General Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB (21 August 1754 - 16 January 1833) was a British soldier and politician. His reputation for ruthlessness and his involvement in the Waxhaw Massacre earned him the nickname "Bloody Ban" and "Butcher" amongst American revolutionaries. The British and American loyalists hailed him as an outstanding leader of light cavalry.