Guilford Courthouse National Military Park!

What Is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park?

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park preserves the battlefield where the British quite literally won the battle but lost the war!

What Makes It Historical?

In 1778, British troops had begun to realize that their plan to break the Revolution wasn’t going so well! In fact, support for independence was growing in the northern colonies, leaving Earl Cornwallis to abandon his campaigns in the North and focus on rallying loyalists in the South. The British successfully captured Georgia and South Carolina in 1780 and were ready to resume their push north from there!

Cornwallis’ opponent in this goal was General Nathanael Greene, who took a gamble and split his own troops to split up the British. After an American victory at Cowpens in South Carolina, General Greene’s troops gathered at Guilford Courthouse to await reinforcements from Virginia. Meanwhile, the Brits were in pursuit, burning equipment to speed up the chase until they found themselves far from their base, hungry, and ill equipped. That gave the reinforced rebels a chance to attack on March 14, 1781, but in the process, a number of North Carolinians panicked and abandoned their posts after a few rounds!

Though the British won the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, the American troops had actually done a ton of damage along the way! Cornwallis ordered his remaining troops back to Wilmington with a goal to skip the South and go right for the heart of Virginia. Meanwhile, General Greene turned his focus to recapturing the South. Seven months later, Greene had succeeded, and Cornwallis had surrendered at Yorktown, having wasted too many resources in the wrong battle!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
Volunteer at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park!
Donate to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park!
Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!