Southern theater
Part of the American Revolutionary War
The Battle of Cowpens
Date: 1775–1782 Location: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia Result: Surrender of British army at Yorktown

The Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War became the central area of operations on land after France entered the war on the side of the United States. During the first three years of the conflict, the primary military encounters were in the north. After the failure of the Saratoga campaign, the British largely abandoned operations in the Middle Colonies and pursued a strategy of pacification in the Southern Colonies. Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, Netherlands, Spain, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military component of the American Revolution. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength 1,000 1,100 Casualties 12 killed 61 wounded 110 killed 830 captured {{{notes}}} The Battle of Cowpens (1781) was an overwhelming victory by American revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 320 km 420 km 6 32°430N to 35°12N 78°030W to 83°20W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 26th 4,012... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 320 km 690 km 7. ... The Battle of Yorktown can refer to: Battle of Yorktown (1781) Battle of Yorktown (1862) ... Combatants Patriot militia British militia Commanders Strength 7,500 8,845 Casualties 156 killed 326 wounded 7,018 captured Americans: 20 killed, 56 wounded French: 52 killed, 134 wounded {{{notes}}} The Battle of Great Bridge was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought in the area of Great Bridge... The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge was fought on February 27, 1776 between North Carolina patriots and Scottish Loyalists. ... The Battle of the Rice Boats was a battle of the American Revolution that took place in the Savannah River on the border between the Province of Georgia and the Province of South Carolina. ... The Battle of Alligator Bridge took place on June 30, 1778, and was the major engagement in Colonel Elijah Clarks third, and final, unsuccessful campaign to conquer East Florida. ... The Battle of Kettle Creek took place on February 14, 1779 in the extreme western portion of Wilkes County, Georgia on Kettle Creek which used to drain into the Little River (the creek has since dried up). ... The Battle of Briar Creek was fought on March 3, 1779 between American and British forces. ... hi The Siege of Savannah was a battle of the American Revolutionary War in 1779. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Battle of Camden was an important battle in the southern theatre of the American Revolutionary War. ... The [[Battle of Kings Mountain]], October 7, 1780, was an important rebel victory in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength 1,000 1,100 Casualties 12 killed 61 wounded 110 killed 830 captured {{{notes}}} The Battle of Cowpens (1781) was an overwhelming victory by American revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. ... Combatants Britain United States Commanders Charles Cornwallis Nathanael Greene Strength 1,900 4,400 Casualties 93 killed 439 wounded 26 missing Total: 558 79 killed 185 wounded 1,046 missing Total: 1,310 The Battle of Guilford Court House was a battle fought on March 15, 1781 inside the present... The Battle of Hobkirks Hill was on April 25, 1781. ... The Battle of Eutaw Springs was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, the last engagement of the war in the Carolinas. ... Combatants Britain Colonial America France Commanders Charles Cornwallis George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Strength 7,500 8,845 Americans 7,800 French Casualties 156 killed 326 wounded 7,018 captured Americans: 20 killed, 56 wounded French: 52 killed, 134 wounded The Battle of Yorktown (1781) was a victory by a... Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, Netherlands, Spain, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military component of the American Revolution. ... The Saratoga Campaign was a 1777 initiative by the British Army in the American Revolutionary War. ... The Middle Colonies were a part of the original Thirteen Colonies that would later become The United States of America. ... The word pacification is most often used as a euphemism for counter-insurgency operations by a dominant military force. ... The Southern Colonies were four (sometimes five) of the Thirteen Colonies which eventually founded the United States of America. ...

In June 1776, General Henry Clinton sailed south to attack Charleston, South Carolina. This ended in humiliating defeat for the British, and the Patriots remained in control of the southern states for the next three years. Starting in 1778, the British once again turned their attention to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, where they hoped to regain control by recruiting thousands of Loyalists. General Sir Henry Clinton K.B. Commander-in-Chief of British troops in America. ... This article is about the city in South Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 320 km 420 km 6 32°430N to 35°12N 78°030W to 83°20W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 26th 4,012... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 320 km 690 km 7. ...

