Charles Cornwallis
In 1738, Charles Cornwallis was born in London. He grew up in elite social circles and going to
expensive boarding schools. After he purchased his commission in the British Army, he actually went to
military school in Italy. He served as aide-de-camp to the Marquis of Granby during the Seven Years' War. In
1762, his father died and he inherited the name and title of Earl. Even though Cornwallis voted in Parliament
against the harsh acts and laws imposed on the colonies, he still remained in the King's favor. In 1768, he
married Jemima Tullekin Jones. In spite of his personal feelings, Cornwallis readily offered to serve in
America when war broke out. On January 1, 1776, Cornwallis sailed to America, newly promoted to
Lieutenant General.
Cornwallis' first action was at the Battle of Fort Sullivan, serving as Lt. General Henry Clinton's deputy. He
then served in the middle colonies under Maj. General William Howe seeing extensive action at the Battle of
Long Island on August 27, 1776, and the Battle of Harlem Heights. He commanded at the British landing at
Kip's Bay on September 15, 1776. General Howe then sent him to chase General George Washington out of
Northern New Jersey, which he did. However, as Cornwallis was settling down for winter quarters,
Washington claimed victory at Trenton on December 26, 1776. Cornwallis then nearly trapped Washington,
who managed to slip away and defeat his rear guard at Princeton on January 3, 1777.
After spending the winter in England, Cornwallis returned and commanded one of General Howe's two
divisions in his Philadelphia campaign. Cornwallis saw action at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11,
1777 and at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777. He also skirmished with General Washington at
Matson's Ford on December 11, 1777. He returned to England for the winter and he was formally promoted
to Lieutenant General. While he was in England, General Howe's resignation of command was accepted and
after some debate, General Clinton was chosen as successor and Cornwallis was to be his deputy. This
decision did not bode well for the British, because there was some tension between the two generals going
back to the Battle of White Plains in October 1776.
On June 28, 1778, Cornwallis commanded at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse. He returned to England
again for the winter, but also carrying a request from General Clinton for reinforcements. He also found his
wife ill and resigned his commission, but she died in February 1779. Cornwallis returned to military duty for
solace. When he returned to America without the reinforcements, Clinton attempted to resign. In December
1779, Cornwallis accompanied General Clinton south serving as his second-in-command.
After the capture of Charleston, South Carolina and surrender of Maj. General Benjamin Lincoln on May 12,
1780, General Clinton gave Cornwallis command of the South Colonies with only the stipulation that he hold
Charleston and Savannah, Georgia. Cornwallis next defeated Lincoln's replacement, Maj. General Horatio
Gates, at the Battle of Camden on August 16. 1780. However, after the crippling losses of his flanking force at
the Battle of King's Mountain on October 7, 1780 and his light infantry at the Battle of Cowpens on January
17, 1781 coupled with the costly victory at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781, he
abandoned the South and marched to Virginia. In October 1781, he commanded at the Battle of Yorktown and
subsequently surrendered. Following the war, he had a successful career serving in Ireland and India.
Banastre Tarleton
Banastre Tarleton was born in Liverpool, England in 1754 to upper middle class parents. He studied at the
Universities of Liverpool and Oxford. Instead of studying law as he had been groomed, he purchased a
commission in the British Army as a cavalry officer in 1775. A few months later, he volunteered for duty in
America and arrived in May 1776 in the same fleet that brought Lt. General Charles Cornwallis. Though he
was present at the Battle of Fort Sullivan in February, 1776, the cavalry saw no action. He then served in the
middle colonies and began to gain notoriety when he was part of a patrol that captured Maj. General Charles
Lee on December 13, 1776, at Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
Tarleton served well enough to be promoted to Captain, skipping past Lieutenant by January 1778. During
that same month, he nearly captured Captain Henry Lee at the Spread Eagle Tavern outside Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania. In August 1778, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of the British
Legion, which was actually made up American Loyalists, who had received regular British military training.
Once he took command, he gave them additional drilling and over the next year, his legion acquitted
themselves well in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania colonies.
In December 1779, Tarleton was chosen as one of the officers to participate in the Southern Campaign. A
company of British Dragoons was added to his command and there would be tension between the British
regulars and the Loyalists. On the voyage south, all horses had to be thrown overboard because of serious
injuries, so when his legion was put ashore at Savannah, Georgia, they had to find new mounts. In the march
north to South Carolina, Tarleton skirmished with Lt. Colonel William Washington several times.
Once Tarleton reached Charleston, Lt. General Henry Clinton ordered him into the countryside to cut off
lines of communication and supply lines. On April 12, he and Major Patrick Ferguson cut off the last line of
communication at Monck's Corner, South Carolina. On May 12, 1780, Charleston was surrendered by Maj.
