Sons of the American Revolution commemorate the Battle of Guilford Courthouse

On March 13, 2021, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter, Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) joined 242 participants for a virtual commemoration of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

On March 15, 1781, the largest battle of the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War was fought in North Carolina at the Guilford Courthouse. Major General Nathanael Greene’s army of almost 4,500 American militia and Continentals was tactically defeated by Lord Charles Cornwallis’ British army of about 1,900 regulars and German allies. The Americans had defeated the British at Kings Mountain and Cowpens, which led to the British chasing the Americans across North Carolina and into Virginia. Exhausted after chasing Greene’s army for two months, Cornwallis retired his Army to Hillsborough, North Carolina.

On March 15, the two armies met at the Guilford Courthouse. Cornwallis’ army suffered 27% casualties, but did force the Americans from the field. This gave the tactical advantage and victory to the British. However, they were weakened sufficiently that further pursuit of Greene’s Army would be fruitless. Cornwallis led his army to the North Carolina coast for resupply and then marched north tidewater area of Virginia. With the departure from the Carolina’s by Cornwallis, Greene marched to South Carolina and through battles at Hobkirk’s Hill, Camden and Eutaw Springs, he pushed the the remaining British back into Charleston, which ultimately ended the Southern Campaign.

This event was conducted by the SAR in North Carolina with participants from the SAR, DAR and C.A.R. from 14 States as well as the Organization of Founders and Patriots presenting wreaths. Attending from the Colonel James Wood II Chapter were compatriots Paul Christensen, Dale Corey (presenting a wreath), Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Kelly Ford, Erick Moore, Marc Robinson, Jim Simmons and dual members Charles Jameson, Bill Schwetke and Mike Weyler.