Turning Point: The American Revolution in the Spartan District

by Katherine Davis Cann, George D. Fields Jr.

The British Army turned south in 1779, expecting to sweep through the region with the help of their Tory allies, setting the stage for victory in the American in the war for independence. Upon entering the Old Spartan District in northwest South Carolina, however, they ran up against tenacious opposition from locals and their military leaders. Here, in a series of small skirmishes, the southern Patriots gained confidence and valuable combat experience that led to surprising victories at Kings Mountain and Cowpens, ultimately pushing the British back north toward surrender. In Turning Point, historian Katherine Cann tells the compelling story of how inexperienced backcountry militiamen in the Old Spartan District bottled up the British and learned how to defeat a seasoned foe. George F. Fields Jr., a leading military heritage preservationist, provides color commentary as Fields Notes throughout, capturing both the emotion and the commotion of the time. As a bonus, there s a handy guide to the Spartanburg Revolutionary War Trail, a driving tour of twelve spots in the Spartan District that were central to the American victory. Full of drama and memorable heroes, Turning Point is an important and accessible volume about a key moment in our nation s struggle for freedom.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

152 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2014

Reviews

[The Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally bought this book for school back in 2014, but decided to reread it for a Summer Reading Program. I gotta say that this book was much better the second time around. Part of the reason for this is that I now have a better knowledge of the places the book talks about. For example, I know where Cowpens and Ninety Six and King's Mountain are, but only recently did I know about Musgrove Mill or Wofford Ironworks. I've even been to Walnut Grove Plantation and seen the upstairs part of the house. Rereading the book now, I can picture the battles in my head and match the scenery from my memory. (Even though the Siege of Ninety Six wasn't in this book I can still see the star fort)

This book is a gem chock full of local history that they don't teach in schools anymore. Sadly very few students know about Cowpens or Kings Mountain. This area was turned into a war zone where there wasn't a good side or a bad side. These were battles between neighbors; British vs. British, not British vs. American. These battles and atrocities really happened here. And it was because our ancestors fought that the United States is what it is. Personally, I take some pride in that.

[Bill Warden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an insightful book of how the SC Upstate (specifically the Spartanburg region) helped in having the Patriots successfully win the American Revolution. I never knew this much about all of the intricacies of how many different moving pieces there were throughout the years leading up to the Battle of Cowpens.

The one thing keeping this book from being a 5-star was the fact that although history is complex, the writing seemed a bit disjointed and made it somewhat difficult to keep everything straight.

I would suggest that anyone interested in history take the time to read this book. You won't be disappointed.

[Brian Welsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading about the local skirmishes and getting a better feel for the infighting between Pats and Loyalists in the upstate. Got me interested in reading more.