The Real Story of the American Revolution
Sponsored by the Sons of the American Revolution

THE WAR IN NORTH CAROLINA 

THE BATTLE OF GUILFORD COURT HOUSE, March 15, 1781

Main Battle Page

After the victory at Cowpens, Morgan did not rest on his laurels. Cornwallis' much greater army was nearby and poised to cut off Morgan's retreat in the event of the expected British victory. Now, he was ready to attack Morgan's force, victorious, but weakened by the battle. Between Morgan and Greene were four rivers, the Broad, the Catawba, Lynch's Creek and the Pee Dee. Cornwallis marched north to attack Morgan, but Morgan took the road to Ramsour's Mills, -northeastward, and passed that crossroads on January 23, having crossed the Broad and the Catawba Rivers and putting them between his troops and the pursuing British. Morgan had covered one hundred miles in less than five days, crossing two rivers in the journey under very difficult conditions. In an effort to catch the fast moving Americans, Cornwallis made a momentous decision. He spent two days destroying most of his baggage, wagons, tents and surplus provisions. At that time, seeing the supplies destroyed, many Hessian troops and some British soldiers deserted, perhaps as many as 250. The decision of Cornwallis to lighten his baggage in an effort to catch the enemy, was a magnificent gesture, but in the end it proved to be "vain and useless and finally fatal" to Cornwallis and his army. On January 25, General Greene, encamped at Cheraw, received news of the victory at Cowpens, took measures to assist Morgan and prepared to move his forces with Morgan's across the Dan River into Virginia, where American reinforcements in large numbers were expected. He ordered boats to be assembled on the Dan River at the boundary between North Carolina and Virginia. Greene then rode with a small detachment the one hundred twenty-five miles to confer with Morgan at his camp on the Catawba. When Greene learned that Cornwallis had destroyed most of his supplies and equipment, he conceived a plan to lead Cornwallis north, farther and farther from his supply bases on the coast, while drawing nearer and nearer to his own in Virginia and the North. Morgan opposed the plan as dangerous, but Greene decided on it and overruled Morgan's objections. Thereafter followed the famous Retreat to the Dan, "one of the most memorable in the annals of war." Only about 2,000 in the American Army and less than 3,000 British were engaged, but its consequences were great and it led, finally, to entrapment of the British army at Yorktown. The American forces reached the Dan River first and safely crossed, thanks to the prudent advance preparations made. The rear guard, "Light Horse Harry" Lee's cavalry, reached the boats at the river and safely crossed just before the advancing British troops arrived. The river was too high to cross without boats and every boat was on the farther shore in the hands of the Americans. Greene had won the race. When Greene crossed into Virginia, it left the British forces in complete domination of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, including the only major ports: Charleston and Savannah. Cornwallis issued a proclamation calling all citizens to join him "with their weapons and ten days provisions." But wars are not fought nor victories won by stationary armies and stable conditions. Although the expected reinforcements from Virginia drifted slowly to the American army, Greene decided to return to North Carolina and give the forces of Cornwallis the battle they had been seeking. Six weeks before, on his way north, Greene had passed through the area where he now determined to make his stand. On April 14, he went into camp near Guilford Court House. Today, the battlefield, a National Military Park, lies just north of the City of Greensboro, North Carolina. On the day of encampment, Greene's forces consisted of 4,400 men, many of them never before battle tested and many of the militia unreliable. But it was as large an army as was ever assembled in the South up to that time and it greatly outnumbered Cornwallis' army, probably about 1,900. When Greene marched to Guilford, Cornwallis was encamped at New Garden, about twelve miles southwest and Greene's move was a challenge which Cornwallis could neither ignore nor refuse. In fact, it gave him the opportunity he had been seeking for two months. And scarcity of supplies (due in large part to his own destruction of them) now compelled him either to fight or retreat toward the seacoast. As between those alternatives, Lord Cornwallis, an honorable, brave and courageous soldier who never fled a good fight, did not hesitate. Greene sent Lee's legion with a detachment of riflemen toward the British encampment at New Garden. Three or four miles from Guilford, Lee met Tarleton leading the oncoming British forces. A hot skirmish followed before Lee "retired precipitately" to notify Greene of the oncoming Redcoats. Not long before, Daniel Morgan, from his home in Virginia, a casualty of arthritis and rheumatism, had written to Greene with wise advice about the American militia, "If they fight, you beat Cornwallis. If not, he will beat you." He advised flanking the lines of militia with riflemen under good officers. "Put the . . . militia in the center with some fixed troops in their rear to shoot down the first man that runs." Greene followed Morgan's advice. He fixed his lines in front of the Court House, perched upon high ground, with a split rail fence in front, woods on the flanks and an open field of five hundred yards which the British would have to cross to reach the line behind the fence. His artillery centered on the road to the Court House. 