Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-08-15
BATTLE OF GUILFoRD.

:
counts than one. We have seen that It Il
the anniversary of the death of Cesar, who
was killed B. c. A; it is also the ami
versary of the battle of Guilford, fought IN
North Caroliua, in 1871, between the A.
merlcan and British armies, under the com
mand Of Greene and CORVALLIS.
After the defeat Of Tarlton at. Cowpens.
on the 18th of January. Morgan fastened
to retreat into Virginia with his prisoners.
and CORVALLIS followed, with the intention
OF cutting him of Greene, leaving the rest
OF his army under the command Of Gen.
Huger, with orders to retreat upon Guilford.
FASTENED to the Camp of Morgan and him.
self took the command. The pursuit Of
CORVALLIS and the retreat of Greene ars
among the best known events in our history.
On the point of being destroyed several
times, Greene was saved from destruction
6y his own genius and good fortune, and
1nally succeeded in forming a junction with
Huger. at Guilford, when he reiterated into
Virginia to recruit his forces. Having al
lowed his army a few days rest, he again en-
tered North Carolina, and being there Joined
by large reinforcements, determined to eiyoi
the enemy battle, knowing that. if be were
Beaten he could not be entirely destrovedr
whereas If his enemy were defeated in the
midst OF hostile population. bis situation
would become desperate He accordipvlv
advanced to. Guilford Court House. and On
the morning of the 18th of March. Lees le-,
gion fell in with, and engaged Tarlton. for
ming the advanced guard of Corvallis. -
few miles beyond the Court House. They
in II Il. d - L
2'OOO veterans, who had beensvictofious in
dozen battles, advanced to attack Greene,
That general had $500 men, but twolthirds
OF them were militia. He drew uphis army
IN three lines. The irst, composed Of North
Carolina militia, was drawn mp on some opeu
ground, the second, composed Of Virginia
militia, was stationed eight hundred Yards
IN their rear. in the woods, and the. third.
consisting entirely Of centinentals, WIS ar
ranged In their rear, in,an open piece Of
ground. The North Carolina militia oava
one tlre, and fed before the advancing Brit
lsh columns. Gen. Stevens, who con,rnan-
ded the Virginia militia, opened bis ranks
to let them pass, and having closed them,
maintained an obstinate. contest with tbe
British regulars. At length, however. some
othcer having called out to- another that be
was about to be surrounded, the militia took
the alarm and, fed precipitately. Tbev
were pursued by the British, who, emerging
IRON the woods, came upon the censipentsl
line, and furious battle instantly beran.--
ihe British attempting olcarry the day al
the point of the bayonet, were repulsed bv
the Maryland line, and CORVALLIS on The
point of being captured. by the American
Cavalry under Col Washington, only saved
himself by turning two pieces of cannon up-
on the enemy, who-were advancing pele nssts
with his own flying troops :
The tire killed4friends and foes. hut a
| checked the advance, and saved Corpwall;.,
1t is supposed, that had the Americans nnsh.
ed forward, seized piece ofrisine orourd
on the right Of the road, planted cannon
there and thus prevented Col Stewart, who
commandingthe British left, had been seuera.
ted from the centre By toe woods, and whom
the h1rry of the pursuit prevented from re-
uniting, they would have defeated Cornwall
lis This, however, they neglected to do.
and the enemy, availing himself of the over.
SIGHT, united his troops, and succeeded. az
ter desperate struggle. in forcing Greene
on the field: The latter retired. yery much
at his leisure, to Troublesome Greek. nine
miles off He had lost about five hundred
men in killed, wounded and prisoners .nJ
! about eight hundred had dispersed and oors
to their homes. in a few days he was rseadv
Tor another battle, but his adversary had had
quite enough Of it, and though be sent fam g
ing accounts to England of his victory. con,-
meneed his retreat to Wilmington. The
battle had cost him dear. He had lost s;r
hundred and fifty men, all veterans and
men IN whose places it was difficult to supply,
while he had gained nothing but the field
on which they fought In the British Par
lament, Fox said that another such victory
would undo the British army. Greene. On
the contrary, lost more by the desertion Of
The militia after the battle than any thing
else. We once knew an old man in an adj
joining county, who had been nilitiaman
in this battle, and who, it was said. beat the
dispatch of Gen. Greene, in his return home.
1t was said, jocosely, that he ran entirely
by his own house without recognizing il.
and that when his mother, seeing him run
ming, called to him by name, he replied that
he had " no time to chat" and kept on.
The decline of Corvallis fortunes NAV
be dated from this day with certainty. The
ldes of March were as fatal to him as thew
had been to Julius Caesar He shortly 4.
ter left Wilmington, with his army, for yir-
gnia, and Greene, taking the bold step Of
falling on his rear, advanced into South Car
DINA, and in few weeks undid all It had
taken the British General whole year to
A pedler overlook another of his tribe
: on the road, and thus accosled him =