Author Description

A day to day record of Banastre Tarleton in the War of Independence, utilising letters and records from the time; this book seeks to put right the wrongs that American myth and culture have perpetuated over the centuries. Tarleton was a driven man from a merchants family in Liverpool. His father the Mayor of Liverpool made a fortune, when he died Tarleton inherited a significant sum, but blew it through drinking and gambling. Tarleton attended university and was training to be a lawyer in London when he joined the army and history carved out a new path in his life. To the Americans he is 'Bloody Ban' or 'The butcher', the bogey man of the revolution; the man who gave no quarter and killed those trying to surrender. To the British he is a gung ho, brave, dashing cavalry officer who drove his men and their horses hard; obtaining shock victories and driving the rebels to despair. Like a great modern day sportsman, to the opposition fans he is a hate figure, but to his own fans he is a hero. This book has been written to re-examine the evidence and correctly portray his military service in North America. By examining records in the United States and United Kingdom archives, together with written testimony from Tarleton himself, Generals Clinton and Cornwallis and others; it shall try to determine once and for all what he did during the war. It shall look at the skirmishes and the battles, his personal military contacts and the views of his comrades and senior officers concerning this young firebrand. It will seek to decide once and for all, Banastre Tarleton's reputation was deserved or whether he really was a misunderstood and blemished British hero.