This is a blistering account of the Battle of Cowpens, a short, sharp and ultimately decisive battle in the American Revolution. Richard Blackmon offers shrewd perception and analysis of what was perhaps the finest tactical performance of the entire war - skilfull maneuver and deception deciding the outcome of the fighting. Bird's eye views, vivid illustrations and detailed maps illuminate the dynamism of this clash between two of the greatest commanders of the War of Independence.<br><br>To stop the rot and save the flagging Revolution in the American South, General Washington dispatched Nathaniel Greene, who on arrival sent the brilliant Daniel Morgan and his small force of 700 continentals and militia to the South Carolina backcountry. Lord Cornwallis, meanwhile, knew that Morgan had to be eliminated and to that end deployed his cavalry chief, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, himself an outstanding tactician. With Tarleton in hot pursuit, Morgan knew he had to make a stand and he chose the Cowpens as his battlefield. The stage was set for an intense battle between two fine military minds.<br><br>It was a fight between relatively small numbers of men, and one that would last barely more than 45 minutes, yet it would shape the outcome of the War in the South, and decisively influence the the conflict as a whole.