2.10: Banastre Tarleton and England's "Southern Strategy"

Much of the history of the American Revolution focuses on actions in what was called the “Northern” theater, and to a degree, this makes sense: given the outsized role Massachusetts played in the pre-war years and the early years of combat.  Yet while the Southern colonies were not exactly “inactive” during the early years of the war, many narratives don’t necessarily focus on this region in great detail until the pivotal Battle of Yorktown in fall 1781.  As Britain concentrated more resources on this region in the second half of the war,  stories began to spread about one individual in particular who became known for his brutality and effectiveness as a horseman: and remarkably, he was only 27 years old by war’s end.  His wartime actions, and the actions of those who fought him, help shape the story of England’s “Southern Strategy '' in the American Revolution.  In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, we’ll explore the later years of the Revolution through the campaigns of “Bloody” Banastre Tarleton and the Patriots who opposed him throughout the South.

Key People
Banastre Tarleton
Lord Charles Cornwallis
Francis Marion
Daniel Morgan
Thomas Jefferson

Key Events
Battle of Waxhaw Creek
Battle of Camden
Battle of Cowpens

The third season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Crucial Years" of 1783-1790, and runs from October 8-December 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," and Season Two, "America's Revolution," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

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Transcript

Much of the history of the American Revolution focused on actions in what was called the “Northern” theater, and to a degree, this makes sense: Massachusetts was the seat of violent resistance to British injustice prior to the outbreak of the war, which also broke out in Massachusetts.  Boston lay under siege, Congress met in Philadelphia, the British invaded New York, Trenton was located in New Jersey…it simply stands to reason that the “North” would receive a fair amount of attention in any study of the war.  Yet while the Southern colonies were not exactly “inactive” during the early years of the war, many narratives don’t necessarily focus on this region in great detail until the pivotal Battle of Yorktown in fall 1781 (yes, we will cover this…next episode).  Britain concentrated more resources on this region in the second half of the war, and the fighting that occurred during this time is counted as some of the nastiest of the entire war.  Much of that is due to the reality that much of the fighting on both sides was conducted by the citizen-soldiers of the war: militia.  Men who were once friends, neighbors, and even comrades in arms.  Stories began to spread about one individual in particular who became known for his brutality and effectiveness as a horseman: and remarkably, he was only 27 years old by war’s end.  His wartime actions, and the actions of those who fought him, help shape the story of England’s “Southern Strategy '' in the American Revolution.  In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, we’ll explore the later years of the Revolution through the campaigns of “Bloody” Banastre Tarleton and the Patriots who opposed him throughout the South.

Act I: The Southern Strategy

With respect to strategy in the American Revolution, we’ve reached the part of the war where England instituted their so-called “Southern Strategy.”  It’s June 1778, and the British have pulled out of Philadelphia to solidify their position in New York City since Philadelphia didn’t really hold much strategic importance.  For some time, the belief persisted among the British that the South was riddled with Loyalists who would be more than eager to flock to British lines and assist in their defeat of the rebels.  They decided to put this idea to the test as 1779 drew near as neither side appeared willing to full-on engage the enemy in battle.  The British acted this way because they wanted to keep their strength positioned in New York, and Washington grew leery of any battle that had the potential to wipe out the majority of his forces.  By this time, Sir Henry Clinton had replaced General Howe as commander-in-chief of British forces in America, and he sought to take the fight to the South.  Interestingly, Clinton attempted to resign his commission in 1778 and return home, but King Georghe III wouldn’t hear of it, so he was stuck.  He first authorized a force to sail to Georgia in the hopes that they would take Savannah; this was accomplished in late 1778, but the Brits pretty much hunkered down and made little effort to claim the backcountry that history remembers as swarming with Patriots.  Their next goal was to advance into South Carolina and capture Charleston, hopefully with more success than their initial attempt in 1776.  This action would precede further British advances north, which could spell disaster for the Continental Army that was dealing with their own set of problems.  Desertions were becoming more common, both among the enlisted soldiers and the officers.  Money was a huge problem as Continental currency was essentially worthless, amplifying the need for a loan from France, in addition to requiring the men and ships they had promised.  And an invasion of the South would divert severe numbers of troops away from New York, where Washington felt that the war would be decided.  America’s future really hung in the balance in 1779…and the war to create it would be decided below the Potomac River.

