The Revolution Lives!

This blog originates in Louisville, Kentucky. Many families from Kentucky vacation in various coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Many of them drive to these destinations as a family. Along the way, they pass through several different cities with rich histories, depending on which route they take. Parents sometimes try to point out interesting things for the rest of the family to look at. It’s a long drive, and weariness can become crankiness, so having something to discuss isn’t a bad idea when traveling that direction. If a family takes the primary interstate route through Tennessee and then into South Carolina, they cross Interstate 85. Just before crossing close to Spartanburg, they pass within only a few miles of a tiny place known as the “Cowpens.” In 1781, this was the site of a small battle that resulted in a major victory for the United States. Daniel Boone’s uncle, Daniel Morgan, led the U.S. troops here. We’re on I-26 now, heading toward Columbia and then to Charleston.

This area was heavily traversed by militias, regular professional soldiers from both sides, independently financed “legions” of cavalry and infantry, and some of the characters that later had cities, streets, and parks named after them. One of the most interesting things about it all to the casual observer is the fact that so many well-known names fought in the Revolutionary War, and that there is so much information out there about it. It didn’t happen that long ago, actually, and that is one of the most fascinating things for me to toss and turn about when I’m trying to fall asleep. For instance, if I may make take us slightly off the immediate topic, the last Revolutionary War veterans died in the 1860’s. That’s the decade of the War Between the States. The last Civil War veterans died in the 1950’s. That means that many of those alive today quite possibly remember seeing or even meeting a Civil War veteran in a parade or some other event of remembrance. The chain is only a few links long between the Revolutionary generation and us. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died in 1826. There are people alive today that knew people, at a very young age, of course, that lived while Jefferson and Adams were alive. I know that this sounds pointless to some, because how could that possibly have any meaning for us? Well, the ideas and the solutions that created this great experiment, the United States, were enacted by people that we can almost reach across a divide and touch. I have one question to pose: What answers would the Founding Fathers have for us today? They faced unbelievable odds in the 1770’s. They had a pre-written sentence of death from King George. If the experiment failed, they couldn’t order a fake passport off of the internet, transfer funds to a Swiss bank account, and have their money meet them at their new estate in Namibia! This was a total commitment by a group of human beings, and they got so many people to follow them that they formed an army, foreign alliances, and created a working body to govern a very large and very unsure new nation.

Okay, that’s the rant. Let’s get back in the car on I-26 and keep driving to the South Carolina coast. There were forts built all along northern South Carolina, intending to cut the American Army in two parts and support the British movements. There were leaders that stepped up to take this on in the south, and they represent the tremendous efforts that made up the southern campaign of the American Revolution. I intend to focus primarily on this campaign and the people who fought it in upcoming blog posts. We’ll discuss leaders like the architect of the American campaign, Nathaniel Greene, the incorporated guerilla fighters like Francis Marion “The Swamp Fox,” leaders of independent legions like “Light Horse” Harry Lee, the father of Robert E. Lee, and fierce warriors that really created the conditions for victory on the field, like William Washington, cavalry leader that covered a lot of ground and turned the tide for the American Army in some critical situations. The stories are great, so go to the library or bookstore, get a book like “Devil of a Whipping,” “The Road to Guilford Courthouse,” or “Another Such Victory,” and start reading up. In the future, I’ll even jump into the War fought in the north, like fortress West Point and Washington’s escape from Long Island. One of the most fascinating parts of the beginning of the war is how Washington chose his primary staff. If you haven’t read “1776,” go get the illustrated version for your library, as it is set up like you sat down with the great historian himself and he is presenting his collection of primary sources. It’s really a terrific read. I’ll try to figure out how to add links to make it easy for our readers to find these books.

Next time, we’re going to review the types of units on both sides that fought in the south, who the primary commanders were, and where they operated. This will be a lot of fun, and key to understanding the southern campaign. To hold you over, go get one of the books mentioned above, or for a much more in-depth, scholarly journal on the subject, visit www.southerncampaigns.org. I hope this is an interesting subject for the American Front Porch, as it certainly dominated the household discussions of the Revolutionary period. I think it should play a large part of ours today, too. Post your comments to let me know if you’re a fan of the topic because it makes you think, sounds exciting to explore, or helps you get to sleep in the blink of an eye. I’ll see you next time.