Coup D’oeil: William Washington at the Battle of Cowpens

The actions of the cavalry at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781 have been particularly difficult to understand. Previous researchers have struggled to explain the actions of the cavalry under Lt. Col. William Washington while accounting for his seeming to be in multiple places on the battlefield at different times.[1]

During research for his historical novel, Nor the Battle to the Strong, Charles F. Price and this author attempted to find documentation of what tactics Lt. Col. Washington and the Continental Cavalry may have used in the South in 1781.[2] There simply was no contemporary American cavalry manual. Our conclusion was that the only way to understand Washington’s tactics was to plainly describe what he did. Further research showed that accurate descriptions of William Washington’s tactics during the major 1781 battles of Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk’s Hill, and Eutaw Springs reveal a striking similarity to tactics described as state of the art for the Prussian cavalry of the preceding thirty years.

Given the lack of an American cavalry doctrine, the most obvious source for knowledge for American cavalry commanders would have been their European counterparts. While several military treatises were available, there is no clear documentation that American cavalry officers, and specifically William Washington, had direct access to these sources. Many European officers did serve with the American cavalry, bringing and disseminating their knowledge of cavalry tactics to American officers. In particular, the practice and success of the Prussian cavalry loomed large in the European experience.[3]