Minuteman Minute | The North Carolina Militia at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse

Although an American defeat, the Battle of Guildford Courthouse proved to be too costly for the British to remain in North Carolina.

Hi, I’m Will Roulett, director of the National Guard Memorial Museum here in D.C., and this is your Minuteman Minute! On March 15, 1781, British Gen. Cornwallis attacked Americans serving under Nathaniel Greene at Guilford Courthouse, near modern-day Greensboro, North Carolina. Greene commanded Continental Army regiments and militia from North Carolina and Virginia. He had little confidence in militia but learned from Daniel Morgan’s success at the Battle of Cowpens. He deployed his force in three lines: North Carolina Militia, then Virginia Militia, and finally, Continentals. The North Carolina Militia formed along a fence, opened fire when the enemy was about 50 yards away. Some poured devastating fire on the British, but others fled after their first shot. The other two lines, being more experienced and better trained, fared well. Cornwallis paid dearly for a victory that left him far from supplies and reinforcements. So, he joined British forces in Virginia, where he would surrender later in 1781, in Yorktown. In the Carolinas, Americans continued to, in the words of Nathaniel Greene, “…fight, get beat, rise and fight again.” Come learn about this – and a whole lot more – at the National Guard Memorial Museum. I’m Will Roulett, and that’s been your Minuteman Minute, brought to you by the National Guard Educational Foundation.