Congratulations to our Civil War News Editor Lawrence E. Babits

By Jack Melton · Originally published September 2021 · p. 2

Five Best: Books on the American Revolution

The top five books selected by John Ferling, the author, most recently, of “Winning Independence.” Dr. John Ferling is Professor Emeritus at the University of West Georgia. He is a leading scholar of the American Revolutionary Era. This piece was published in the Wall Street Journal July 2, 2021. A Devil of a Whipping By Lawrence E. Babits (1998) The Battle of Cowpens, fought in South Carolina on Jan. 17, 1781, is overshadowed by other clashes in the Revolutionary War, many of less importance. But Lawrence Babits argues that Cowpens, an engagement between two small armies that lasted less than 40 minutes, was in fact a turning point. Not only was it crucial in restoring America’s sagging morale, but its impact on the British army was immense. No battle in this war featured more colorful commanders. Banastre Tarleton, the 26-yearold former law student who commanded the British Legion, was the most feared and hated enemy leader in the southern theater. Daniel Morgan may well have been the Continental Army’s best leader of men. Like most of his soldiers, he came from a hardscrabble background and knew how to motivate his troops. Cowpens, Mr. Babits argues, was Morgan’s “tactical masterpiece.” The book reveals the gore, valor and savagery of a battle that cost Tarleton close to 90% of his men and ended with the British commander running for his life. Cowpens, Mr. Babits concludes, ushered in a new phase in the war-one that ended nine months later in the even great British disaster at Yorktown. For info on his book: https://uncpress.org/book/9780807849262/ a-devil-of-a-whipping/.