Guilford Courthouse: Nathanael Greene’s Victory in Defeat, March 15, 1781

In March of 1781, Nathaniel Greene’s militia and cavalry withstood a punishing frontal assault by Cornwallis at Guilford Courthouse deep in North Carolina territory. Although the British won the battle, fought on March 15, 1781, it left the British so weak that the Americans’ road to victory at Yorktown began there. Da Capo’s new Battleground America series offers a unique approach to the battles and battlefields of America. Each book in the series highlights a small American battlefield-sometimes a small portion of a much larger battlefield-and tells the story of the brave soldiers who fought there. Using soldiers’ memoirs, letters and diaries, as well as contemporary illustrations, the human ordeal of battle comes to life on the page. All of the units, important individuals, and actions of each engagement on the battlefield are described in a clear and concise narrative. Detailed maps complement the text and illustrate small unit action at each stage of the battle. Then-and-now photographs tie the dramatic events of the past to the modern battlefield site and highlight the importance of terrain in battle. The present-day historical site of the battle is described in detail with suggestions for touring.