Customer Reviews

Daniel Morgan: Revolutionary Rifleman (Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American Hist)

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Dan Morgan epitomizes the rough-and-ready individualist who made America.

A frontiersman from the Shennandoah Valley, Morgan knew a hard early life that steeled him for the physical challenges of his Revolutionary War service. A wagoneer in Gen. Braddock's Expedition, Morgan endured 400 lashes after tangling with a British soldier (he claimed only 399 and loved to regale listeners with the fact that he still owed the British one miscounted lash).

His physical endurance and prowess was combined with the ability to lead men and a superior ability to plan and manage battlefield tactics. He has been described as one of the Revolution's best battlefield commanders and this book gives plenty of examples to support that claim.

Morgan's service to our Republic was remarkable. Although a failure, his part in the Quebec expedition helped make possible one of the most grueling campaigns military history. Traveling overland through the spine of backwoods Maine, Morgan helped lead outnumbered American forces to a wintry showdown that could have produced a fourteenth colony in revolt against the Crown. In fact, Morgan stood at the moment of victory; had his desire to keep driving into the city after breaching its under-defended backside been followed, the city could have been captured. As it was, hesitancy on the part of other American commanders led to defeat and Morgan's capture. He had to endure a period of imprisonment until paroled.

That parole was a costly one for the British. It allowed Morgan, when exchanged, to play his decisive roles at Saratoga and Cowpens.

Morgan's ability to lead riflemen and read the battlefield was crucial to Gate's success at Saratoga (which led to French recognition, support and the resources to chance complete independence). Morgan's later brilliance at Cowpens, site of the famed double envelopment of Tarleton's British Legion, led to the series of events that ended with Cornwallis being pinned against the James at Yorktown. Cowpens, arguably the most decisive American victory of the war, was brilliant. Morgan, as the American commander, threaded strategic understanding, leadership (he had to persuade bayonetless American militia that they had a crucial role to fulfill in the battle and would be allowed to retire once fulfilling it), battlefield planning and tactical control to produce a victory that is rightly studied to this day.

A character, Morgan is one of the men who made the Revolution a success. This highly readable account develops the man, his character and his military personae in introducing the modern reader to a historic figure who needs to be more widely appreciated for his great effect on the success of our founding.

Daniel Morgan, barring Benedict Arnold and Washington himself, was the most important U.S. officer of the Revolution. His riflemen were crucial in the victories at Saratoga, Bemis Heights, and Cowpens, and very nearly won at Quebec. This biography of Morgan details his life from his beginnings as a wagoner to his death in 1802 at his mansion, "Saratoga." Don Higgenbotham's work is readable and never boring, and countless primary sources are cited.

Higginbotham does a credible job of revealing Morgan's personality, character and genius as a military leader, particularly since there is little if anything known about Morgan before he appears in Winschester VA at the age of 18. The book reads fairly easily and describes the elements of the Revolution's Southern Campaign in which Morgan participated, but Higganbotham seems to have a penchant for defending Horatio Gates in a positive light I have not seen before. He seems to gloss over most of Gates's personality flaws and military errors to render him more effective than he probably was. This treatment of Gates raises the issue that face many biographers; i.e. they take a liking (or disliking)to a character and sometimes use literary license to make their points. This is the first biography I've read on Daniel Morgan, who is portrayed as a classic American hero, rising from nowhere to have a major impact on history. My interpretation of Higginbotham's characterization has me believing that without Morgan the Revolution may have been lost because Morgan's victory at the Cowpens effectively set the stage for Nathaneal Greene to later drive Cornwallis from South Carolina to Yorktown where Washington and the French conducted the final battle of the war. Stuff I love to read and talk about: unheralded heroes and certainly Morgan appears to be one of the most important in America's fight for freedom. But I have to wonder whether Higginbotham has skewed the facts about Morgan as he seemed to do with Gates. I hope not.

I haven't read this book as yet, but I do have it on order. I'm writing this just to take issue with Kevin Kiley's review. I agree that the regulars were the mainstay but to imply that the militia was of no value by taking one quote from Washington referring to them as a broken reed is a great injustice.

It was Washington himself who revised his early opinion of the militia after taking Boston by declaring that the army at Boston was of great value. Now if you consider the time period, the army of seige around Boston was almost entirely made up of militia. The Continental Congress had only recently recognized that army and appointed Washington as the commander in chief. It wasn't until Washington had been up there for a while and after a letter writing campaign to get funding that Washington even had a "war chest" (money) with which to go out and enlist regulars. The folks at "Breed's" Hill (Bunker) were mostly militia. The people who first lay seige to Boston after following Pitcairn back from Concord and Lexington were militia mixed with civilians.

