Question: What historic battlefield was covered after the Cowan’s Ford Dam was built?
Answer: The original site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Cowan’s Ford was covered by the dammed Catawba River’s waters after Cowan’s Ford Dam was built. At Cowan’s Ford on Feb. 1, 1781, during Gen. Nathanael Greene’s retreat in the Southern Campaign, Gen. William Lee Davidson attempted to slow Cornwallis’ crossing of the Catawba River. Davidson was killed, his forces routed, and the British secured the ford—forcing Greene to withdraw toward the Dan River.