On December 29, 1778, an expeditionary corps of 3,500 men from Clinton's army in New York captured Savannah, Georgia. An attempt by French and Revolutionary forces to retake Savannah failed on October 9, 1779. In this assault, Count Kazimierz Pułaski, the Polish commander of American Revolutionary cavalry, was mortally wounded. With Savannah secured, Clinton could now launch a new assault on Charleston, South Carolina, where he had failed in 1776. December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: The Coastal Empire or The Hostess City Motto: Official website: Savannah, Georgia Location Government County Chatham Mayor Otis S. Johnson Geographical characteristics Area Total 202. ... hi The Siege of Savannah was a battle of the American Revolutionary War in 1779. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in Leap years). ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Kazimierz PuÅ‚aski Kazimierz PuÅ‚aski (in the USA referred to as Casimir Pulaski) (March 4/6, 1745 – October 11/15, 1779), born near Warsaw (Winiary-Warka area), Poland, was a Polish nobleman (szlachcic) of Åšlepowron Coat of Arms, soldier and military commander who fought against the Russian (tsarist) Empire... Cavalry is also a common misspelling of the Biblical hill Calvary. ...

Carolinas, 1780 to 1781

Clinton finally moved against Charleston in 1780, blockading the harbor in March, and building up about 10,000 troops in the area. Inside the city, General Benjamin Lincoln commanded about 2,650 Continentals and 2,500 militiamen. When British Colonel Banastre Tarleton cut off the city's supply lines in victories at Monck's Corner in April and Lenud's Ferry in early May, Charleston was surrounded. Benjamin Lincoln ( 1733– 1810) was a General on the American side in the American Revolutionary War. ... Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton by Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Banastre Tarleton, Bt (August 21, 1754–January 25, 1833) was a British soldier and politician. ...

On May 12, 1780, General Lincoln surrendered his 5,000 men—the largest surrender of U.S. troops until the American Civil War. With relatively few casualties, Clinton had seized the South’s biggest city and seaport, winning perhaps the greatest British victory of the war, and paving the way for what seemed like certain conquest of the South. May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln† Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,213,363 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 74,500 Total dead: 198,500 Wounded: 137,000+  The American...

The young and dashing Banastre Tarleton was perhaps the best cavalry commander in the war—and the most hated man in the South. This portrait was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1782.

The remnants of the southern Continental Army began to withdraw to North Carolina, but were pursued by Colonel Tarleton, who defeated them at the Battle of Waxhaws on May 29, 1780. Among the Americans , a story spread that Tarleton had massacred many Americans after they had surrendered (the truth of this charge is still debated). “Bloody Tarleton” became a hated name, and “Tarleton’s quarter”—referring to his reputed lack of mercy (or “quarter”)—soon became a rallying cry. Download high resolution version (615x1000, 110 KB)General Sir Banastre Tarleton by Sir Joshua Reynolds This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (615x1000, 110 KB)General Sir Banastre Tarleton by Sir Joshua Reynolds This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton by Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Banastre Tarleton, Bt (August 21, 1754–January 25, 1833) was a British soldier and politician. ... Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (July 16, 1723–February 23, 1792) was the most important and influential of eighteenth-century English painters, specialising in portraits and promoting the Grand Style in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ... This article may contain original research or unverified claims. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