Act II: The Dashing Horseman

One of the primary antagonists of the war, at least from the American perspective, was British cavalry officer Banastre Tarleton.  Movie buffs have seen a fictionalized version of Tarleton in the 2000 film The Patriot in which Jason Isaacs portrayed Colonel Tavington, who was meant to represent Tarleton.  In fact, the entire movie depicts the time frame of the “Southern Strategy,” providing audiences with a glimpse into the complexities of the irregular, and brutally personal, warfare that would plague the region.  We’ll devote this act to a brief synopsis of the character and actions of Banastre Tarleton leading up to the war’s shift to the South.  And regarding pronunciation, his first name appears to have either been pronounced Bannister or Ban-uh-stray.  WE will be using “Ban-us-stray.”

By the time Banastre Tarleton arrived in North America in 1775 at age 21, he was a member of the King’s Guard Dragoons…a fancy way of saying that he was cavalry, so he fought on horseback His merchant father had risen to become the mayor of Liverpool, and Banastre studied the law for a time, but the purchase of a military commission would set the course of most of his 20’s.  He ironically took part in what has been deemed the first siege of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1776: this was a failure, so he ventured north where he took part in British actions in New York. Lieutenant Tarleton arrives on our radar in December 1776, not long before the battles of Trenton and Princeton that we learned about in episode 2.6.  He was the leader of the patrol that came upon the White Widow Tavern on December 13…in that tavern was rebel Charles Lee, who had spent the night and was preparing to write a letter to an acquaintance disparaging General Washington.  Tarleton and five additional horsemen surrounded the tavern and killed two of the 15 Americans who accompanied Lee.  The owner of the tavern was ordered by Tarleton to surrender Lee or face the burning of her business…Lee ended up giving himself up.  It was a shocking mishap for so high-ranking a general, and he would remain a British prisoner until he was exchanged in 1778.  It was also a significant victory for the young Banastre Tarleton, who believed that he had captured the only rebel officer of importance in this war.  This might also explain his promotion from Lieutenant to Captain in early 1777, a sign that his superiors were taking note of his accomplishments.

These accomplishments would have to wait to be built upon given that Tarleton didn’t really do anything of note in 1777; this stemmed from a lack of opportunities given to a man in his early 20’s eager to prove himself, but that was about to change.  A special fighting force known as the British Legion was created in June 1778, a “legion” being comprised of light cavalry and infantry.  Therefore, this unit would provide Tarleton with the perfect chance to prove his mettle in combat.  By July, he had been promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and by that fall, he would command this force for the rest of the war.  He would receive his opportunity to operate in the field in June 1779 when he sought to engage two units of American dragoons in New York state.  Near the end of this particular action, Tarleton returned to Poundridge, the site of his opponent’s headquarters, and ordered the torching of the home of Major Ebenezer Lockwood.  Lockwood was a member of the local Committee of Safety and a militia officer, and Tarleton was furious that he was nowhere to be found, so his house and additional buildings and residences went up in flames.  Actions such as these would begin to paint Banastre Tarleton in an unfavorable light from the American perspective.  However, his direct superior, General Clinton, was so satisfied with what happened at Poundridge that he simply forwarded Tarleton’s report of what occurred to the War Office in London.  Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton became one of the few commanders in America who was something of a household name, and as he transferred South, there would be no repeat of 1776. General Clinton personally supervised the force that left New York Harbor the day after Christmas in 1779 and found a Charleston with significantly less formidable defenses than three years prior.  Major-General Benjamin Lincoln, one of the five who had previously leapfrogged Benedict Arnold for promotion, oversaw the city’s defenses and certainly had his work cut out for him.  Tarleton played a key role in capturing the city, using his cavalry to cut off Charleston from receiving reinforcements.  Lincoln surrendered on May 12, 1780, furthering the success initiated with the capture of Savannah.  Banastre Tarleton’s star was truly on the rise, but his subsequent actions that furthered his previous work in New York would earn him the scorn of Patriots’ nationwide. 

