REGULARS, MILITIA, AND RIFLEMEN

Despite the myth of American guerilla fighters deciding the war, the Continentals, when available, were the hard core of any fighting force. This can be seen in the way they were used in battle. For example, at the battle of Guilford Courthouse, General Nathanael Greene built his battle plan around the Continentals. Wood writes, “Greene's main line of resistance was his third line…Two brigades of Continentals made up the line.”[1] Also, whenever a state was threatened by the British, its leaders begged Congress to send the Continental Army. Perhaps the reason for the endurance of the myth of American guerillas winning the war was the distaste some politically minded Americans felt for a standing army. They felt that in forming a standing army they were forging their own chains. Volunteer militia fit the Revolutionaries' ideals much better than conscripted professional soldiers. W.J. Wood writes, “The militiamen belonged to a locally raised company and had a natural bent toward the traditional protection of home and community.” Perhaps it was this natural bent that caused the militiamen to melt away so often when the fighting occurred far from their own homes. At times commanders had to consider this tendency to disappear when making battle plans. When deciding where to place his militia before the battle of Cowpens General Morgan had to be careful not to place them near swamps because they could be expected to flee into the safety of difficult terrain.

Despite the great public fascination with riflemen early in the war, they were useful only in certain situations. Given the above noted characteristics of their weapons they were excellent at harassing Regulars. One of the most obvious ways to shake up an enemy formation wa s to deny it of its leadership with a well placed rifle ball. At times a charge could be turned into a retreat simply because of the sudden death of a charismatic leader. Since rifles could not be fitted with bayonets , however, riflemen could not stand up to a bayonet charge. In sum as Charles Royster writes, “Although riflemen remained useful auxiliaries throughout the war, especially as snipers, they enjoyed in the publicity of 1775 a fascination far out of proportion to their role.”[2] Perhaps it was this early fascination that laid the basis of the widely held myth of American guerilla fighters defeating British Regulars. Clever leaders like General Daniel Morgan, however, accepted the limitations of his riflemen and militia and built these into his battle plan. At the battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781 , Morgan directed his troops to form three lines. The first line of riflemen and the second line of militia were both instructed to fire two shots and then they were allowed to file off the battlefield. In addition, taking advantage of the rifles' accuracy, the riflemen were told to aim for “the men with the epaulets.”

[1] Wood, W.J.; Battles of the Revolutionary War 1775-1781, p. 244.

[2] Royster, Charles; A Revolutionary People at War; p. 34.