Battle+of+Guilford+Court+House

=**Battle of Guilford Courthouse** =

Nathanael Greene **-** Major General Nathanael Greene was the commander of the American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House. Nathanael Greene was born in [|Rhode Island] in 1742 to [|Quaker] parents. His did not receive a formal education, but still showed his excellence as a student. He found joy is reading Greek and Roman classics and math as a child. Growing up, his family business (iron forging for ships) became his early career. At the beginning of the [|American Revolution] in 1775, Greene helped form a militia which he named the “[|Kentish Guards]". Greene then joined himself as a private. Years later following the disastrous [|Battle of Camden], South Carolina, in August 1780, Congress asked Washington to suggest a replacement commander for the Southern Department in which Greene was the first choice, and was appointed to command in October thus starting his Career as an Army commander.
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Lord Charles Cornwallis **-** Lt. General Charles Earl Cornwallis was the commander of the British forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House. Cornwallis was born in 1738 into an old and distinguished English family and was enrolled into a [|military school] named "[|Turin]", in Italy at age seventeen. Soon after, he was appointed into a Brigade of [|Foot Guards] and was stationed at the famous [|Battle of Minden] 1759 during the [|Seven Years War]. Cornwallis was soon promoted to captain of the 85th Regiment of Foot. He was elected for the first time to the British Parliament in 1760 and started his career in the military.

//"I never saw such fighting since God made me. The Americans fought like demons"//

-Lt. General Charles, Earl Cornwallis
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Pre-Battle Background- Two years after campaigning in South and North Carolina**,** Cornwallis sent his army in pursuit of Greene and his army with the hopes of defeating the Americans before they invaded Virginia. After Cornwallis caught up to Greene's army, they stopped in Guilford to have the Battle of Guilford Court House. Soon after arrival at Guilford, Greene formed his army up at the Courthouse to lead them into battle fatigued and hungry on March 15th, 1781

The Battle- The Battle of Guilford Court House was the largest, most heated battle of the Revolutionary War's [|Southern Campaign]. It was fought at the small [|North Carolina] wilderness village of Guilford Courthouse. Unlike most battles in this war, the Americans had the edge in Battle of Guilford Court House. With around 1,900 British troops against almost 4,400 Americans, the British under command of [|Lt. General Charles Cornwallis] had quite the battle in store for them.

Setting the scene, on the morning of the battle British troops marched up a road through thick forest into an open area around 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 reached all the way into the woods on the other side. A first line at the clearing was set with [|Washington]'s men, and three hundred and fifty yards back in the woods was a second line of men under the control of [|Major General Nathanael Greene]. The last line was set even further back into the woods for support. American troops were commanded to open fire on the British as their front line peeked through the first clearing. Lt. Cornwallis formed his line carefully, putting his more talented [|riflemen] to the thicker side of the forest and layering a strong backup safety net of [|cavalry] behind the third line just in case. The British line advanced across the cleared area under heavy fire, and took heavy damage. The [|American muskets] held strong as the British soldiers charged and the [|militia]. During the charge however, the British still withheld to heavy fire from the backup American lines through the woods. After regrouping, The British line attacked the second line Americans who had been previously reinforced by Washington's militia. After withstanding a barrage from the British, the American's retreated to the third line.

After continuously pushing his lines forward and forward, Cornwallis's attack had finally been weakened too much. With substantial injuries to many of his men, the loss of two of his commanders, no supplies and no reinforcements, a heavy rain began and there marked the British surrender to American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House. British casualties included a total of 550 dead and wounded. The Foot Guards had lost 11 of 19 officers and 200 of 450 soldiers alone. Due to superior [|American war tactics] and leadership, the American casualties stayed much lower at 250.


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 * [[image:http://www.guthriegenealogy.com/Guilford_Courthouse.JPG width="400" height="287" caption="Diagram of American and British forces"]] || [[image:http://www.britishbattles.com/images/guilford/map-feb-05.jpg width="320" height="446" caption="Map of the battle area"]] ||