Act III: Bloody Tarleton

Up to this point, Tarleton has conducted himself as seemingly any soldier in his situation would have.  Yes, he burned a few buildings in New York, but such things happen in warfare.  This act will focus on how he acquired such a hated reputation among Southern Patriots, as the remainder of 1780 will include the events contributing to this perspective.

This reputation has its roots in the same month as the capture of Charleston: May 1780, and what the British called The Battle of Waxhaw creek. The rebel forces would refer to it as a “massacre” due to its aftermath: Clinton decided that subduing the South Carolina Backcountry was a more prudent move than attempting to establish bases along the Chesapeake, so he entrusted this task to Lord Charles Cornwallis, of whom we will learn much more about in our next episode. This move would be a tricky proposition as the abundant loyalists that England thought existed in the South were mainly concentrated in the coastal cities, but the threat of facing off against the French Fleet rendered fighting there an unrealistic proposition. A contingent of American regulars and militia, “regulars” being the term used to describe members of the army, were concentrated in South Carolina near the border with North Carolina in an area known as the Waxhaws. Tarleton and about 270 members of theBritish Legion rode out to face their foe, who were led by Colonel Abraham Buford. He caught up with the Americans at the end of May after riding over 100 miles in 2 days, and the results certainly favored the British Buford's men outnumbered Tarleton's, but they were mainly infantry, so they were no matched for The Dashing dragoons who charged headlong into the middle of the American line. Tarleton's horse was shot out from under him, and he needed assistance in rising to his feet, but he displayed great courage and continued his assault. His men, however, were the ones who received the most press for the battle's aftermath. Stories began to spread that the Americans had attempted to surrender with cries of “quarter, quarter,” but were nevertheless mercilessly killed. It was reported that Tarleton never ordered his men to engage in such actions.. but did nothing to stop them, either. the Battle of Waxhaw Creek became known as “Buford's massacre” to the americans, and justified or not, “Bloody Tarleton” would become Public Enemy Number One in the eyes of Southern Patriots 

Banastre Tarleton would follow up his performance in the Waxhaws with his participation at Camden, basically the last gasp of General Horatio Gates and his desire to potentially wrest control of the Continental Army away from Washington.  He had been appointed as head of the army in the South on the basis of his success at Saratoga, but was consequently given few major commands following this victory.  He would end up meeting the British at Camden after marching his men 120 miles in the scorching Southern sun over a period of about two week.s  Unlike the British, who enjoyed the services of Tarleton’s dragoons for scouting purposes, Gates had almost no cavalry with him on this march, so he had little knowledge regarding the enemy he was about to face.  Neither side was particularly prepared for battle, but they engaged one another in mid-August 1780 with British forces routing the Americans.  The whole affair turned into a combination of a massive retreat and surrender all rolled into one with Gates taking the lead in covering nearly 200 miles in about four dates.  The hasty retreat of Gates and his men owed itself to poor decision-making, but also the fear of what would happen if the menacing British Legion caught them.  News of Waxhaws traveled fast, and recall that it doesn’t appear as though Tarleton ordered the murder of surrendering troops…but as we saw in episode 2.7 with Loyalist Joseph Brant, perception is everything.  Tarleton was associated with savagery, and his men didn’t exactly replicate their Waxhaws performance at Camden, but they did pursue their fleeing enemy off the field.  One British participant would remark that Tarleton’s British Legion created “a perfect scene of horror” as the dead and wounded Americans stretched for over 20 miles.  Again, there’s no evidence that Tarleton ordered the killing of these retreating men, but as their commander, he was associated with giving these men orders.  In the grand scheme of things, the British were truly taking care of business in the South, and thus had the Americans on their heels.