With these events, organized American military activity in the South had collapsed. The states however carried on their functions, and the war was carried on by partisans such as Francis Marion. General Clinton turned over British operations in the South to Lord Cornwallis. The Continental Congress dispatched General Horatio Gates, to the rescue with a new army. But Gates promptly suffered one of the worst defeats in U.S. military history at the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, setting the stage for Cornwallis to invade North Carolina. Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox) Francis Marion (circa 1732 - February 26 or February 27, 1795) was a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army and later Brigadier General in the South Carolina Militia during the American Revolutionary War. ... Horatio Gates Horatio Gates (1726-1806) was an American general during the Revolutionary War. ... The Battle of Camden was an important battle in the southern theatre of the American Revolutionary War. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The tables were quickly turned on Cornwallis, however. One wing of his army was utterly defeated at the Battle of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780, delaying his move into North Carolina. Kings Mountain was noteworthy because it was not a battle between British redcoats and colonial troops: it was a battle between American Loyalist militia and American Patriot militia. The British plan to raise large Loyalist armies failed; not enough Loyalists enlisted, and those who did were at risk once the British army moved on. Only in Georgia did the Crown manage to create a counter-revolutionary civil government. The [[Battle of Kings Mountain]], October 7, 1780, was an important rebel victory in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Gates was replaced by George Washington's most dependable subordinate, General Nathanael Greene. Greene assigned about 1,000 men to General Daniel Morgan, a superb tactician who crushed Tarleton’s troops at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781. Greene proceeded to wear down his opponents in a series of battles (Guilford Court House, Hobkirk's Hill, Ninety Six, and Eutaw Springs), each of them tactically a victory for the British, but giving no strategic advantage to the victors. Greene summed up his approach in a motto that would become famous: "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Unable to capture or destroy Greene's army, Cornwallis moved north to to Virginia. Charles Willson Peale painted a portrait of General Greene from life in 1783, which was then copied several times by C.W. Peale and his son, Rembrandt Peale. ... Daniel Morgan (July 6, 1736–July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and Congressman from Virginia. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength 1,000 1,100 Casualties 12 killed 61 wounded 110 killed 830 captured {{{notes}}} The Battle of Cowpens (1781) was an overwhelming victory by American revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Britain United States Commanders Charles Cornwallis Nathanael Greene Strength 1,900 4,400 Casualties 93 killed 439 wounded 26 missing Total: 558 79 killed 185 wounded 1,046 missing Total: 1,310 The Battle of Guilford Court House was a battle fought on March 15, 1781 inside the present... The Battle of Hobkirks Hill was on April 25, 1781. ... The Battle of Eutaw Springs was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, the last engagement of the war in the Carolinas. ...

Virginia, 1775 to 1781

Virginia had been under revolutionary control since Loyalist forces (including runaway slaves) under Governor Dunmore had been defeated at the Battle of Great Bridge on December 9, 1775. After the defeat, Dunmore and his troops took refuge on British ships off of Norfolk, which Dunmore bombarded and burned on January 1, 1776. He was driven from an island in Chesapeake Bay that summer, never to return. Lord Dunmore John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore (1730–February 25, 1809) was the British governor of the Province of New York from 1770 to 1771 and the Virginia Colony, from September 25, 1771 until just before the American Revolutionary War began in June 1775. ... Combatants Patriot militia British militia Commanders Strength 7,500 8,845 Casualties 156 killed 326 wounded 7,018 captured Americans: 20 killed, 56 wounded French: 52 killed, 134 wounded {{{notes}}} The Battle of Great Bridge was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought in the area of Great Bridge... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Crescas (Latin for, Thou shalt grow. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... This article is about the year 1776. ... Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. ...

British forces raided Virginia sporadically during the war. In January 1781, the rebel capital of Richmond was put to the torch by none other than Benedict Arnold, now a turncoat, who had sold his services to the other side and was now a British general. Nickname: River City Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra Official website: http://www. ...

In March 1781, General Washington dispatched Lafayette to defend Virginia. The young Frenchman had 3,200 men at his command, but British troops in the state, now reinforced and commanded by Cornwallis, totaled 7,200. Lafayette skirmished with Cornwallis, avoiding a decisive battle while gathering reinforcements. "The boy cannot escape me," Cornwallis is supposed to have said. However, Cornwallis was unable to trap Lafayette, and so he moved his forces to Yorktown, Virginia in July in order to link up with the British navy. Marie-Joseph-Paul-Roch-Yves-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (September 6, 1757 – May 20, 1834), was a French aristocrat most famous for his participation in the American Revolutionary War and early French Revolution. ... York Hall is a government building on Yorktowns historic Main Street. ...

See also

• South Carolina during the American Revolution