"I never saw such fighting since God made me. The Americans fought like demons"-Lt. General Charles, Earl Cornwallis
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.
The British advanced and engaged the first American line of defense composed of riflemen, militia and dragoons. Forcing their way past the second line of Virginia militia they encountered Continental Line troops- the backbone of the Army.
It was Brigade of Guards who pushed their way across the open field to hit the troops of the 2nd Maryland Regiment. These raw recruits from Maryland, recently arrived to North Carolina, retreated in disorder in the face of the onslaught. This victory was only momentary for the English; the 3rd Continental Dragoons, under William Washington, galloped across the rear of the Brigade of Guards, cutting down many. A further insult to the elite Guards unit, the 1st Maryland Regiment charged into them from the opposite end. The 1st Maryland (the Old Line) was a seasoned unit, having served honorably since the first battles of the Revolution in 1776. These tough veterans, though woefully supplied, wreaked havoc among the Brigade of Guards. It was at this moment that Lord Cornwallis, observing from the rear, saw how he may lose this battle. He then called for his artillery to fire grapeshot into the melee, striking both Continental and Crown forces. Shortly afterwards the Continental Army was in full retreat, ceding the field to the Lord Cornwallis and his army. While the battle was technically won by the British, Cornwallis’s losses were so great that it was said that “ with a few more victories such as this, and we will surely lose this war.”
"I never saw such fighting since God made me.
The Americans fought like demons"-Lt. General Charles, Earl Cornwallis
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.
The British advanced and engaged the first American line of defense composed of riflemen, militia and dragoons. Forcing their way past the second line of Virginia militia they encountered Continental Line troops- the backbone of the Army.
It was Brigade of Guards who pushed their way across the open field to hit the troops of the 2nd Maryland Regiment. These raw recruits from Maryland, recently arrived to North Carolina, retreated in disorder in the face of the onslaught.
This victory was only momentary for the English; the 3rd Continental Dragoons, under William Washington, galloped across the rear of the Brigade of Guards, cutting down many. A further insult to the elite Guards unit, the 1st Maryland Regiment charged into them from the opposite end. The 1st Maryland (the Old Line) was a seasoned unit, having served honorably since the first battles of the Revolution in 1776. These tough veterans, though woefully supplied, wreaked havoc among the Brigade of Guards. It was at this moment that Lord Cornwallis, observing from the rear, saw how he may lose this battle. He then called for his artillery to fire grapeshot into the melee, striking both Continental and Crown forces.
Shortly afterwards the Continental Army was in full retreat, ceding the field to the Lord Cornwallis and his army. While the battle was technically won by the British, Cornwallis’s losses were so great that it was said that “ with a few more victories such as this, and we will surely lose this war.”