The Catawba River is one of the longest rivers.
1780. General Nathanael Greene commanded the Southern Department during the Revolutionary War. The British had enjoyed some successful conquests against the Americans, and the British Commander, Lord Cornwallis, anticipated ending the war by moving his armies southward into the Carolinas and Georgia and seizing its port cities.
General Greene was appointed Commander of the Southern Department to meet with General Lafayette at Charlotte. But when he arrived, he found the Southern Army destitute of almost everything: no artillery, baggage, or stores.
Meanwhile, on the seas, Lafayette planned a blockade with his ships near Charlotte.
In a letter written to Lafayette, Greene wrote:” Were you to arrive now, you would find a few ragged, half-starved troops in the wilderness, destitute of everything necessary for the comfort or convenience of soldiers.”
The situation seemed useless, and his only hope of success lay in several spirited and devoted officers who gathered around him.
General Greene decided to remove his troops to a place where subsistence and the means of transportation, so he marched to the Cheraw hills on the Pee Dee River.
General Morgan was detached west of the Catawba River to cut off the left wing of Lord Cornwallis's Army. This movement of General Morgan and his army alarmed the British from their posts. Colonel Tarleton was dispatched with a force to cut off and destroy him. The battle occurred at Cowpens in South Carolina, where Morgan annihilated Tarleton’s troops.
The news of this victory was a severe blow to Cornwallis. He quickly cut off General Morgan's retreat with his prisoners and prevented him from joining the main army. But he was foiled in this, for, by mistaking the route supposed to be taken by his enemy, Morgan’s troops were able to reach General Greene safely.
This story is but one of many exciting accounts of battles to gain freedom for America. The times were tumultuous for the populace to be surrounded and tainted by wartime activities. During the turmoil, the British seized the vital ports of Charleston and Savannah. Yet, the soldiers of the militia companies and Continental Armies trudged on. Many more stories can be found in the pension records. Once the researcher performs his research, his eyes are awakened not only to the severity of individual loss but also to the aspects of the glorious reconstruction of America by those who fought the fight! Each pension record delivers sufficient facts for further research, such as the names of officers under whom he fought, names of witnesses, and details of battles.