"What if Tarleton Had Been Captured at Cowpens?" Topic

I don't usually deal in "what ifs", but a thread on another site about Tarleton got me thinking.
What if Bloody Ban was taken prisoner at Cowpens?

Would military law prevail?
Or Frontier justice?

Morgan was a military man, but his hatered for the Brits has to be factored in.

Interred?
Exchanged?

or Hanged as a war criminal?

If he had been captured the British probably would have lost the war.

Hanged!

Fatal slip on a banana peel!

I'm guessing they would have started looking for the nearest tree.

They would have hanged him. Or shot up like Ferguson at King's Mountain.

He would have whined off as a British officer. And Morgan would not have hanged him.
You can't go on hanging prisoners, or that will happen to your own generals and colonels.

All bets are off until he surrenders and hands over his sword. Then he is safe.

Exchanged? Things can always get in the way of that. Let's see what Cornwalis is willing to offer for him.
I believe he would rot in a Yankee prison hulk. I would exchange him for ALL those guys in the New York hulks. And if not, let him rot.

Due to the bitter fighting in the back country,I agree, he would have been hung. A lot depends on who captured him. Retribution hangings were already taking place in South Carolina, so his hanging would not have caused a noticeable increase in Loyalist hangings of captured Patriots.

If Continental soldiers had captured him, then maybe prison for him.

I doubt that Morgan would let him be hung. He had been held POW earlier in the war, so he understood how it worked. He also understood that there were a number of prominent Americans held by the British who would have suffered a similar fate if Tarleton was hung. If Tarleton was going to be killed, it would have to look like he had died in action.

The key is "taken" which may have been difficult In the heat of battle he probably would not have survived his capture If taken prisoner his chance of survival would improve as the risk of British reprisals would have been high The Americans were trying to show themselves as a Government in waiting and executing opposing generals would not impress their European allies or neutrals

Was there any chance of him being captured at the Cowpens? He came very close to being captured at Gloucester Point in October 1781.

My guess is Washington would have demanded Arnold's return in exchange for Tarleton…of course British honor would have precluded that deal, but the grousing about Arnold among the British officers would have only gotten worse…

Tie him up and gag him, and let the wild hogs dispose of the evidence.

My, my, there seems to be an awful lot of "projection" going on here. ;^))

Tarleton's reputation for atrocities was largely made up (he also entertained his former enemies in royal style when they visited England after the war).

link

"Remember Waxhaws!" was really little more than an excuse to murder any Loyalists unlucky enough to fall into enemy hands, armed or not. I think it unlikely that, once captured, Washington would have allowed an outright execution, but the idea suggested above that he would be offered up in exchange for Arnold (possibly to forestall some sort of show trial with a potential death penalty, as per the Asgill-Huddy affair) is quite a likely scenario given the precedent with Andre.

Mel Gibson would have kept any dogs involved in the negotiations.

He does have nice legs.

Sent to Guantanamo Bay and water-borded? :)
Who knows but as he didn't get captured ( can always run a scenario to satisfy the hard done by)
Cheers and on to Boston " I believe the bay there tastes like Earl Grey tea :+)

Cheers and on to Boston " I believe the bay there tastes like Earl Grey tea :+)

Rather unlikely, I'm afraid – the Earl Grey in question (the 2nd) was PM of the United Kingdom in the 1830s, and the name – specifically a "black" tea containing bergamot oil – was unknown before the 1850s.

However, he was the son of "No Flint" Grey of Paoli fame, so there is an AWI connection. However, the 2nd Earl was not much of a solider apparently more of a "No milk or sugar (but I'll have a custard cream, if you've got one)" Grey.

I drink my tea plain , but then I am an ignorant Yank.

Had Tarleton been captured and then strung up, the Duke of Wellington would later have been minus a major pain in his butt.

Bear in mind Tarleton was captured at Yorktown, and Washington got him out of here as fast as possible to avoid any embarrassing incidents. He just wasn't invited to any of the after battle festivities like many of the British officers.

@vtsaogames, What is the story about Tarleton and the Duke of Wellington?

Tarleton was a Parliament foe of Wellington.

He just wasn't invited to any of the after battle festivities like many of the British officers.

Actually, nor were most of the Continental officers. Washington apart, most of the "wining and dining" occurred betwween the British, German and French officers, with the Americans very much left out in the cold – put quite a few noses out of joint.

>Tarleton's reputation for atrocities was largely made up (he >also entertained his former enemies in royal style when they >visited England after the war).

Yes, far too many people have watched "Lethal Musket" to obtain their history.

Okay, so "the Patriot"'s history was a might, err, skewed, but weren't the costuming nice?
(My wife's reenacting fabric company sold a ton of period-correct fabrics to the production company.)

Too bad your wife's company couldn't talk them into a correct green for the coat.

I believe The Smithsonian produced an entire book showing all the correct uniforms, but which – like the history itself – was completely ignored by the producers and director.