British counterinsurgency failure in the Carolinas and modern implications

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Memorandum for S1 Battalion Commander

Freedom's Warriors Counterinsurgency Strategy

In 1780 the British were fighting a brutal counterinsurgency in North and South Carolina. This is despite views that there were would be tremendous amounts loyalty for King George. What happened is they felt that within the American colonies were those supporters who could assist in suppressing the revolution.

To achieve these objectives they sent Major Patrick Ferguson to Gilbert Town, North Carolina. The basic strategy was to form loyalist militias that could support the rear and left flank of Lord Cornwallis. The basic idea was to push northward and encircle Washington's forces. In order for this to take place, the British had to subdue and pacify the population of the South. This would enable Cornwallis to quickly advance and surprise Washington. (Bower)

After forming several different militias, Ferguson and British troops harassed the Carolinas with unprecedented violence. At the heart of their strategy, was to go after anyone who was suspected of supporting the rebellion. This meant hanging them in public and burning their property. In situations, where they believed that towns were supporting the rebellion is when they pillaged and destroyed entire communities. This caused the total number of volunteers in rebel militias to swell. They fought back against the British by conducting a guerilla campaign in the mountains. This meant that they encircled small units and attacked Cornwallis' supply lines (creating instability). (Bower)

These tactics were so effective that Cornwallis could not advance northward. The final battle came at Kings Mountain in 1780. What occurred is Ferguson received intelligence of an impending attack and decided to retreat closer to Cornwallis's position (for more support). During the process of withdrawing, is when he was surrounded and attacked by rebel forces. In the fierce amounts of fighting, Ferguson tried to break through the enemy position and was killed. This caused his men to lose faith and surrender.

However, the rebels could not maintain control of these forces. As they were fearful that Cornwallis could counterattack at any moment. This forced them to retreat into the mountains. The battle was significant, because it made Cornwallis abandon his strategy of pacifying the South. As a result, he moved his forces into Virginia (where he was surprised by Washington and the French). This led to his surrender and the subsequent peace treaty. (Bower)

These events are showing some of the parallels that the U.S. is facing with its War on Terror and dealing with non-traditional military forces. What causes their ranks to increase; is the approach that is taken by American officials in different regions of the world. In many cases, this has meant that they are engaging in actions that will outrage the local population. They play a critical role in determining if different groups are willing to ally with U.S..