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Guilford Courthouse GUILFORD COURTHOUSE NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

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Guilford Courthouse GUILFORD COURTHOUSE NATIONAL MILITARY PARK * * * * * * * * Gen. Nathanael Greene Guilford Courthouse GUILFORD COURTHOUSE NATIONAL MILITARY PARK United States Department of the Interior J. A. Krug, Secretary National Park Service, Newton B. Drury, Director Here, on March 15, 1781, Cornwallis won a victory over Greene's American forces but was so weakened as a result that the British soon afterward took the road to Yorktown and final surrender The campaign which culminated in the were directed toward reinspiring his men Battle of Guilford Courthouse was itself and forcing the enemy to move. He di- a part of a larger campaign which began vided his army, sending a strong detach- at Savannah, Ga., late in December 1778 ment under Daniel Morgan to the Pied- and ended at Yorktown in October 1781. mont section of South Carolina in the Greene Monument The long term plan of the British high vicinity of the present cities of Spartan- command, which had been generally suc- burg and Greenville. The remainder he boro, now between the two American house just before the middle of February, cessful despite several minor reverses be- conducted to a position near the present commanders, was forced to act. He dis- and, continuing the retreat, crossed the tween its inauguration and the beginning town of Cheraw. Cornwallis at Wynns- patched Colonel Tarleton to drive Morgan Dan River into Virginia by means of of 1781, may be summarized as designed to the northeast, while he, himself, boats that had previously been collected. to overcome the rebellious colonies by Lord Charles Cornwallis planned to move directly northward to Cornwallis, unable to pass this river bar- the back door route. The southern colo- intercept the Americans. rier, gave up the chase and proceeded to nies were to be successively subdued from Morgan severely defeated Tarleton at Hillsboro, then the capital of North Car- the south toward the north. During 1779 the Cowpens, west of Kings Mountain, olina, where he remained for a few days to and 1780 Georgia and South Carolina and then began an immediate and precipi- rest his men, gather food, and try to rally were occupied by British arms, and North tate retreat to the northeast. Cornwallis, the Tories in that section to the royal Carolina was invaded early in the fall of with the main body of the British, delayed standard. Not having much success in the latter year, but the American victory his movement from Wynnsboro a day and any of these ventures, toward the end of at Kings Mountain in October 1780 thereby enabled Morgan to gain a slight February he marched into the country forced Lord Cornwallis to abandon his lead. Greene, receiving news from his west of Hillsboro. northward march and to return to South subordinate, set the troops under his com- Meantime, Greene rested his men in Carolina where he established headquar- mand in motion toward Virginia and, Virginia and collected supplies and rein- ters at Wynnsboro. with a few men, set out directly to join forcements. About March 1 he recrossed Morgan. For 23 days Cornwallis closely the Dan and kept almost continuously on Turn of the Tide pursued the Americans. At one point the the move until the 14th when the last of elements were against him. An overnight his expected reinforcements had joined In December 1780 the tide of fortune rise in the Yadkin River forced him to him. Then he marched directly to Guil- turned. Gen. Nathanael Greene relieved detour a considerable distance upstream ford Courthouse to offer the battle that Horatio Gates in command of the Amer- to find a ford. The two wings of the Amer- Cornwallis had so long sought. Cornwal- ican forces in the South. His first efforts ican Army reunited at Guilford Court- lis accepted the challenge. 2 3 The Battle of Guilford Courthouse the reserve as well. This was necessary as MARCH 15, 1781 the assailants were outflanked and the American line was strongest at its extrem- The Americans were drawn up in three ities. Early in the battle the American lines facing west. The first two lines center broke and through the gap the spanned the New Garden Road on which British advanced against the second line. the British were advancing, while the Here a somewhat stiffer resistance was third line was entirely to the north of the encountered because of better trained offi- road. With the exception of a few small cers and a few experienced men in the fields and clearings, the entire area was American ranks. This line in turn, how- heavily wooded. The first two lines were ever, was forced to retire, and the regulars composed largely of raw, untrained, and in the third line were then engaged. In poorly equipped militia, while the third their first -attempt on the regulars, the line was made up of two small brigades British were repulsed, but before they of regular troops. could renew the attack, Greene ordered a The British advanced from the west, general retirement from the field, and forded a creek half a mile in front of the thus conceded the victory to his adversary. American position, and formed for the as- This victory, however, was the begin- sault in line of battle, each wing provided ning of Cornwallis' downfall. He had with a small support with a general re- begun the battle with about 2,000 veteran serve established in the center. In the soldiers and in the engagement, which assault on the American first line the sup- lasted only 2 Y2 hours, he lost more than ports of both British wings were com- a quarter of the force he had engaged. mitted to the engagement and a part of This loss of men added to the natural attrition of a winter campaign through The "Liberty Oak" hostile country, a campaign which had drawn him far from his base, left Corn- wallis in dire straits. His men were ex- hausted, his food short, his ammunition low. Rest, recuperation, and refitting were essential if the British force was to survive. After the Battle of Guilford Court- house, Cornwallis conducted his men to Wilmington, N. C, where he could ob- tain supplies by ship from Charleston. Remaining at Wilmington a month, he marched thence to Southside Virginia, and several months later to Yorktown. Greene, on the contrary, was relatively unhurt at Guilford Courthouse where his adversary had been so crippled. His casu- alties were only half as many as the Brit- ish and his initial force had been 4,400. He could renew the engagement at dis- cretion, and he found that in losing a 4 The Administration Building and Museum battle he had won a campaign. North Adjoining the national military park is a Carolina was safe, the British general plan recreation park owned by the city of was broken, Cornwallis could not take Greensboro in which they are facilities the offensive, and on proceeding to Vir- for picnics, swimming, boating, and a ginia he left an active enemy in his rear. limited amount of fishing. Thus the Battle of Guilford Courthouse was the culmination of the winter cam- How to Reach the Park paign of 1780-81 in the Carolinas, and a major step on the road to the decisive Guilford Courthouse National Military victory of the American Colonies and Park lies 6 miles northwest of Greens- their Allies at Yorktown. boro, N. c., on U. S. Highway 220. The Park Administration Situated in gently rolling country, Guilford Courthouse National Military Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is administered by the National Park Park contains approximately 148 acres Service of the United States Department which embrace the major portion of the of the Interior. The administration build- battlefield and the site of the old Guilford ing, in which there is a small museum, is Courthouse and county jail. In the park located immediately adjacent to the park are a total of 29 monuments and markers, entrance and here an attendant is on duty including a fine equestrian statue of Gen. daily. All communications should be Nathanael Greene. Buried in the area are addressed to the Custodian, Guilford the remains of 7 persons prominent in the Courthouse National Military Park, history of the State of North Carolina. Greensboro, N. C. 5 GUILFORD COURTHOUSE NATIONAL MILITARY PARK •..<, """::--- , <, ---] AMERICAN" '-....... SITE OF TI-IIRD LINE ,,- --- - __ I ORIGINAL GUILFORD - - ----! COURTHOUSE 'rr=: _ CJ I ----- I I NATHANIEL GREENE MONUMENT 7 GREENSBORO COUNTRY PARK I I L. ~ AMERICAN FIRST LINE North Carolina Militia Delaware Company and Cavalry AMERICAN SECOND LINE Virginia Militia AM~RICAN TI-IIRD LINE Scale in Feet 200 400 600 800 1000 Regulars, Maryland and Virginia Drawn By R. M. Montesano NMp·GUI·7000 Ncvenber 1946.
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