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After the catastrophic defeat at Charleston, the Patriot forces were on the ropes. General Clinton, commander of the British army, was so confident of the outcome, that he left his deputy, General Cornwallis, in charge and headed north.

Cornwallis planned to link up with Tory militias from North and South Carolina, to crush resistance, and to remove two more stars from the flag. (The British already controlled Georgia, at least they thought they did).

The Tory militias, backed up by some regulars, had gathered at King's Mountain right on the border between North and South Carolina. They were in a formidable position, holding the high ground. The plan was to link up with Cornwallis, finish off the rebellion, and go home as heroes. What could go wrong?

But four battles (Musgrave Mill, Cowpens, King's Mountain, and Guilford Courthouse) changed the tragectory of the war.

We have been watching the Ken Burns masterpiece on The American Revolution. This story is told in the last episode.