Battle of Guilford Court House, 1781

The Battle of Guilford Court House was a battle fought on March 15, 1781. A 2, 100-man British force under the command of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis defeated Major General Nathanael Greene's 4, 500 Americans. The British Army lost a considerable number of men during the battle which resulted in a strategic victory for the Americans. The battle was the largest and most hotly contested battle of the American Revolution's southern campaign and led to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. In the wake of the battle, Greene moved into South Carolina, while Cornwallis chose to march into Virginia and attempt to link up with roughly 3, 500 men under British Major General Phillips and American turncoat Benedict Arnold. These decisions allowed Greene to unravel British control of the South, while leading Cornwallis to Yorktown and eventual surrender to General George Washington and Lieutenant General Comte de Rochambeau. This image has been color enhanced

Picture No

12698268

Media ID

48540140

Size

3442px x 3900px (5.2MB)

Credit

Library of Congress/Science Source/Mary Evans