General Benjamin Lincoln. As the British were securing outposts, General Cornwallis ordered Tarleton to
pursue a force of Continentals, which his Legion routed at the Battle of Waxhaws on May 29, 1780. This
battle sealed Tarleton's reputation as a ruthless man.
Tarleton was detached to General Cornwallis' command when General Clinton sailed north in June 1780. At
the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, Tarleton's Legion completed the rout. He quickly followed up by
scattering Thomas Sumter's militia at Fishing Creek on the following day. After recovering from illness,
Tarleton spent a month trying to capture Francis Marion with no success. In December 1780, he was sent
after Brig. General Daniel Morgan and the result was his absolute defeat at the Battle of Cowpens on January
17, 1781, which was only surpassed by Saratoga as a greater defeat for the British. He went north to Virginia
with Cornwallis and was captured at Gloucester, Virginia on October 3, 1781 during the Seige of Yorktown.
He still returned home in 1782 as a hero.
Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates was low born in England. Somehow he earned the patronage of nobles which gave
him a commission in the British Army in 1745. He served in Germany before moving to Canada where he
married in 1754. He was part of the doomed expedition of Braddock where he served with Thomas Gage,
Charles Lee, and George Washington. He then served in various posts during the French and Indian War.
Following the war, he struggled to find a suitable commission until he finally resigned and settled in Virginia
in 1772. He soon became involved in the Rebel cause with old friend Charles Lee.
As soon as the war started, Gates volunteered for service. He first served as Adjutant General, but longed for
the glories of field command. Soon, he wanted independent command and played politics to replace Maj.
General Philip Schuyler as Commander of the Northern Department in August 1777. He immediately began
maneuvering against Maj. General John Burgoyne, eventually accepting his surrender on October 17, 1777,
shortly after defeating him at the Battle of Saratoga, New York. Using his newfound popularity, his
supporters in the Continental Congress created a War Board and installed him as its President in an indirect
effort to undermine General George Washington's authority.
When the power struggle was won by General Washington, Gates returned to field command first as
Northern Department Commander and then as Eastern Department Commander. While on a leave of absence,
he again played politics in an effort to become Southern Department Commander. Even before the imminent
defeat of Maj. General Benjamin Lincoln at Charleston, South Carolina, the Continental Congress chose Gates
as his replacement over Washington's recommendations.
Gates arrived in North Carolina on July 25, 1780, and immediately attempted to duplicate his successes in the
Saratoga Campaign. Over the recommendations of his officers who were more familiar with the local country,
Gates set out on a direct march to Camden, which resulted in a sickened and weak army. He also hadn't
anticipated an engagement with Lt. General Charles Cornwallis' main army, but on August 16, he was routed
at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina, His force's poor performance and his own personal speedy retreat of
180 miles to Hillsborough, North Carolina by August 19, 1780, raised many questions about his conduct.
Gates was replaced by General Washington's choice, Maj. General Nathanael Greene in December 1780. He
returned to his home at Traveler's Rest, Virginia to await a formal inquiry. Once there, he learned that his son
had died some months earlier. Although he was acquitted of questionable conduct, he never held command
again. He was reinstated in 1782 and served out the remainder of the war at Washington's headquarters,
where his aides were involved in the Newburgh Conspiracy concerning pay. There was no evidence that Gates
himself was involved. Shortly after the war ended, Gates' first wife died. He remarried in 1784 and retired to
New York. He and his wife enjoyed high society in New York City on her inheritance until his death in 1806.
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was born in Potowomut, Rhode Island on July 27, 1742. The Greenes of Rhode Island were
a prominant family and his own father owned several profitable businesses. His father was also a Quaker
minister and there is evidence that Nathanael did not fully embrace the Quaker beliefs and eventually was 'put
out from under their care' in 1773 after his father's death. In 1774, he married nineteen year old Catharine
Littlefield. He served in the state militia and commanded the Army of Observance that was formed following
Lexington and Concord.
Greene was away and missed the Battle of Bunker Hill, but was soon commissioned the youngest brigadier
general in the Continental Army. He met the new Commander-in-Chief General George Washington and
they hit it off. He began the war serving under General Washington in the main army as it moved to New
York. Due to illness, he did not see his first action until September 1776, at the Battle of Harlem Heights. His
advice to Washington to hold Fort Washington helped precipitate the largest loss of men and supplies for the
Continentals until Charleston when the fort was captured in November 1776. In spite of that disaster,
Washington continued to entrust Greene with important commands. Greene commanded the right wing at
the Battle of Trenton in December 1776.
