We travel to NACO Carolina Landing Resort in Fair Play, SC, on 07/01/2009. While there we visited Cowpens National Battlefield in Chesnee, SC on 07/04/2009. On this field on January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan led his army of tough Continentals and backwoods militia to a brilliant victory over Banastre Tarleton’s large force of British regulars. The battle was over in less than an hour. British losses were 110 killed, 229 wounded and 600 captured or missing. Morgan’s losses were 24 killed and 104 wounded. The picture is of the Green River Road near where the sharpshooters were in first defensive line.
On 07/05/2009 we visited Ninety-Six National Historic Site in Ninety-Six, SC. The hamlet named Ninety-Six was a vital political and economic center in the South Carolina backcountry. It was garrisoned by 550 American Loyalist led by Lt. Col. John Cruger. Gen. Nathanael Greene and his patriot army of 1,000 regulars and a few militias arrived at Ninety-Six on May 21, 1781. One look at the formidable defenses, along with their own lack of heavy artillery, which ruled out a quick, direct assault. Only a siege could bring down Ninety-Six. The star fort was the heart of British defenses at Ninety-Six and the stone upon which Gen. Greene’s well-planned siege stumbled. Although Greene and his patriot army were unsuccessful, the victorious loyalists soon abandoned the post and moved their garrison eastward towards the coast. The picture is of the Siege Trenches as they work towards the Star Fort in the background.
The picture is of Abigail on a 3-pounder cannon at Ninety-Six National Historical Site.
We drove to Freightliner in Gaffney, SC to have some work done on RV on 07/08/2009. Then on 07/10/2009 we continued on to Thousand Trails Lake Forest Resort in Advance, NC. While there on 07/11/2009 we visited Kings Mountain National Battlefield Park near Blacksburg, SC. On October 8, 1780, the battle of Kings Mountain occurred. The British led by Maj Patrick Ferguson had 1,000 loyalists and 100 red-coated Provincials. The mountain men militia had about 750 and was led by Col. William Campbell. Ferguson had threatened to kill them all if they did not submit. Enraged, the mountain men vowed to finish Ferguson once and for all. They found Ferguson on Kings Mountain and in little more than an hour they finished off the British. Ferguson was killed and buried on the mountain. The picture is of on top of the mountain where British troops were.
We also visited Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, NC. On March 15, 1781, Gen. Nathanael Greene led 4,400 American troops against the British which was len by Gen. Charles Cornwallis. The battle was being won by the British. When Cornwallis saw that he was checked and in danger of defeat, he ordered the artillery to fire grapeshot into the American horsemen. This was a difficult decision, knowing that some of his best troops would be trapped in the indiscriminate fire. The picture is of Historic New Garden Road near where Greene’s third defensive line and the site where the British was forced to fire into their own men.
