Battle of Guilford Court House

1781 CE.

Shown on the map at 36.132°, -79.844°.

The Battle of Guilford Court House was fought on 15 March 1781 during the American Revolutionary War, near Greensboro, North Carolina. A 2,100-man British force under the command of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis defeated Major General Nathanael Greene's 4,500 Americans. The British Army suffered considerable casualties, with estimates as high as 27% of their total force. The battle was "the largest and most hotly contested action" in the American Revolution's southern theater. Before the battle, the British had great success in regaining control of Georgia and South Carolina with the aid of strong Loyalist factions and thought that North Carolina might be within their grasp. The British were in the process of heavy, but unsuccessful recruitment in North Carolina when this battle put an end to their recruiting drive. The battle is commemorated at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and associated Hoskins House Historic District. In the wake of the battle, Greene moved into South Carolina. Cornwallis moved his army to Wilmington to rest and resupply.

Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Guilford Court House, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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