General Nathanael Greene, unable to confront the…
1781 CE
Morgan now defeats the cream of the British army under Tarleton on January 17, 1781, at Cowpens.
As after the defeat of the Loyalists at King's Mountain, Lieutenant General Cornwallis is criticized for his decision to detach a substantial part of his army without adequate support.
Despite the setbacks, Cornwallis proceeds to advance into North Carolina, gambling that he will receive substantial Loyalist support.
Greene evades combat with Cornwallis, instead wearing his army down through a protracted war of attrition.
By March, Greene's army has grown enough that he feels confident in facing Cornwallis.
The two armies engage at Guilford Courthouse on March 15, and, though Greene is beaten, Cornwallis' army has suffered irreplaceable casualties.
Compounding this, far fewer Loyalists are joining as expected due to effective Patriot suppression.
Cornwallis' casualties are such that he is compelled to retreat to Wilmington for reinforcement, leaving the interior of the Carolinas, and Georgia, wide open to Greene.
In Cornwallis' absence, Greene proceeds to reconquer the South.
Despite suffering a reversal at Hobkirk's Hill on April 25, American troops continue to dislodge strategic British posts in the area, capturing Fort Watson, and Fort Motte.
Augusta, the last major British outpost in the South outside of Charleston and Savannah, falls on June 6.
In an effort to stop Greene, a British force clashes with American troops at Eutaw Springs on September 8.
Despite inflicting a tactical defeat on Greene's army, the casualties suffered by the British are such that they withdraw to Charleston.
While minor skirmishes in the Carolinas continue till the end of the war, British troops are effectively confined to Charleston and Savannah for the remainder of the conflict.
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France, (Bourbon) Kingdom of
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Spain, Bourbon Kingdom of
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Britain, Kingdom of Great
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Georgia, Province of (British Colony)
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United States of America (US, USA) (Philadelphia PA)
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North Carolina, State of (U.S.A.)
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South Carolina, State of (U.S.A.)
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Georgia, State of (U.S.A.)
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