Greene also saw action at the Battle of Princeton in January 1777. He then went before Congress to request
supplies in March. In May, he and several other major generals threatened to resign if a Frenchman were
given command and seniority over them. In September 1777 at the Battle of Brandywine, Greene served
admirably first reinforcing another division and then serving as the rear guard. He led the left wing at the
Battle of Germantown in October 1777.
In March 1778, Greene grudgingly became Quartermaster General and worked to clean up that department.
General Washington still included him in war councils and Greene even commanded the right wing at the
Battle of Monmouth Courthouse in June 1778. He next distinguished himself at the Battle of Rhode Island in
August 1778. In September 1778, he even served in a diplomatic mission to Boston. In June 1780, he
commanded the front lines at the Battle of Connecticut Farms and then fought at the Battle of Springfield.
After politics interfered with his quartermaster duties, Greene resigned from that post in July 1780.
In September 1780, Greene presided over the military trial of Major John André, the spy implicated in
Benedict Arnold's treason. Greene then replaced Maj. General Horatio Gates following the Battle of Camden.
Upon his arrival in the South in December 1780, he immediately set about building his force. He placed Brig.
General Daniel Morgan in command of a second smaller force. The strategy paid off when Morgan defeated
Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens in January 1781. Following the famous 'Race to the
Dan', which helped weaken Lt. General Charles Cornwallis' forces, Greene fought him at the Battle of
Guilford Courthouse in March 1781. The victory was costly to Cornwallis and in May 1781, he gave up the
Carolinas and marched to Virginia. Greene continued fighting in the Carolinas until the end of the war. He
died suddenly of a stroke in 1786.
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was born in New Jersey, but ran away to Virginia when he was seventeen. He was
an able worker and soon became a wagoneer, though he was ever a rabblerouser. He was a civilian participant
in Braddock's ill-fated expedition in 1755. Morgan enlisted in the British Army as a Ranger toward the end of
the French and Indian War. In the years after that war, he became a leading citizen in Virginia. He started a
family, bought a home, married and served as a captain of militia. He fought for the British against Pontiac's
Conspiracy and in Lord Dunmore's War.
When the Revolutionary War began, Morgan was chosen to command one of two rifle regiments raised by
Virginia. He participated in the Siege of Boston with General George Washington before marching to Canada
with Colonel Benedict Arnold. He endured the miserable march to Canada, which would bring about illnesses
later in life. Following the wounding of Arnold, he assumed command at the Battle of Quebec on December
31, 1775 during which he was captured.
After finally being exchanged in January 1777, newly promoted Colonel Morgan joined General
Washington's main army in April. In August 1777, he and his rifle company were then sent to aid Maj.
General Horatio Gates in his Saratoga campaign. Morgan's riflemen served with distinction first in driving
back Maj. General John Burgoyne's Indian scouts, then as the advance forces at both the Battle of Freeman's
Farm on September 19th and the Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7th.
Morgan rejoined General Washington's main army in November 1777 and participated in Washington's New
Jersey and Pennsylvania operations. He got his first taste of command when he temporarily filled in for an ill
commander. When he learned of the formation of a new brigade, Morgan wanted the command, but he was
only a colonel. When the command went to the largely untested Brig. General Anthony Wayne, Morgan
resigned in protest in July 1779 and returned to his Virginia home.
Following General Gates' appointment as Southern Department Commander in May 1780, Morgan turned
down both Congress' order and Gates' personal request to join him in the Southern Department in June 1780.
He did ask Gates to press Congress for a promotion for him. After he learned of the defeat at Camden, he put
aside his personal feelings and joined Gates in September 1780. After Morgan campaigned independently for a
few months, new Southern Department Commander Maj. General Nathanael Greene gave him command of a
600-man light infantry corps. He was to basically be a Continental Army presence in the Carolinas, but avoid
an engagement.
After maneuvering for three weeks, Morgan used the intelligence of his officers' concerning British tendancies
to not only defeat, but rout Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina in January
1781. He then joined General Greene in the 'Race to the Dan' before he retired to his home in February
because of illness. He would again serve for a few weeks in Virginia. Following the war, Morgan developed his
farm and became a formidable land owner. He also commanded federal troops during the Whiskey Rebellion
and served a term in Congress as a Federalist. He died on July 6, 1802.
Francis Marion
Francis Marion was born in 1732 near Georgetown, South Carolina and the youngest of six
children At 15, he set sail on a ship bound for the West Indies, but the ship sank. In 1753, when the French
and Indian War, Marion joined a militia company led by his older brother Gabriel. In the Cherokee War of
1760-61, Marion served in Captain William Moultrie's company where he proved to be an excellent horseman
and marksman. After the French and Indian War, Marion established himself as a planter in St. John's Parish
and in 1773, bought a plantation on the Santee River. In 1775, he was elected to the South Carolina Provincial
Congress.
