Modern-day dragoons battle 'death poles'

Don Lyons demonstrates saber techniques used by cavalry during the American Revolutionary War at Cowpens National Battlefield on Saturday. The cabbage on a post represents an infantryman target in a training exercise used by horsemen of the day. As America paused to honor its heroes on Veterans Day, visitors to Cowpens National Battlefield (CNB) were given a rare demonstration of cavalry techniques used by American heroes two centuries ago.

"The volunteers who are here today are all from this local area," said Virginia Fowler, chief ranger at CNB. "They're representing the Third Continental Light Dragoons - a mounted division that fought at the Battle of Cowpens."

A performance area was set up on the dirt and gravel pathway that was the old Highway 11 that runs through the park. Three poles with metal rings hanging on them and three posts with cabbages set atop were lined up across a field of high grass.

"Those posts down there with the cabbages on them are called death poles," said Ron Crawley, a Dragoon from Inman. "The cavalry of the day was used to making charges against infantrymen, so that post represents a man - and that cabbage is his head."

Accompanied by Don Lyons from Tryon, N.C., Crawley prepared for several charges at the death poles.

"Don and I are going to demonstrate for you how the cavalry would have attacked those men on foot," Crawley said. "I'm carrying a more traditional sword while Don is equipped with the curved saber. As light cavalry, we don't have any rifles. Don has a screw barrel pistol, so called because you actually unscrew the barrel to load it, and I'm carrying two muzzleloading weapons. One is a French pistol and the other just a smaller version of musket. However these pistol didn't have much range. They were for shooting them right in the gut. Most cavalry still preferred to use their blades. As Washington was fond of saying, the saber never has to be reloaded."

Crawley and Lyons set about making some fine coleslaw with their swords, as they demonstrated both front and back-slashing techniques. "Notice that Don's saber,

with it's curved blade, makes it a little easier for him to hit the targets," Crawley explained.

Later, the two demonstrated cavalry versus cavalry engagements as they charged the poles with rings on them.

"This ring is set about the same height as a man on horseback would be," Crawley explained. "These two drills are really how the

cavalry of the day trained to keep their weapons on target."

Both men then discussed the horses used in the day, their own animals and costuming looking resplendent in a late autumn sun.

"Cowpens was a very quick battle," Fowler concluded. "It only lasted about 30 minutes, but it was very important in the struggle for American independence."