Rebel retaliation would come that fall at King’s Mountain, the scene where the actions of Tarleton’s men came back to haunt the British.  King’s Mountain stands out as it was fought almost entirely by Americans: Patriot militia squared off against British Loyalists.  It should be noted that Banastre Tarleton was not physically present at this battle, but his reputation sure was.  This battle was reported to involve some of the fiercest fighting of the entire Revolution, which makes sense given that it featured neighbors squaring off against one another.  British forces under Major Patrick Ferguson had actually begun a retreat to rejoin the bulk of Lord Cornwallis’s force following a recruiting mission to gather more Loyalist troops.  The American militia caught them by surprise on October 7, 1780, and the hour-long fight not only resulted in Ferguson’s death, but over 1,000 British casualties, compared to under 100 for the Americans.  As the British raised the white flag indicating a surrender, calls went up to “Give ‘em Tarleton’s quarter!” and an outright slaughter occurred for several minutes until the American commanders regained control of their men.  King’s Mountain provided the jolt of energy the American needed following Charleston, Waxhaws, and Camden…and illustrated the ferocity with which the war would be fought south of the Potomac River.

Act IV: A Unique Reputation

It’s now October 1780, and hindsight tells us that one year remains in the Revolution if major combat operations are taken into account.  If Banastre Tarleton wasn’t at King’s Mountain, what was he up to, and how did he finish out his time in the war?

Remember that we also want to shine a spotlight on those who opposed Tarleton in the Southern Theater, and one could argue that Francis Marion is one of his most famous antagonists.  Marion was a South Carolinian who came of age fighting the Cherokee along the frontier, and the type of fighting style that he observed during this time would come in handy when the focus of Britain’s military shifted in Marion’s direction.  The extreme backcountry was often beyond the reach of Loyalist patriots, so Marion and other like-minded individuals used their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage.  He participated in the defense of Charleston but was evacuated when he was wounded and could only watch as it played out poorly for his side.  He and his unit had already begun to utilize their now infamous “hit-and-run” tactics for which they are remembered when he received word of the disaster at Camden.  This prompted General Marion to move his force to intercept and harass the forces of Lord Cornwallis.  His efforts, while not on the scale of a pitched battle, proved to be remarkably successful and thus Cornwallis was forced to deal with this irksome threat.  WIth a decorated warrior already in Cornwallis’s forces, Banastre Tarleton was dispatched to deal with this seemingly cowardly rebel and put an end to his shenanigans.  Following Camden, Tarleton had been laid up in Charleston with a fever, thus explaining his absence at King’s Mountain, but resumed his duties once healthy, and his task was to hunt down Marion.  The back-and-forth between the two would rotate between Tarleton chasing Marion and vice-versa.  On one occasion, after trekking 25 miles into an actual swamp before deciding to turn around, Tarleton boldly declared, “Come my boys!  Let us go back, and we will soon find the Gamecock (Thomas Sumter), but as for this [darned] old fox, the devil himself could not catch him!”  No, he didn't actually say “darned,” but we try to keep things as family-friendly as possible here on History: Beyond the Textbook.  His forays in pursuit of the “Swamp Fox,” as Marion would be forever known, would represent the siphoning of British troops away from Cornwallis’s main body, and also lead to the destruction of home and property of those who assisted Marion.  It would also enhance the negative reputation of “Bloody Ben,” and keep Tarleton from pusrising engagements that would potentially lead to personal glory.

