1. DANIEL MORGAN AND THE BATTLE OF COWPENS
Turning the Tide in the American Revolution…and
Lessons for Modern Organizations
In 1781 American General Daniel Morgan defeated a superior British force
at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina. His total victory set the stage
for winning the American Revolution at the Battle of Yorktown ten months
later.
Morgan, known as “the Old Wagoner”, was a colorful character, and he had
been a leader of Virginia rifleman under General George Washington.
Morgan’s challenge in the South was to overcome a string of American
defeats. He also faced a formidable foe: the fearful and “Bloody” Banastre
Tarleton, who led a disciplined army of British regular and Loyalist troops.
In January1781, Tarleton’s force of some 1,100 men was in hot pursuit of
Morgan’s motley army of roughly the same strength. In rolling terrain near
the Cowpens, Morgan waited and carefully arranged his forces: Picken’s
militia and sharpshooters in the front ranks, but with orders to fall back after
the first volleys; then Howard’s disciplined regulars in support; and, finally,
Colonel William Washington’s regular and militia horsemen mounted on the
wings.
At dawn, the advancing British charged the American militia. After a few
volleys, the militia fell back in good order behind the Continentals. The
exhausted but exuberant British Highlanders lunged after the retreating
rebels. Morgan then sprung his trap: the Continental regulars’ gave
withering volleys and decimated the British ranks. Few redcoat officers
could rally their troops, given Morgan’s personal exhortation to his militia
the night before to “aim for the epaulettes.” The American regulars then
charged the British, while Washington’s cavalry enveloped the redcoats on
the flanks. The British were almost annihilated, suffering 110 dead, 200
wounded and 500 captured, while Morgan lost only 12 killed and 60
wounded!
What does this little known Revolutionary War battle teach us about
leadership, change and collaboration for modern organizations?...

2. 2
cowpenskmstory-130323201628-phpapp02.doc
LESSONS FROM THE BATTLE OF COWPENS
Insights on Leadership, Change and
Collaboration
Leadership: General Morgan and his “middle management” team
(Howard, Washington, and Pickens) ensured excellent planning and
execution during the battle. Morgan took charge personally, spending hours
the night before, exhorting his rag-tag militia to “give me two [volleys], my
boys, and then go home heroes to your wives and sweethearts.”
Lesson: Morgan “knew what he was doing” and communicated this
assurance to his troops. Knowledgeable, consistent and committed
leadership (and feedback from followers) is needed at all levels to effectively
champion and implement change in modern organizations.
Change: By painstaking deployment and encouragement, Morgan changed
his troops’ attitude about the prospects for victory. He reversed the tide of
the patriots’ defeat in the Southern theatre. And he set the stage for
Washington’s later victory at Yorktown, and winning the Revolution.
Lesson: Change management projects, properly led and coordinated, can
also transform modern organizations and revolutionize results. Just as at
Cowpens, proper planning, timing and communicating can achieve
extraordinary change and outcomes for your organization.
Collaboration: Morgan closely matched his troops’ different abilities to his
plan for defeating the British: militia (with a poor reputation for fleeing in
disorder) were asked to fire two volleys and retreat; more disciplined
regulars were to support the militia and advance in formation; and the
cavalry were given free rein to gallop into the British exposed flanks.
Lesson: Given proper technical deployment, focus on relevant business
processes, and user training and support, collaboration software can
leverage the strength of today’s dispersed and diverse workforce. These
user-driven, web-based workspaces can provide both the team structure and

3. 3
fluid interaction that Morgan used in orchestrating and then unleashing the
energies of his troops at Cowpens.

4. 3
fluid interaction that Morgan used in orchestrating and then unleashing the
energies of his troops at Cowpens.

5. 3
fluid interaction that Morgan used in orchestrating and then unleashing the
energies of his troops at Cowpens.