The battle of the cowpens was only one of a series of battles conducted in the Carolinas with the purpose of keeping Cornwalis out of Virginia and keeping his forces from joining up with Clinton's. If it wasn't for the militia there wouldn't have been much of a force after Gage almost lost his entire command at Camden.

Again, the regulars were the mainstay but I don't believe the outcome of the war would have been the same without the militia.

One can hardly pick up a book that has anything to do with the Revolutionary War without reading something ranging from a tidbit to several chapters on General Daniel Morgan. The significance Morgan played in the war for American independence cannot be overstated. And yet, only two biographies have been published on this heroic figure that played such an integral part in American history. This book DANIEL MORGAN: REVOLUTIONARY RIFLEMAN, by Don Higginbotham, being one of them.

It borders on travesty that General Morgan is a virtual unknown in American society and certainly unknown among anyone lacking basic knowledge of American history. Higginbotham accurately portrays Morgan as a man among men; a portrait of the rugged individualism that characterized so many of our founding generation.

Morgan, perhaps as much as Washington himself, I believe, had as much to do with winning the war for independence as any single individual. Many might disagree with that statement, but consider the outcome if Cornwallis' southern campaign had been successful. Consider the consequences if the southern revolutionary army had been annihilated. It is more than likely that there would have been a different outcome at Yorktown had it not been for the commanding leadership and battle tactics of the "Old Wagoner". It can certainly be argued that Morgan's actions at Cowpens, where he soundly gave Tarleton's light infantry a `Devil of a Whoopin', turned the tide in the south. And though he missed action at Guilford Courthouse due to illness, his same battle tactics were employed with success.

This is not one of the best books you will ever read, but considering the lack of choices on Morgan, this is a must read for knowledge on the General's life and accomplishments. Perhaps in the near future, one of today's acclaimed historians will render an updated version, but until then, put Higginbotham's book on your reading list. The book is brief, but concise, and will lend a candid look at a somewhat forgotten, and often overlooked American hero.

Monty Rainey
[...]

Daniel Morgan's early years are shrouded in mystery. After his death he was too soon forgotten. Perhaps the one person who had the most influence on the war, Morgans deeds need to be remembered. This book follows Morgan from his troubled young man years to Saratoga, from New Jersey to Cowpens and on in to the latter stages of his life.

This book is filled with humor, strategy, patriotism and survival. Easy to read and follow through history this book is a must read for anyone interested in the revolutionary war and its leaders.

A great read. Could have been titled The Wagon Master. It was the efforts of troops led by people like Morgan that held off the British long enough for Greene to 'succeed' and for the French fleet to arrive.

Daniel Morgan is one of the most interesting personalities of the American Revolution. He did not, as the author seems to believe, however, win the war single handed. He did, though, fight and win the only battle of annihilation at cowpens in January 1781, executing a double envelopment of a British force of equal strength possessing more reliable troops, regulars, than he did. In this victory, though, he was ably assisted by some of the best combat officers in either army, John Eager Howard, and William Washington, cousin of the commmander-in-chief.

This biography is helpful, informative, but not definitive. The underlying premise, which is more pronounced in the author's other work on the Revolution, is that the militia contributed more to the winning of the revolution that they are given credit for. This is incorrect. the militia was, as Washington stated, a broken reed. The American Regulars, the Continentals, were the mainstay of the military effort. They stayed and fought, and sometimes lost, after the militia had taken 'French leave' (left early or gone AWOL).

Still, Morgan deserves his due, which he certainly gets in this volume, and then some. One of the better American commanders, he ranks with John Stark, Nathaniel Greene, Otho Holland Williams, and Baron de Kalb as one of the best battlefield commanders of the war, and a superb leader of men.

This book is recommended.

Daniel Morgan Revolutionary Riflemen by Don Higginbotham is a great read. The book moves fast and quickly develops Daniel Morgan. His fire and quick thinking made him a great leader of men His men would follow him into the jaws of death. His battle plan at the battle of Cowpens made him a great tactician and military genius. We needed more heros like Daniel Morgan. If you enjoy reading about great men who step up in time of need then read this book.

I bought this book for a Revolutionary War history buff. He liked it. A little bit too detailed for the average reader. Beautiful condition promptly delivered.