In 1775, Marion was named Captain of the Second State Regiment under Colonel Moultrie and he also served
in Snow's Campaign against Tories. Marion again served under Colonel Moultrie at the Battle of Fort
Sullivan in February 1776. In November 1776, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel and in September 1778, he
assumed command of the Second State Regiment. In October 1779, he participated in the Second Battle of
Savannah, Georgia. In 1780, he escaped capture at the surrender of Charleston because he had broken his
ankle jumping from a second floor window the month before.
Following Maj. General Horatio Gates' defeat at the Battle of Camden in August 1780, Marion successfully
led a series of raids and skirmishes including Great Savannah in August, Blue Savannah and Black Mingo
Creek in September and Tearcoat Swamp in October, although he was turned back at Georgetown in
November. He eluded Major James Wemyss in September and Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton in November
1780. In December 1780, he was promoted to brigadier general and put together what would be known as
Marion's Brigade, as well as making Snow's Island his base of operations.
Following the arrival of new Southern Department Commander Maj. General Nathanael Greene, Marion
conducted some joint operations with Lt. Colonel Henry Lee including another unsuccessful attack on
Georgetown in January 1781, as well as successful operations at Fort Watson in April and Fort Motte in
May. In March, he got the best of his latest pursuer Lt. Colonel John Watson in several skirmishes. He also
participated in Thomas Sumter's failed operation at Quinby Bridge in July 1781, which he followed up with a
successful attack at Parker's Ferry in August. He also commanded all the militia at the Battle of Eutaw
Springs in September 1781.
Marion became active in politics even before the war ended. His brigade continued to be active throughout
1782 and Marion himself saw his last action in August 1782 at Fair Lawn. Following the war, he was given
command of Fort Johnson. He married his cousin in 1786 and attended the Constitutional Convention in
1790. After South Carolina officially joined the Union, Marion retired to his home, Pond's Bluff, where he died
on February 27, 1795.
From The Patriot
Benjamin Martin
The character of Benjamin Martin was originally meant to be The Swamp Fox, Francis Marion,
but for the sake of telling the best 'dramatic' story and perhaps avoiding some controversy, the filmmakers
fictionalized the character and the story. They then added elements of the historic figures of Elijah Clarke,
Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, Andrew Pickens and Thomas Sumter to the character of Benjamin Martin.
Such a move also covered for the historical inaccuracies that always appear in films.
Martin's hit and run tactics and nickname 'The Ghost' were inspired by Francis Marion, while the tactics of
using the militia on the front to draw the British in the final battle were based on similar tactics used by
Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens. Thomas Sumter and Andrew Pickens' influence seems to be that
both rejoined the fight after the British burned their homes and in Sumter's case, made his wife and son watch
their house burn.
Benjamin Martin is the central character of the film since the film focuses on the Martin family, of which
Benjamin is the patriarch. However he isn't THE Patriot. That title belongs to his son, Gabriel. Benjamin is a
man who has been through war before with the French and Indian War and has a large family to care for now.
Since his wife, Elizabeth died of illness in 1773, he is a single parent when war begins. As such his family is his
priority and, as he tells Colonel Harry Burwell, his convictions are secondary, so he sits out the beginning of
the war.
However, the actions of his oldest sons, Gabriel and Thomas, force him to join the fight not so much out of
patriotism, but in an effort to protect and keep as much of his family together as he can. Benjamin also seems
to be motivated by revenge which cultimates in his duel with the British officer responsible for both Gabrial
and Thomas' deaths. The backdrop of war is an extreme case, but many of Benjamin Martin's decisions and
personal sacrifices are common to all parents.
William Tavington
The repulsive and brutal character of Tavington was based on Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton.
Tavington, like Tarleton, believed that civilians aiding and abetting the Patriots had chosen sides in the war
and as a result, deserved to be treated as combatants or punished as spies. His drive for total victory is also
attributed to the fact that his father had squandered their money and had ruined the family name.
Colonel Tavington also seems to need or desire the approval of General Charles Cornwallis in his activities. It
goes beyond that of Cornwallis being his commanding officer. Tavington seems to strive to be a noble as
Cornwallis does and gain his approval, although in a scene that was cut, Tavington mentions to his second
that Cornwallis' great-grandfather was nothing more than a servant to Tavington's ancestors.
After initially being criticized by General Cornwallis for using such brutal tactics under Cornwallis' command,
Cornwallis gives Tavington's tactics an unofficial blessing after Benjamin Martin makes a fool out of
Cornwallis. Tavington is the chief nemesis of Benjamin Martin and the entire Martin family since he kills
Gabriel, Thomas, Gabriel's wife Anne, her family and threatens Charlotte and the younger Martin children.
He does, of course, pay up by the end of the movie in a face-off with Benjamin.