Page 72 - ASM Book 9/2020

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Battle of Guilford Courthouse
British Victory Came at a Very High Price
“Another such victory would ruin the
British army.”
- Charles James Fox, British Statesman
Under General Charles Cornwallis’ command, the British defeated the Americans at Guilford Courthouse after American General Nathanael Greene ordered his troops to retreat. The victory came at a cost of almost 25 percent of Cornwallis’ army. More than 550 were killed, wounded or captured on March 15.
At one point during the battle, Cornwallis became so desperate that he ordered his cannons to be fired that were too close to his own lines, and a good number of his own men were killed and wounded.
Knowing they had dealt the British army a harsh blow,
General Greene retreated to prevent more deaths and harm to his men. He wanted to save them for another day. American casualties totaled 78 killed and 183 wounded; records are not available on how many were captured.
Not only did the loss of so many soldiers weaken Cornwallis’ army, but they were also low on supplies and would be unable to get new troops. He was a long way from Wilmington, North Carolina, where supplies and soldiers were available.
After the battle, Cornwallis began to move his army into Virginia. The Americans followed and harassed the British as they eventually marched to Yorktown, Virginia, where Cornwallis’ army would surrender and end the war seven months later.
B Tide of War Turned for the Americans
ritish troops had some success after moving the focus of the war to the southern colonies. However, beginning with the Battle of Kings Mountain everything changed. The decisive victory
over British Major Patrick Ferguson’s loyalist regiment on Kings Mountain, followed by Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse altered the course of the war in America’s favor.