After his disaster at Camden, Gates was superseded in the command of the Southern Departments by Greene, to whom he turned over the remnant of his army, about two thousand men in all. Of these a force of a thousand, or less, were placed in Union District, near the junction of the Broad and Pacolet rivers, nearly fifty miles to the left of Greene’s position. Lord Cornwallis at once determined to attack and destroy this detachment, and sent. Tarleton, with eleven hundred men, including his own cavalry and two field-pieces, for that purpose. Morgan’s forces, outside of Howard’s Continentals and Washington’s dragoons, were raw militia, some of whom had never seen battle, had had little drill, and were devoid of discipline. The task was supposed to be easy, and Tarleton began his march in high spirits. In consequence of bad roads he was much delayed on the march, and it was not until the 15th of January, 1781, four days after starting, that he drew near the Pacolet. Morgan, finding his forces not sufficient to stop the enemy at the river, retreated and took post on the north side of Thickety Mountain, near the Cowpens. Tarleton at once pushed on in pursuit, leaving his baggage behind, riding all night, and at eight o’clock of the morning of the 17th came in sight of the American patrol. Fearing they might escape he ordered an immediate attack. To his surprise he found Morgan prepared to give battle. [Illustration: DANIEL MORGAN.] It is unnecessary to expand this note further, since the movements in the battle are given with accuracy in the ballad. The pursuit of the British was not relinquished until they reached the open wood near or about the point where the fight first began. The remnant of Tarleton’s force, by the next morning, reached Cornwallis’s camp. The American loss was twelve killed and about forty-eight wounded. Cornwallis’s report to Sir Henry Clinton gives the British loss at one hundred killed and five hundred and twenty-three prisoners. The Americans captured the two field-pieces, two standards, eight hundred muskets, thirty-five baggage-wagons, and one hundred dragoon horses. The battle was not so important itself but in its consequences. It contributed very much towards the capture of Cornwallis. _THE BATTLE OF THE COWPENS._ To the Cowpens riding proudly, boasting loudly, rebels scorning, Tarleton hurried, hot and eager for the fight; From the Cowpens, sore confounded, on that January morning, Tarleton hurried somewhat faster, fain to save himself by flight. In the morn he scorned us rarely, but he fairly found his error When his force was made our ready blows to feel; When his horsemen and his footmen fled in wild and pallid terror At the leaping of our bullets and the sweeping of our steel.