Editing Banastre Tarleton
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Tarleton's most infamous act was the [[Waxhaws Massacre]], which occurred soon after the fall of Charleston. Governor of Charleston John Rutledge had escaped the battle and fled to North Carolina with troops under Colonel Abraham Buford, and General Charles Cornwallis ordered Tarleton to pursue and capture Rutledge. After riding for fifty-five hours, Tarleton caught up to Buford's detachment at Waxhaws, a settlement on the border of North and South Carolina, only to find that Rutledge had already escaped. Tarleton and Buford began parley, with Tarleton's representative informing Buford that Tarleton would not ask him to surrender a second time. Tarleton continued his march towards Buford's line during the negotiations, a violation of the accepted customs of warfare at the time. Buford ultimately refused Tarleton's terms and continued marching northwards, but Tarleton soon caught up and easily decimated Buford's rear guard before attacking the main body, whose line broke almost immediately. | Tarleton's most infamous act was the [[Waxhaws Massacre]], which occurred soon after the fall of Charleston. Governor of Charleston John Rutledge had escaped the battle and fled to North Carolina with troops under Colonel Abraham Buford, and General Charles Cornwallis ordered Tarleton to pursue and capture Rutledge. After riding for fifty-five hours, Tarleton caught up to Buford's detachment at Waxhaws, a settlement on the border of North and South Carolina, only to find that Rutledge had already escaped. Tarleton and Buford began parley, with Tarleton's representative informing Buford that Tarleton would not ask him to surrender a second time. Tarleton continued his march towards Buford's line during the negotiations, a violation of the accepted customs of warfare at the time. Buford ultimately refused Tarleton's terms and continued marching northwards, but Tarleton soon caught up and easily decimated Buford's rear guard before attacking the main body, whose line broke almost immediately. | ||
During the attack, some accounts report that Tarleton personally cut down a fourteen-year-old American ensign with his sabre after he attempted to raise the white flag of surrender (the ensign would ultimately survive the battle). Soon after, Colonel Buford saw that all was lost and sent a representative towards Tarleton's line bearing the white flag. However, just as the flag was raised one of the American soldiers shot Tarleton's horse from under him, leaving him trapped beneath it. Incensed by the apparent betrayal, Tarleton's men refused to accept the surrender and continued the attack even though the white flag was visible. 113 Americans were killed, most of them after the white flag was raised, although Buford managed to escape once it became clear the surrender had been refused. The incident at Waxhaws contributed to Tarleton's reputation as a butcher, although he did not actually order the massacre, and | During the attack, some accounts report that Tarleton personally cut down a fourteen-year-old American ensign with his sabre after he attempted to raise the white flag of surrender (the ensign would ultimately survive the battle). Soon after, Colonel Buford saw that all was lost and sent a representative towards Tarleton's line bearing the white flag. However, just as the flag was raised one of the American soldiers shot Tarleton's horse from under him, leaving him trapped beneath it. Incensed by the apparent betrayal, Tarleton's men refused to accept the surrender and continued the attack even though the white flag was visible. 113 Americans were killed, most of them after the white flag was raised, although Buford managed to escape once it became clear the surrender had been refused. The incident at Waxhaws contributed to Tarleton's reputation as a butcher, although he did not actually order the massacre, and lead the Americans to use the phrase "Tarleton's quarter" to describe refusal to accept surrender. | ||
Tarleton regularly skirmished with Patriot militia under the command of Francis Marion in South Carolina. Tarleton was never able to defeat or capture Marion, and alienated the locals with his attempts to punish Marion's supporters through arbitrary confiscations of grain and livestock and burning of the homes of those suspected to be sympathetic to the rebels, with Marion lamenting that Tarleton had "burnt all the houses and destroyed all the corn" from Camden to Nelson's Ferry. On one occasion in November 1780, Tarleton plundered the home of Richard Richardson, an American general who had died earlier that year. Tarleton, out of spite for the recent execution for spying of his friend Major John André by the Americans, ordered Richardson's grave ripped open and his body dug up so that he could "look upon the face of such a brave man". He and his men looted the Richardson house, before locking the family livestock in the barn and burning down both the barn and the plantation house, leaving the Richardson family destitute. Before leaving, Tarleton had Richardson's wife flogged in the hope that she would reveal the whereabouts of Francis Marion. | Tarleton regularly skirmished with Patriot militia under the command of Francis Marion in South Carolina. Tarleton was never able to defeat or capture Marion, and alienated the locals with his attempts to punish Marion's supporters through arbitrary confiscations of grain and livestock and burning of the homes of those suspected to be sympathetic to the rebels, with Marion lamenting that Tarleton had "burnt all the houses and destroyed all the corn" from Camden to Nelson's Ferry. On one occasion in November 1780, Tarleton plundered the home of Richard Richardson, an American general who had died earlier that year. Tarleton, out of spite for the recent execution for spying of his friend Major John André by the Americans, ordered Richardson's grave ripped open and his body dug up so that he could "look upon the face of such a brave man". He and his men looted the Richardson house, before locking the family livestock in the barn and burning down both the barn and the plantation house, leaving the Richardson family destitute. Before leaving, Tarleton had Richardson's wife flogged in the hope that she would reveal the whereabouts of Francis Marion. | ||