The Americans stood up bravely against
the attack and won a brilliant victory. The British lost almost their
entire force, including six hundred prisoners.
Cornwallis was bitterly disappointed, for his plan, undertaken in such
confidence, had ended in a crushing defeat. However, gathering his forces
together, he set out to march rapidly across country in pursuit of Morgan,
hoping to overwhelm him and recapture the six hundred British prisoners
before he could join Greene's army.
But Morgan was too wary to be caught napping, and, suspecting that this
would be Cornwallis's game, he retreated rapidly in a northeasterly
direction toward that part of the army under Greene.
Meantime Greene had heard the glorious news of the American victory at
Cowpens, and he too realized that there was great danger of Morgan's
falling into the hands of Cornwallis. To prevent this, and at the same
time draw Cornwallis far away from his supplies at Wilmington, he decided
to go to Morgan's relief.
Sending his army by an easier, roundabout route, he himself with a small
guard rode swiftly a distance of one hundred and fifty miles across the
rough country and joined Morgan on the last day of January.
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