nfident of success, dashed away with his eleven hundred
troopers to pounce upon the "old wagoner" and crush him at a single
blow. Morgan, well trained in the school of Washington and Greene,
and wishing just then to avoid a decisive battle, skillfully fell
back until he found a spot in which to fight after his own fashion.

His choice was at a place where cattle were rounded up and branded,
known as Cowpens. A broad, deep river, which lay in the rear, cut off
all hope of retreat. A long, thickly wooded slope commanded the
enemy's approach for a great distance. Morgan afterwards said that he
made this choice purposely, that the militia might know they could
not run away, but must fight or die.

At Cowpens, then, the patriot army lay encamped the night before the
expected battle. A trusty spy was sent to Tarleton, to say that the
Americans had faced about, and were waiting to fight him sometime the
next day. There was no fuss and feathers about Morgan. In the {117}
evening, he went round among the various camp fires, and with
fatherly words talked the situation over.

"Stand by me, boys," said he in his blunt way, "and the old 'wagoner'
will crack his whip for sure over Tarleton to-morrow."

The British commander, eager to strike a sudden blow, put his army in
motion at three o'clock in the morning. He was not early enough,
however, to catch the old rifleman napping. Morgan had rested his men
during the night, and given them a good breakfast early in the
morning. When Tarleton appeared upon the scene about sunrise, he
found the patriots ready.

In the skirmish line, Morgan placed one hundred and twenty riflemen
that could bring down a squirrel from the tallest tree. The militia,
under the command of Colonel Pickens, were drawn up about three
hundred yards in front of the hill. Along the brow of the hill, and
about one hundred and fifty yards behind the militia, were the
veterans of the Continental line. And beyond the brow of the hill, he
stationed Colonel Washington with his cavalry, out of sight, and
ready to move in an instant.

"Be firm, keep cool, take good aim. Give two volleys at killing
distance, and fall back," were the orders to the raw militia.

"Don't lose heart," said Morgan to the Continentals, "when the
skirmishers and the militia fall back. 'Tis a part of the plan. Stand
firm, and fire low. Listen for my turkey call."

{118} Morgan was in the habit of using a small turkey call such as
hunters use