Battle of Musgrove's Mill, 1780

John Buchanan is author of The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas, Jackson’s Way: Andrew Jackson and the People of the Western Waters, The Road to Valley Forge: How Washington Built the Army That Won the Revolution, and The Road to Charleston: Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution.

“Buchanan has given scholars and enthusiasts of Revolutionary military history an engaging, well-researched account of an important—is small—battle and the people who fought it.”—Journal of Southern History“The Battle of Musgrove’s Mill, 1780, by John Buchanan, is another short, well-written, and enjoyable study of an important, but often overlooked battle of the American Revolution. Musgrove’s Mill is the immediate precursor of the pivotal Battle of King’s Mountain. The battle itself was short (as little as 15 minutes, but possibly up to approximately 11/2 hours), but intense. Consequently, Buchanan’s battle narrative is likewise short, but he provides much context necessary to understanding the American Revolution as a bloody and vicious civil war in the southern colonies.”—Journal of America’s Military Past“This small book is very interesting and definitely adds to the growing body of literature forcing awareness that the Revolutionary War was more than Lexington, Concord, Valley Forge, and Yorktown. Buchanan writes well; his outstanding knowledge of the Southern Theater is demonstrated as with his prior overviews. This book is easy to read but still loaded with good, detailed information about the time, the people, and the War.”—Lawrence E. Babits, author of A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens  “A knockout study by the reigning laureate of the American Revolution’s southern campaigns. The impact of Musgrove’s Mill is unsung but mighty. Who better to write about it for us than John Buchanan?” — Andrew Waters, author of To the End of the World: Nathanael Greene, Charles Cornwallis, and the Race to the Dan   “Full of insights of the southern campaign, this book brings to light the context and significance of this largely overlooked battle and the rag-tag personages involved. Buchanan’s prose and storytelling genius make this book a delight to read for both the scholar and the general reader. A much worthy addition to a resurgence in Revolutionary War scholarship and highly recommended.”—Steven D. Smith, coauthor of Leading Like the Swamp Fox: The Leadership Lessons of Francis Marion