Battle of Guilford Court House

The advance guard met near the Quaker New Garden Meeting House. Banastre Tarleton's Light Dragoons were briefly engaged by Light Horse Harry Lee's Dragoons about 4 miles (6 km) from the Guilford Court House. The British 23rd Regiment of Foot sent reinforcements forward and Lee withdrew, ordering a retreat to Greene's main body.

Cornwallis found the Americans in position on rising ground about one and a half miles (2.5 km) from the court house. He was unable to gain much information from his prisoners or the local residents as to the American disposition. To his front he saw a plantation with a large field straddling both sides of the road, with two more further over on the left separated by 200 yards or so of woodland. To his right beyond the fields the woodland extended for several miles. On the far side of the first field was a fenced wood, 1 mile (1.6 km) in depth, through which the road passed into an extensive cleared area around the court house. Along the edge of this woodland was a fence forming the American first line of defense and a 6-pound cannon on each side of the road.

Greene had prepared his defense in three lines. North Carolina militia formed the first line, with backwoods riflemen on the left and right flanks to snipe advancing British. In the second line, he placed the Virginia militia. His regulars comprised the last line. Two more 6-pound cannon were sited in the center of the line. His third and strongest line, consisting of his Virginian Regiment, Delaware infantry, and the 1st and 5th Maryland regiments was a further 400 yards further on, though placed at an angle to the west of the road. While superficially resembling the deployment successfully used by Daniel Morgan at Cowpens, the lines were hundreds of yards apart and could not support one another.

Since the east side of the road was mostly open, Cornwallis opted to attack up the west side and, following a short barrage of cannon shot on the cannon positions of the first line,...

On March 15, Greene had divided his force into 3 separate lines of infantry supported by cavalry and artillery. Each line of battle was perpendicular to the New Garden Road, which ran through Greene's lines west to east before intersecting with the road from Reedy Fork behind the Americans. Guilford Courthouse sat within a T-intersection formed by the junction of these roads.

The first line, behind a rail fence with the woods to their back, was made up of about 1,000 North Carolina militia, commanded by Brig. Gen. John Butler and Col. Thomas Eaton. In the center of the line was 2 small artillery pieces on the road. They could fire on the British while they crossed the open fields. The first line's left flank was supported by Lee's Legion and Campbell's Continentals. The right flank was supported by Lt. Col. William Washington's cavalry and Col. Charles Lynch's Riflemen.

The second line, about 350 yards behind and further east in the heavy woods, was made up of 1,200 Virginia militia with a mixture of previously discharged Continental veterans. Here, they would provide cover for the first line. The third line, another 500 yards further to the rear on a slight rise near the courthouse, was the main line of battle consisting of 1,400 Continentals from Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland on the west side of the road.

Cornwallis approached the American positions from the west along New Garden Road about midday. In his ranks were slightly less than 2,000 men. About 4 miles west of Guilford Courthouse, some of Greene's advance guard of cavalry, commanded by Lt. Col. Henry Lee, and dismounted infantry skirmished by using some harassing fire against the approaching British. A running battle eastward broke out.

At 1:00 P.M., the British crossed Little Horsepen Creek (1/2 mile beyond the creek was the American positions) and deployed for their attack. Cornwallis brought his artillery to the front to counter the American artillery fire. He then divided his army int...

After two years of the toughest of campaigning in South and North Carolina, Cornwallis pursued Greene’s army in an attempt to defeat him before launching the final and ill-fated British invasion of Virginia.
After a headlong march in which he constantly kept ahead of the British force, Greene halted to give battle at Guilford. He formed his army up at the Courthouse. Cornwallis rushed to attack him on the morning of 15th March 1781, his troops hungry and tired.

The British advanced up a road through thickly wooded country to an area cleared for grazing a half mile short of the Courthouse. Beyond this area the woods continued until the road reached the Courthouse where there was another large cleared area.

The first American line was formed across the northern edge of the first clearing and extended into the woods on each side: the North Carolina militia, Washington’s Legion, Lee’s Legion, and Campbell’s riflemen. Lee’s and Washington’s cavalry held the flanks. While there were initially two guns in this line, these were withdrawn as the battle began.

Three hundred and fifty yards further back in the woods was a second line of Virginia Militia and at a similar distance to the rear at the Courthouse was the third line of two more guns and Greene’s Continental Infantry.

On the advice of Major Morgan, Greene placed parties of riflemen behind the North Carolina militia with orders to shoot any militiaman who left his post before he had given the two discharges required of him.

The Americans opened fire as the British appeared at the edge of the first clearing. Cornwallis formed his line from the right with Bose’s Regiment and the 71st commanded by Major General Leslie and the 23rd and 33rd commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Webster of the 33rd. The second line comprised the two battalions of Foot Guards, the Light Infantry and the Grenadiers commanded by Brigadier O’Hara of the 2nd Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards. Tarleton’s Light Dragoons forme...