'The cavalry of Lee and Washington was placed on either flank of the forward line with the Virginia and Maryland Continental troops on high ground in the rear. Greene followed Morgan's example in dealing with the militia and walked along the lines asking as Morgan had done before Cowpens for two volleys before they retired. "Two rounds, my boys, and then you may fall back." About half past one, the battle began with the advance of the British center into the clearing, fifes playing and drums beating. After they had crossed more than two-thirds of the open field, the first volley of 1,000 rifles spoke and gaps appeared in the advancing scarlet line, but it came steadily forward. Within one hundred yards of the rail fence, the line halted, delivered a volley and bravely charged forward, but it halted again some fifty yards from the fence because, wrote Sergeant Lamb of the Welch Fusiliers, it was seen that the American forces had their arms resting on a rail fence, aiming with nice precision. As the troops watched each other, face to face, Colonel Webster of the Fusiliers, rode forward and shouted, "Come on, my brave Fusiliers." They rushed forward and into the teeth of the enemy's fire with dreadful havoc on both sides. The North Carolina militia had now delivered their two fires as ordered. There was no time to reload, even if they tried and without a moment's hesitation, they turned and ran back through the woods, and the second line, to safety. They had done what they had been asked to do and they had the commander's permission to leave the field. The British were now up to the second fence with no opponent visible, but there was a steady fire upon both their flanks, so they wheeled to the left and right to meet the challenge, the Grenadiers and the 2nd battalion of Guards assuming the position in the center. Cornwallis held the field. He had a victory, but he had paid a price. Of 1,900 men who went into battle on the British side, more than a fourth were casualties, 93 dead and 439 wounded. The clear ground was behind and the fighting now was from tree to tree, hand to hand, with much heroism on both sides. There was cavalry attack and counter attack; the troops became mixed together and Cornwallis finally ordered the artillery to fire grape shot into the melee of British and American troops, forcing the Americans to withdraw and allowing the British a chance to re-form. At the end, a general retreat took place by the Americans, "but it was conducted with order and regularity" wrote Stedman, an English historian who was in the battle. [*??? MISSING *] heavy casualties among the officers. Not counting the militia who ran clear away and were reported "missing," Greene's casualties were 78 killed and 183 wounded. In this battle, on both sides, the most admirable military qualities were displayed. All gave proof of a high degree of valor and steadfastness. On the whole, however, the laurels for military achievement must be awarded to the British. Starting hungry, they marched twelve hard miles and immediately went into battle against an enemy of greater numbers (disregarding the North Carolina militia there were more than 3,000 Americans against 1,900 British) who had been refreshed by a night's sleep and breakfast. That enemy force was so posted as to have every advantage of its skill in woodcraft and marksmanship and the superiority of the rifle over the musket. But the British faltered not at all in advancing across a quarter-mile of open ground against two rifle volleys precisely aimed. When the 33rd and the Guards were shattered, the Guards, indeed, torn to pieces, they rallied, re-formed, and attacked with no less vigor for their punishment. Fortescue, the historian of the British army, surveying its whole history from Crecy and Agincourt to the middle of the nineteenth century, says, "Never, perhaps, has the prowess of the British soldier been seen to greater advantage than in this obstinate and bloody combat." The merits and achievements of the Americans in this battle are enhanced, in the judgment of history, in proportion to the military ability of those opponents. BIBLIOGRAPHY This sketch was made from The War of the Revolution (2 Vols), by Christopher Ward (MacMillan Co., New York, 1952). References and quotations may be found therein.

Top of Page