Almost a Miracle - America Wins the Revolution

The lowest point of the Revolutionary War came when Charleston fell.  In the early summer of 1780, Britain seemed to hold the upper hand.  General Cornwallis was confident that America's revolutionary endeavor would end badly for the rebels.

But ... Banastre Tarleton had made a terrible mistake at the battle of Waxhaws (in late May of 1780). Not content with a victory, his men ruthlessly killed Americans who were trying to surrender.  At least seventy-five percent were needlessly slaughtered. 

When news of Tarleton's actions at Waxhaws spread, people in the South were enraged.  This book, by John Ferling, paints the picture of an unfolding miracle as Southerners with different motives joined together. 

Scotch-Irish Presbyterians (who abhored Great Britain and its state church) combined forces with rebels (like Francis Marion) to seriously challenge Cornwallis and his forces.  Before long, the British commander was facing a different reality as the "whole country" turned into "an absolute state of rebellion."

Ferling argues that both the war's low point (the loss of Charleston in May, 1780) and its turning point (American victories in the late-summer Southern Campaign of 1780) happened in South Carolina.  

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Credits

Book cover image, courtesy Amazon.com.