It’s not as if Tarleton won’t be involved in large-scale battles once he begins his objective of capturing Marion…it’s just that his efforts will be somewhat diminished from here on out.  For instance, take the Battle of Cowpens, the culmination of an additional game of chase in which he engaged another American whose last name began with an “M”: Daniel Morgan.  Morgan, whose riflemen played a pivotal role at Saratoga under the command of Benedict Arnold, was back in the Army after resigning in 1779.  GIven a command in the Southern theater, Morgan was pursued by Tarleton while the former was attempting to procure supplies and additional men to fight.  Morgan actually sought to meet Tarleton’s force in the field at Cowpens, which historian Robert Middlekauf considered unusual given that Tarelton fielded much more cavalry than Morgan…and the field of battle in January 1781 was highly conducive to cavalry.  This battle is similar to the one depicted at the end of The Patriot from a tactical standpoint : Tarleton’s British forces advanced on the American lines, which were composed primarily of militia.  The militia were given explicit instructions to fire two rounds, then retreat in a controlled manner.  Perhaps swept up in the moment, Tarleton ordered a headlong charge into the retreating Americans: what he didn’t count on were the additional American troops concealed behind a hill, ready to return fire on the charging British force.  By this time, Tarleton had also called up his reserves, made up of Scottish Highlanders, and they were in the midst of their advance when the American lines began to swarm them.  They fought gallantly, but in vein…Tarleton would escape with only 40 of his cavalry, losing 100 killed in action and 800 captured: his British Legion was shattered at Cowpens and would be ineffective as a cohesive fighting force for the remainder of the  war.  He wouldn’t accept blame for what happened, nor did Lord Cornwallis publicly chastise him for Cowpens, but most concede that Tarletons’ brash actions without giving much concern to enemy movements are what ultimately did him in.  Tarleton’s defeat caused a shift in American perceptions towards “winning” the war: Washington had already determined that this, 1781, would be the decisive year of the war, and the actions of Marion and Morgan were helping to push this decisiveness in the direction of American victory.  Banastre Tarleton’s best days appeared to be behind him.

Or were they? The man was still in his 20’s and had much to contribute.  And there is one postscript on his service in the war that forms a fitting conclusion to our episode.  After accompanying Cornwallis into Virginia, which we will explore next episode3, Tarleton was given the task of riding into Charlottesville.  What exactly was in Charlottesville?  THe Virginia state government…or colonial government, if you take the British point of view…which had moved from Richmond to what they thought was a more secure location.  It also happened to be the location of Monticello, the estate of Governor Thomas Jefferson.  The author of the Declaration of Independence was actually near the tail end of his second term when he received word that the British were coming, and if this seems a bit cliche, it’s because rider Jack Jouett rode 40 miles in the dead of night to warn of the approaching Tarleton and his dragoons.  Tarleton’s approach would be slowed by the burning twelve rebel supply wagons he encountered en route, and his men rode through town before concerning themselves with the plantation on the hill.  This gave Jefferson time to hide his silver and other important items, get his wife and two children out of town, and ensure that all important papers were accounted for before he galloped away.  Tarleton’s dragoons arrived in time to drink some of Jefferson’s famous wine stock, but otherwise left his beloved plantation intact.  The Sage of Monticello would later claim that the man revilled as “Bloody Ben” “...behaved very gently with me.”  No wanton destruction, no senseless slaughter, no maniacal cruelty with which he is usually associated.  He missed his target, but conducted himself with honor and dignity…and this is one of many of Tarleton’s actions which Americans know very little about.  I mean, he will be captured at Yorktown, return home to a true hero’s welcome, and continue his military service in Ireland: he actually hoped to command the force in the Peninsular War against Napoleon that ended up going to Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington.  He would even serve in the House of Commons for about 20 years, among other political appointments, dying in 1833 at age 78.  He lived over five decades following the end of the American Revolution, and seems to have been fairly well-regarded in England, yet “Bloody Tarleton” continues to be the extent of his reputation in America.  Such is the case when the victors write the histories, so it must also fall to those victors to tell a fair and informative story.

There are only two episodes left in season two of History: Beyond the Textbook, and we look to conclude combat operations with the final significant battle of the American Revolution.  In that episode, we’ll examine this conclusive battle using two opposing viewpoints: British Lord Charles Cornwallis, and American soldier Joseph Plumb Martin…the officer and the commoner at the siege of Yorktown.