Daniel Morgan Comes of Age
Daniel Morgan, who rose to national prominence during the American Revolution, was born in New Jersey in 1736. At 17, after a fight with his father, young Daniel left home, settling in western Virginia. Daniel became a wagoner and, by age 20, was 6 feet 2 inches and a tower of strength. He had a cheerful nature and a natural intelligence. Following the French and Indian War, Morgan continued his work as a wagoner, became known as the toughest man in the county, and settled down to a peaceful married life in the beautiful foothills of western Virginia.
Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses the early life of Daniel Morgan, one of America’s greatest battlefield tacticians, and why it still matters today.
Images courtesy of Library of Congress, The New York Public Library, National Galleries of Scotland, Brown University Library, Wikipedia.
The Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, was a great victory for Daniel Morgan and his army of Continentals and militiamen. They had virtually annihilated Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s famed British Legion, but Morgan’s contingent was in a dangerous position, with a larger British force under Lord Charles Cornwallis only twenty-five miles away. The race was now on to get to a place of safety.