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Cowpens National Battlefield
Take a walk through history and celebrate the events that turned the tide of the American Revolution at Cowpens National Battlefield.
Photo by Amy Trainum
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Guardian of history
Park ranger Virginia Fowler is proud that the entire site of the Jan. 17, 1781, battle between Patriot forces and British soldiers is open to visitors at Cowpens National Battlefield. “We tried to preserve it the way that it would have looked at the time of the battle,” she says.
Photo by Amy Trainum
Birds are joyfully chirping away as a slight breeze rustles through blades of long grass, and joggers hurriedly pass by leaving nothing behind but the dull thud of their feet hitting the pavement. The sights are just as serene and tranquil as the sounds, with pastures full of rolling hills that fade into picturesque tree lines.
It’s hard to imagine that a place so peaceful was once the site of a bloody battle, but on Jan. 17, 1781, American and British forces collided at the Battle of Cowpens during the Revolutionary War. The battle, a decisive Patriot victory, lasted less than an hour and played an instrumental role in helping push the British troops out of the Carolinas and into Virginia, where they would eventually be defeated at Yorktown.
Today, visitors from all over the world travel to Cowpens National Battlefield to visit the historic site, which is now a national park that spans 842.5 acres.
“To the best of our knowledge, we have the entire battlefield, which is really unusual—to have the whole battlefield. Plus, a little bit of a buffer around it, so that for the most part you can come out and enjoy it without modern intrusions,” says Cowpens National Battlefield Park Ranger, Virginia Fowler. “You can be out here and enjoy it and see what the battlefield was. We tried to preserve it the way that it would have looked at the time of the battle.”
The best way to see the battlefield is to take the park’s self-guided tour, which stretches 1.3 miles along well-marked pathways that wind through the property. The entire trip takes 30–45 minutes to walk and visitors will find several exhibits on the route that cover everything from how and why the battle happened here and which units fought. Another way to tour the battlefield is by taking the Auto Loop Road, a 3.8-mile drive with wayside exhibits that circles the field’s outskirts.
For the full experience, stop by the visitor center museum filled with displays, exhibits and illustrations that provide analysis of the battle, what led up to it, the tactics used during the skirmish and the significance of its outcome. While the museum is also self-guided, park rangers and knowledgeable staff are on hand.
One of the most informative exhibits in the museum is an 18-minute film, Cowpens: A Battle Remembered, which is shown every hour and gives viewers an inside look at what the battle was like from start to finish. After the screening, take time to meander through the rest of the museum where you’ll find a fiber-optic map designed to illustrate some of the tactical strategies used by Brigadier Gen. Daniel Morgan to successfully defeat the British. Other displays in the museum include artifacts ranging from musket balls and canteens to uniforms, a reproduction cannon and other weaponry from the war.
In addition to its many exhibits, Cowpens National Battlefield hosts several educational events throughout the year, including weapons demonstrations, author talks and historical theater productions. The park is also open to the public daily with several walking and biking paths, nature trails for horseback riding, and a sheltered picnic area with grills and restrooms.
No matter the reason for your visit to Cowpens National Battlefield, it’s important to remember the “sacrifice that the men made for us,” Fowler says. “Getting up early in the morning, having very little to eat, clothes that weren’t keeping them warm, and they did it willingly, so that we could come out and enjoy this and have the freedoms that we do today.”
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Upcoming events
Learn more and find future events at nps.gov/cowp/specialevents.htm.
The Night before Kings Mountain
Oct. 6, 2019, at 6 p.m.
A live outdoor drama shows visitors what life was like for the men who fought on both sides of the battle.
Living History Day
Nov. 9, 2019
Witness weapons firing demonstrations and interact with re-enactors representing different units at 10:20 a.m., 11:20 a.m., 1:20 p.m., and 2:20 p.m.
Anniversary Celebration
Jan. 18–19, 2020
Take a step back in time as Cowpens National Battlefield recreates the battle’s setting with an encampment, historic weapons firing demonstrations and author lectures.
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Get There
The entrance to Cowpens National Battlefield is located off Hwy. 11 about three miles east of Chesnee, but your GPS will recognize it as 4001 Chesnee Hwy., Gaffney.
Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Free.
Details: For more information on Cowpens National Battlefield, visit nps.gov/cowp or call (864) 461-2828.