Want to win a war ? It's not just about the last battle. Good war strategy gets you to that last battle. One historian remarked that the American Revolution was won because of General Daniel Morgan.
Daniel Morgan was a frontiersman. Born in New Jersey, he set out westwards at the age of 17 after a disagreement with his father. He had a very strong moral compass of what is right versus wrong that served him well his whole life. He got a job as a teamster with a fun fellow, scrimping and saving enough money to buy his own wagons in a year and create his own waggoner business. His business was tapped into service during the French Indian War. He also served in a militia capacity alongside the British. Angered by one of the British (unknown if it was a soldier or officer), he threw a punch and was sentenced to 400-500 lashes (exact number disputed, but enough that normally meant a death sentence). While being whipped with his skin ribboning from his flesh, he remained conscious and survived with his strong character; however, this left a bitterness in his soul for the British which served him well during the American Revolution. He was an entrepreneur. He worked hard and accumulated much land. He created a grist mill that still stands today as a museum. He successfully counterbalanced business risk with hard work. He fell in love and had two daughters (educating them in a time where this was not so common). With freedom bells clamoring throughout the country, he signed up to fight in the American Revolution after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. He served in some of the fiercest battles. He quickly earned the reputation of a genius military strategist. Had his strategy been followed, the infamous Battle of Quebec may have turned out differently. His battalion was successful. They scaled the walls of Quebec and had the British fleeing in all directions until melee broke loose upon General Montgomery's death. His strategy was so good in the famous Battle of the Cowpens (positioning of militia and continental troops) that it was advised and adapted by General Greene in the southern Battle at Guilford Courthouse. This battle was critical in keeping the American southern army alive after British devastation tore all through the South.
So how did he win the war ? The British's most feared weapon was their star legion of cavalry rifle shooters led by Banastre Tarleton. They wreaked devastation wherever they triumphed mutilating prisoners and civilians alike, often sparing no one (hence the phrase 'Tarleton's Quarter),burning houses and property along the way. Daniel Morgan desired to meet head to head with this notorious legion and he did at the Battle of Cowpens. He so decimated Tarleton's legion, that he crippled the British army. Hence, his credit for being key to the American triumph. While many feared the intrepid Tarleton, Morgan was hunting him down.
It takes both heart and smarts to lead. General Morgan had a reputation for both. Many militia men demanded they would enlist only if they could serve under Morgan. Morgan was once seen rallying troop to troop the night before battle, even though he was strictly advised bed rest due to a very serious illness (for the rest of his life he would suffer flair ups of sciatica attributed to his military service). General Morgan was always in the thick of the battle (unlike General Horatio Gates whom his men despised) and did not ask his men to do anything he would not. He was instrumental in the successful battle of Saratoga (after whose victory the French pledged assistance and support to the United States). He relished those memories and named his estate Saratoga. Despite his imperviousness to fear, he also wisely knew when to retreat in order to gather up the proper forces to wage victory. Not only is he attributed a brilliant military tactician, he exemplified great strength of character. After the Revolution, a 'whiskey rebellion' rose up in western Pennsylvania. President George Washington asked Daniel if he would lead a force to quell the rebellion. When he arrived, the rebellion was put down without a single shot being fired. The mere mention of General Morgan's name (both out of fear and respect for his values) was enough to move people to reason. Two of the ringleaders were sentenced to death. One, John Mitchell, had even threatened the life of General Morgan's son in law causing him to flee for his life. Yet despite the egregious acts committed, Morgan urged mercy on Mitchell because he had seen the error of his ways and was 'ignorant'. George Washington in turn pardoned both ringleaders sentenced to death. It was this type of perspicacity that led his constituents in his Virginia district to elect him to the House of Representatives as a United States Congressman after the Whiskey Rebellion, while Daniel was in his 60s.
Daniel Morgan did not have a college education, nor come from a family of means, but he made the most out of every opportunity. He perfectly balanced deep conviction with courage, skill, and hard work. He rose to the highest levels of leadership yet never countenanced an ounce of arrogance. There is a statue of General Daniel Morgan in Spartanburg, South Carolina rising tall over the pasture of the Battle of Cowpens. May we all let remnants of his noble character rise within us in our hearts.
