Boosh Hall of Fame: General Sir Banastre Tarleton

We've all seen the movie "The Patriot" starring household name and raging anti-semite Mel Gibson. I trust you all remember the ominous antagonist Col. Tavington of the Dragoon Calvary yes? Well, splendid, because that murderous vagabond is actually based on a real person. Colonial era badass Banastre Tarleton and his myrmidons, known as Tarelton's Raiders, are legend in the American Revolution for completely disregarding all orders of civility and grace by slaughtering everything from South Carolina to New Jersey. Banastre had a particular method of ruthlessness that included taking over farms, killing the men, raping and killing the women, taking the children telling them bedtime stories and killing them, and taking the slaves, making them work, telling them they are then free, watching them walk away, then killing them. Revolutionary lore has it that Banastre would test the sharpness of his sword on entire towns near Charleston. On May 29, 1780, Tarleton, with a force of 150 mounted soldiers, overtook a detachment of 350 to 380 Virginia Continentals led by Abraham Buford. Buford refused to surrender or even to stop his march. Only after sustaining heavy casualties did Buford order the surrender. What happened next is cause of heated debate. According to American accounts, Tarleton ignored the white flag and mercilessly massacred Buford's men one by one.In the end, 113 Americans were killed and another 203 captured, 150 of whom were so badly wounded that they had to be left behind. Tarleton's casualties were 5 killed and 12 wounded. The British called the affair the Battle of Waxhaw Creek, while the Americans knew it as the Buford Massacre or the Waxhaw Massacre.

Not only was Banastre a marauding slayer of the innocent, he was a massive playa as well. He seduced and married actress Mary Robison, the 18th Century Angelina Jolie, on a bet!!! Despite her wishes they had no children. After he was bored he married Susan Bertie, the illegitimate daughter of the 4th Duke of Ancaster, for the money....and nothing else. His brothers, Clayton and Thomas, ran one of the largest Slave Trading Companies in all of Britain. In vehement support of his kin, Banastre was know for his particularly wry and inappropriate sense of humor towards abolishonists, often mocking them for their beliefs before slitting their throats while simultaneously forcing slaves to perform "womanly duties" on him in front of his dying victims. "The last thing those fairy abolishonists will see as they bleed out are the slaves they tried to save servicing my British hog!", proclaimed Banastre.

One insanely BOOSH moment in his life was portrayed in the film where he locked and entire town in a Church and burned it to the ground. His reasoning, to avoid tarnishing his new uniform. BOOSH!!!!!

His demise was equally fantastic. During the Battle of Cowpens, Banastre's forces were on the verge of complete annihilation by Daniel Morgan and the Colonial Regulars. In one of histories greatest booshes, Banastre told his remaining Dragoons to assault the left flank of the Colonials saying they were weakest there. As his men charged forward he slowly drifted to the back, and when out of sight, turned and high-tailed it out of there as his men hit the strongest flank of the Colonial advance. He returned to England a hero, living in luxury. Our hats are off to you, you master of BOOSH. History will hold you in high regards Banastre Tarleton!