 Much of the military action is based on the battle of Cowpens. The  character of Tavington being based on Banestre Tarleton; the mixture  of militia and Continental army in the battle, knowing that the  militia had a reputation of not holding and using that to lure the  British in. The militia only firing a couple of volleys before a  planned retreat to a secondary line composed of the Continental  army. The Continental army firing and then performing a bayonet  charge. These are the basics of the battle of Cowpens and the basics  of the military action at the end of the movie.