Essential Question How did the state of the Revolution change in terms of tactics and outcomes when the war shifted into the South?

Guerrilla War in the South Chapter 7 Section 3 Pt I

The Battle of Charles Town In 1780, a British army trapped American forces in Charles Town, SC (now Charleston) The Battle of Charles Town ended in disaster for the Americans: They lost their largest southern city They lost almost their entire southern army (approx. 5000 soldiers) This was the single worst American defeat of the war

The “Swamp Fox” Perhaps the most famous Patriot guerrilla leader in the south was Francis Marion He was known as the “Swamp Fox” b/c he led cunning attacks from his bases in the SC swamps Marion led a small band of ill-equipped & diverse guerillas Despite their lack of equipment, Marion and his men were often very effective at cutting British supply lines coming out of Charleston

General Greene Takes Charge After Horatio Gates’ was fired at Camden, GW named Nathaniel Greene leader of the Southern Army Greene was one of GW’s most trusted and talented generals In Jan. 1781, Greene sent his army south to confront Lord Charles Cornwallis Cornwallis was now the Commander of the British forces in the South

The Battle of Cowpens Greene and his army soon won a spectacular victory at the Battle of Cowpens, SC Led by Daniel Morgan, this victory proved that the Americans had finally mastered formal battle tactics However, it was truly the blending of guerilla tactics with formal tactics that won the day for the Americans

Greene’s “Guerrilla Army” After Cowpens, Greene’s strategy was simple Engage the British when we have an advantage, otherwise retreat Exhaust the British by making them constantly chase us This strategy was a major success for the Patriots The British took heavy losses on several occasions With his army wounded and exhausted, Cornwallis was forced to retreat back to the coast @ Wilmington, NC

Summary/Test Question Which is NOT true of guerrillas in the American Revolution? They were often small bands of fighters who used hit-and-run tactics They often used their superior knowledge of the land to ambush the British They were professional soldiers hired from the Spanish colonies One guerilla band had a leader nicknamed the “Swamp Fox”

Summary/Test Question How did war in the South differ from the fighting in other colonies? Guerrilla warfare was more often used in the South The fighting in the South was less vicious Most of the fighting in the South took place on the seas There were more full-scale battles in the South