one of the most critical battles of the war. Both letters were en route while the Battle of Cowpens was being fought,” Sal stated.

  “Wow!” Ben whispered, staring off into space.

  “I told you history is exciting!” Amanda cheered.

  “Now, I’m going down to the river to take a swim!” Sal announced.

  “Wait, you need to finish the story,” Ben insisted.

  “Not today!” Sal smiled as he motioned for Amanda to follow him.

  Chapter 4

  Is It Haunted?

  From inside the house, Ben heard Grammy call for him to get ready and help her pack the car.

  Ben looked at Jen. “Gotta go! Don’t let Sal and Amanda leave while I’m gone. I’ll be back late tomorrow!”

  “How would you suggest I keep them here?” Jen asked.

  “I don’t know, but I need to hear the rest of the story!” Ben said as he started walking.

  “Well, you could read it in a book or on the Internet you know,” Jen reminded him.

  “Yeah, but it’s not the same. They make it exciting!” Ben grinned as he headed toward the car. “See you later,” he called back to Jen.

  **********

  “Hey, Cuz!” Sam said as Ben got out of the car. “Welcome to Cheraw!”

  Grammy kissed Sam’s mother, Melissa, and hugged Sam.

  “Wow, you’ve grown since I last saw you,” Grammy smiled.

  “Yeah, and I’m going to be a kid who was friends with John Birks Gillespie—that’s Dizzy Gillespie, you know—in the play. Dizzy grew up here in Cheraw during the 1920s. I get to wear a flat golf cap and knickers, Grammy!” Sam said excitedly.

  “That’s wonderful, darling! Can’t wait!” Grammy squeezed him again, happy to be spending time with her daughter and grandson.

  “We’re shooting marbles in the scene, and I get to say some funny lines. I’m going to surprise you!” Sam explained. Ben rolled his eyes but didn’t say a word.

  “Mom, let’s go inside and get some tea and I’ll show you the program for tonight. Lots of my friends are in the play,” Melissa suggested.

  “C’mon, Ben, let’s go. I want to show you a secret place!” Sam started down the street.

  “Where are we going?” Ben asked as he tried to catch up.

  “You’ll see!” Sam replied.

  He took off running, leaving Ben to wonder where in the world he was going.

  “Slow down!” Ben yelled.

  But Sam did not stop until he reached a very old two-story house that looked like no one had lived in it for years. He paused at the iron gate in the front yard and waited for Ben to catch up.

  “I want to show you what my friend Paul and I discovered in there,” Sam said as he pointed to the second-story window. “People around town say it’s haunted. We did hear some noises when we were going up the stairs.”

  “Why didn’t you go back with Paul?” Ben asked, suddenly feeling quite strange and nervous.

  “Well, he got scared and wouldn’t go back, but I knew you were brave like me. After all, we have the same Henderson blood flowing through our veins,” Sam smiled a quirky smile at his cousin.

  “Who owns this house?” Ben asked. “It says plainly ‘NO TRESSPASSING’!”

  “The owner died a few years ago. They are still trying to find his relatives to tell them they inherited it. He didn’t have any children. I don’t think he’ll care if we look around a little.”

  Sam’s daddy was the attorney for the town of Cheraw, so Sam had heard all about the house.

  “Yeah, but his ghost might! Maybe that was him that you heard when you were here before!” Ben’s voice quaked.

  “Mom says that it originally belonged to a family named Johnson. During the Civil War, the folks heard that General Sherman was coming to Cheraw, so they hid their valuables. Some of those treasures date back to the Revolutionary War!”

  “Oh no, not that! I thought I could escape the Revolution here in Cheraw!” Ben moaned.

  “Are you kidding? This town was controlled by both British and Patriots during the war. St. David’s Church was used as a hospital by both armies. Why, in January 1781, General Greene’s Continentals camped just across the Pee Dee River. They came here to rest before the Battle of Cowpens!” Sam bragged.

  “And how do you know so much about this?” Ben asked.

  “Well, Grammy had me do a report on it for her,” Sam replied. “She’s going to let me be a drummer in Morgan’s Victory March!”

  “Oh, you too?” Ben felt a sudden twinge of jealousy. He thought this honor had been reserved only for him.

  “Well, I’m not going in there!” Ben said emphatically, turning his back to the house.

  “Oh, come on, scaredy cat!” Sam urged. “I haven’t really seen any ghosts, and we might find some treasures!”

  “And we might get arrested!” Ben replied.

  “Well, I’m going to remember this. Next time you want me to do something, I’m going to remind you of this!”

  Thinking that he might need his cousin’s help someday, Ben said, “Oh, all right, but we must make a blood brother swear never to tell anyone! OK?”

  With that, Sam pulled out his scout knife and pricked both their fingers with the tip of the blade. Then, they mixed their blood together and linked their fingers. They swore a solemn oath that they would never tell anyone what they were about to do.

  Sam ran his hand along the back of the gate until it creaked open.

  “How did you do that?” Ben asked.

  “I don’t know. I was just foolin’ around last time and it came open, so I just did it again.” They both walked through, and the gate slammed back shut.

  “We’re locked in!” Ben shouted.

  “It seems that way,” Sam replied. “Come on. We’ll worry about getting out later.”

  They walked up the front steps. The door was locked. Sam ran across the wraparound porch to the back. When Ben caught up to him, he was climbing through the window.

  “Come
on, I want to see what’s upstairs!” Sam urged him. Ben followed, very unsure of what they were doing there, especially since many of the boards were rotten. They could easily fall through.

  They stepped into the parlor from the window. Ben could see some magnificent stairs winding up to the next floor. They looked like they were hanging from the ceiling. Ben whispered, “Do you think the ghost lives up there?”

  “I don’t know. I just want to see what is up there!” Sam whispered back.

  “Well, there’s nothing down here that I can see,” Ben said as his eyes adjusted to the dark, “except some pictures of people who must have lived here.”

  “Come on.” Sam led the way, and Ben followed reluctantly up the creaky stairs.

  The boys went from room to room. There was so much grime on the windows that it was very hard to see much of anything. Sam pulled his flashlight from his pocket and shined it across the room. About that time, they heard footsteps on the stairs!

  Suddenly, a gust of wind came from nowhere, and Ben fell back against the wall, which gave way. He found himself inside a tiny room in the wall. “Help! Sam! Where are you?” Ben screamed.

  “I’m right here. Open the door!” Sam answered.

  “I can’t! There’s no door, just a wall! Get me out of here!” Ben yelled, but his voice sounded muffled.

  Sam pushed and pushed on the wall, but it would not open. “I’m trying, Cuz!”

  “HURRY! Get me out of here! I’m scared!”

  “I’m trying! How did you get in there anyway?” Sam asked. “What’s in there?”

  “Nothing that I can see. It’s dark, and you’ve got my flashlight! Get me out!”

  “Look, I’m trying! What do you want me to do?”

  “Push!”

  “I’m pushing as hard as I can!”

  Sam said, “I’ve got an idea. Face me!”

  “I can’t see you!”

  “Face the wall. OK, now you push on your right side, and I’ll push on the left. That way we will be pushing in opposite directions,” Sam insisted.

  Ben did as he was told, thinking to himself that if he ever got out of here he would never listen to his cousin again. Both boys pushed, and the door moved slightly.