Banastre Tarleton

Overview

Banastre Tarleton (1754-1833) was a British army officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. Tarleton is best known for being a skilled cavalry commander who employed aggressive battle tactics. In addition to his highly successful military career, he lived as a country gentleman pursuing politics and horse breeding.

Here’s an overview of his life and accomplishments:

Early Life and Career:

Tarleton was born into a wealthy family in Liverpool, England in 1754. He was educated at Oxford University but left without obtaining a degree to pursue a career in the military. In 1775, he joined the British army as a cornet (a junior officer) in the 1st Dragoon Guards.

American Revolutionary War:

Tarleton is most well-known for his role in the American Revolutionary War. He was a skilled and aggressive cavalry commander, known for his “Tarleton’s Quarter” policy of showing no mercy to enemy combatants. He played a significant role in several major battles, including the Battle of Cowpens in 1781, where he led a British force against a larger American army.

After surrendering during the British defeat at Yorktown in 1781, Tarleton returned to England and continued to serve in the military.

Napoleonic Wars:

In 1794, Tarleton was elected to Parliament as a member for Liverpool. However, he continued to serve in the military during the Napoleonic Wars, fighting in the campaigns in the Netherlands and Egypt. In 1801, he was promoted to Major-General and appointed as the Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Later Life:

Tarleton retired from the military in 1815 and returned to politics. He was created a baronet in 1818 and served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies until his retirement from politics in 1830.

Tarleton was also a prominent breeder of racehorses and a member of the Jockey Club. He died in 1833 at the age of 79 and is buried in the family vault in Liverpool.

Biography

Bass, Robert D. The Green Dragon The Lives of Banastre Tarleton and Mary Robinson. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1957.

Knight, John. War at Saber Point: Banastre Tarleton and the British Legion. Yardley, PA: Westholme Publishing, 2020.

For a review of John Knight’s book, see War at Saber Point.

Tarleton, Banastre. A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America. Dublin: Colles, Exshaw, White, H. Whitestone, Burton, Bryne, Moore, Jones and Dornin, 1787.