Battle of Cowan's Ford

The Battle of Cowan's Ford on February 1, 1781 was the opening engagement of Cornwallis's 'Race to the Dan' — his pursuit of Nathanael Greene's army following the American victory at Cowpens. Cornwallis, enraged by the destruction of his best mobile force and convinced that he must destroy Greene's army before it could recover, stripped his army of its baggage, burned his supply wagons, and began a rapid pursuit into North Carolina.

Cornwallis needed to cross the Catawba River. American General William Davidson had positioned militia on the far bank to dispute any crossing. Cornwallis approached Cowan's Ford in darkness and began crossing before dawn. The ford was chest-deep in the flooded river, and the current was swift and dangerous. Despite intense fire from Davidson's militia on the far bank, the British regulars crossed steadily.

Davidson himself rode forward to rally his men and was killed by a shot from the crossing column. Without his leadership, the militia dispersed. Cornwallis's army completed the crossing and continued the pursuit northward. Davidson's death was a serious loss — he was one of North Carolina's most effective militia commanders. The action demonstrated both the determination of Cornwallis's pursuit and the difficulty of defending river crossings against professional troops willing to accept casualties.