Daniel Morgan was undoubtedly the Continental Army’s best battlefield commander.

Morgan was born in 1735 in New Jersey but he left his family after an argument with his father when he was 17. He ended up in Virginia where hard work and careful saving enabled him to buy his own wagon and team just in time to carry supplies for Braddock’s expedition in 1754 against Fort Duquesne during the Seven Years' War. He quickly became acquainted with the horrors of war since he helped transport the wounded after the British defeat. Morgan had an unpleasant and memorable encounter with the British class system when he punched out a British lieutenant who had slapped him with the flat of a sword to encourage a more servile attitude, which led to him receiving 500 lashes on his back. He survived the experience but he carried the scars forever.

After the campaign ended, Morgan spent his time working and brawling. A natural leader, he attracted followers, as well as the attention of the local law for numerous offenses, but he had enough character to avoid the fall into serious crime and likely trip to the hangman’s noose. Instead, he began living with Abigail Curry, who was a decade younger, in 1763, and he eventually settled down to become a respected farmer and captain of militia in 1774.

That same year, Morgan led a company of militia against the Shawnee during Lord Dunmore’s War, and he spent five months attacking and burning Indian villages. A year later, he led a company of riflemen to the Patriot siege of Boston, where the British quickly learned to fear their marksmanship. Assigned to take part in Benedict Arnold’s invasion of Canada, his obvious leadership qualities were recognized by Arnold, who soon put him in charge of two other rifle companies. The march to Canada through an impenetrable forest and across raging rivers was an exhausting trial, and the fact that most of the men actually made it was partially due to Morgan’s great willpower. Despite bravely leading the assault when Arnold was wounded, he was finally forced to surrender and remained in Quebec until January 1777, when he was exchanged for a British officer.

Washington had heard of his performance at Quebec and promoted him to colonel, as well as gave him command of a force of 500 light infantry, riflemen who were intended to work as scouts. His men proved to be so effective during battles against Howe’s army in New Jersey that Washington was reluctant to transfer them to the Northern Department under Major General Horatio Gates to oppose the British invasion from Canada led by Lieutenant General John Burgoyne. While it is debatable whether Gates or Arnold was responsible for Burgoyne’s defeat, Morgan undoubtedly played a key role as well. His riflemen were fighting on terrain that was perfectly suited for them so they succeeded in neutralizing Burgoyne’s Indian allies so that he was operating in the dark, while Gates was well-informed. Morgan’s men then cut the British to pieces during the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, the First Battle of Saratoga, which suggested the strategy that won the Second Battle of Saratoga.   

Despite this victory and additional good work skirmishing for Washington during the Monmouth Campaign, Congress did not promote him to brigadier general because a state could only have as many brigadier generals as it had units, and Virginia did not have enough units. Angry at being passed over for promotion and hurt by a lack of support from Washington, Morgan resigned in the summer of 1779. When Gates took command of the Southern Department the following summer, he wanted Morgan to lead the light infantry but Morgan was ill with sciatica at the time. However, when he heard of the disaster at Camden, Morgan immediately set off for Hillsborough, North Carolina, where the survivors of the battle were regrouping, although Congress did not actually promote him to Brigadier General until October 1780.

Morgan worked well with the new commander of the Southern Department, Major-General Nathanael Greene, so when Greene realized that his troops were in no condition to face Major General Cornwalis’ trained regulars, he divided his army and sent half under Morgan’s command to threaten the British series of forts in South Carolina. Cornwalis dispatched a force under Banastre Tarleton to smash Morgan’s little army, but Morgan won a surprising victory at Cowpens. Although most of his troops were militia, Morgan had the personality needed to convince them to stand their ground and he realized that Tarleton only knew one tactic, a straightforward charge, so he designed a trap, which Tarleton walked right into.

After winning the battle, Morgan led his men to rejoin the rest of the army under Greene as Cornwalis came strongly behind seeking revenge. The strain of constantly riding in the rain and fording river after river brought on a renewed attack of sciatica that forced Morgan to abandon the campaign and take sick leave on February 10.

He stayed out of the war until Lafayette needed help and he joined his command on July 7, 1781. His presence persuaded Tarleton to go out of his way to avoid a rematch but the campaigning quickly wore him out, forcing him to return home.

After the war, Morgan speculated successfully in land and spent time with his nineteen grandchildren, although he came out of retirement to help put down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. He served one term as a congressman in 1797 but was too ill to campaign for reelection ad he died on July 6, 1802.

Books:

The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas-John Buchanan, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997.

The author’s descriptions of the terrain show that he has spent a great deal of time visiting historical sites in the Carolinas, which bring the terrain to life for the reader, although the overly detailed descriptions can be a bit distracting at times. Although it focuses on the Carolinas Campaign (February 1780 to August 1781), the author provides brief but insightful biographical sketches and portraits of all of the major leaders in the South on either side in order to provide more depth. It is not a one stop examination of the Carolinas Campaign since it ends with the battle at Guilford Courthouse in March 1781, hence the name. Buchanan is the rare historian who is an excellent researcher and an entertaining writer, and he has produced an excellent book that sets the standard for other works in the field.

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