In the winter of 1780, General Daniel Morgan moved a veteran force of American Continentals and militia into the area west of the Broad River in what are now Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. To counter this threat, British commander Lord Cornwallis sent Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton to track down and attack Morgan. On the morning of January 17, 1781, Morgan made a stand against Tarleton at Cowpens. The battle ended in a complete Patriot victory and became one of the most significant events in American history. During the American Revolution, the Upcountry of South Carolina played a significant role in the war's final outcome.