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Posted on 05/22/2003 5:34:16 AM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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On the bright, late winter day of March 15, 1781, the Revolutionary War came to a remote county seat in north central North Carolina. Guilford Courthouse, with its population of considerably fewer than 100, was on this day the temporary residence of 4,400 American soldiers and their leader, Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene. The British had overrun Georgia and South Carolina and showed every indication of ripping the stars and stripes of North Carolina and Virginia from the new American flag. From the ragged remnants of a defeated southern army, Greene had raised a new force comprising 1,700 Continentals (three-year enlistees in the regular army) and about 2,700 militia (mostly farmers who were nonprofessional temporary soldiers called up for short periods of service during an emergency). Early on the morning of March 15, General Greene deployed his men in three lines of battle across the Great Salisbury Wagon Road that led off to the southwest toward the camp of the British army commanded by Lord Charles Cornwallis. Although grossly outnumbered, Cornwallis nonetheless was certain that his redcoats, victors on scores of battlefields, could overcome the rebels. Lt. Col. Henry Lee opened the battle with an advance guard action against the British near the Quaker settlement of New Garden, 3 miles west of the American position. This skirmish resulted in no advantage to either side. The Americans retired, and the British continued to advance along the New Garden Road toward the courthouse. Greene's troops were drawn up in three lines, approximately 400 yards apart, facing west. The first two lines extended north and south across the New Garden road; the third line was entirely north of the road, following the crest of a low hill. Heavily wooded terrain limited the effectiveness of cavalry. The woods likewise reduced the effectiveness of artillery since the field of fire, particularly for the attacking force, was poor.  Approximately one-half mile in front of the position was a small stream from which the ground rose steadily, though rather gradually, to the crest of a hill where the first line was drawn up. Three cultivated fields, one to the north and two to the south of the road, provided an excellent field of fire for parts of that line, and the rail fences enclosing the cultivated land afforded the troops some protection. The second line was entirely in the woods, and the third was near the eastern edge of a good-sized clearing. Both flanks of the first two lines and the right flank of the third were unprotected. But the heavy woods dictated a direct frontal attack by the British; therefore these exposed flanks were not a disadvantage for the Americans. The left flank of the third line rested on the New Garden Road and was protected by artillery during the later stages of the battle. The First Line consisted of two brigades of North Carolina Militia, almost all of whom were wholly untrained and entirely without battle experience. On the left flank were stationed Lt. Col. Henry Lee's Legion and Col. William Campbell's Riflemen. The former were regulars and the latter were frontiersmen from the Virginia and North Carolina mountains who had had appreciable campaign experience, including participation in the Battle of Kings Mountain. The right flank detachment was composed of Lt. Col. William Washington's regular cavalry, the remnant of the Delaware regiment of Continentals, and Col. Charles Lynch's Riflemen, comparable in experience and capacity to Campbell's. In the center on the road, a section of artillery, two 6-pound guns, commanded the stream-crossing below.  Portrait of Nathaniel Greene, Revolutionary War General and associate of George Washington, dated 1783 (from the National Park Service Collection) The Second Line was made up entirely of Virginia Militia, the majority of whom were as untrained and inexperienced as were the North Carolinians in the front line. The Virginia officers, however, were largely men who had served in the Continental Army, and a number of them had had some battle experience. Also in the ranks of the Virginians were a few men who had had previous military service. Thus the second line was somewhat stronger than the first by virtue of this leaven of experience. Finally, Brig. Gen. Edward Stevens, in command of one brigade, placed sentinels a few yards in the rear of his line to insure against any break by his men. The Third Line was composed of Greene's two small brigades of Continental troops. Of the four regiments, one, the 1st Maryland, was a veteran unit. The 2d Maryland and the two Virginia regiments were recently reorganized, had excellent officers, and contained a good proportion of veterans in the ranks. The total force, regular and militia, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, numbered about 4,400. Of this total possibly 1,500 to 1,600 of all arms were regulars, but many of these fell into the recruit classification. Lord Cornwallis commanded an army, numerically inferior to Greene's; but it was vastly superior in organization, discipline, training, and experience. Engaged in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse were about 2,000 of the very flower of the British forces in America. There were two battalions, a grenadier, and a light infantry company of the Guards; the 23d and 33d Regiments of foot, the former, the famous Welsh Fusiliers; the 71st Highlanders, the King's Own Borderers; the Regiment of Bose, one of the best of the Hessian units; some Hessian Yagers (riflemen); Tarleton's Legion Cavalry; and a detachment of the Royal Artillery. All were veterans, thoroughly schooled in the business of war, and commanded by able, experienced officers.  Lord Cornwallis Advancing toward the east from the scene of the opening skirmish along the New Garden Road, the attacking force crossed the stream at the foot of the hill in front of the American position, and formed for action. Meanwhile, the American artillery had opened fire in an attempt to delay the crossing, and to harass the formation of the line, but with little result. The British artillery replied with an equally useless expenditure of ammunition. Attack formation was a single line with a small reserve. The right wing consisted of the Highlanders and the Regiment of Bose with the 1st Battalion of Guards in support. In the left wing the 23d and 33d Regiments were in line and the 2d Battalion and Grenadiers of the Guards in support. The small reserve consisted of the artillery, confined by the woods to the road in the center the Yagers and the Light Infantry of the Guards, stationed to the left in the woods; and the cavalry, on the road in column behind the artillery. Their formation now completed, the British troops waited for the command to attack. At its word they moved almost directly east toward the brow of the hill held by the Americans. Brisk fighting ensued on the two flanks, where Greene had stationed his experienced troops. This flank resistance forced the commander of each of the two British wings to commit his small support to the battle in its earliest stages. Gen. Alexander Leslie, on the right, brought up the 1st Battalion of the Guards to assist in opposing the American left, and thus extended his own line. On the British left Lt. Col. James Webster caused his whole line to incline to the left, while his support, the 2d Battalion and Grenadiers of the Guards, moved into the center to maintain contact with the right wing and fill the interval caused by Webster's swerve to the left. The Light Infantry and Yagers were brought up from the reserve and posted on the extreme left flank. Many casualties were suffered by the British, especially by the flank units, but the center encountered little resistance, for that part of the American line, in large measure, broke at the first onset.  The American left flank detachment under Lee and Campbell retired toward the southeast under pressure from the Regiment of Bose and the 1st Battalion of the Guards. Continuing their struggle, these units became completely detached from the main course of the engagement, conducting what amounted to a separate conflict of their own. This battle within a battle was finally broken off by the Americans at about the same time that the main engagement ended. The exact course of the American right flank detachment is unknown. It seems most probable that it briefly took position on the flank of the second line; and, upon the retirement of that body, moved thence to the flank of the third.
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Last night was such a roller coaster ride, I'm planning on staying on the upswing tonight!
One more then work break is over for awhile. :)
Clic on the Pic
I believe General Greene was #2 - right behind General George Washington. If Greene and his troops were wiped out in Carolina, Cornwallis would have continued his advance to the north. The battle eventually led to the cementing of our national sovereignty. Otherwise, we might all be drinking afternoon tea while swearing allegiance to the Queen...
C'mon out of the tank and look at this little video about Greene and Guilford Courthouse.
THE HESSIANS
During the American Revolution, Germany was divided into over 300 principalities. Many of these tiny countries supplied soldiers to the British army in its fight against America, but by far the largest group came from Hesse-Cassel. As a consequence, during the war and ever since, all of the Germans fighting with the British were lumped together and called Hessians.
The Hessians' services were bought and paid for by George III, who simply did not have enough soldiers in his own army to supply the needs of his commanders in America. German soldiers had served many European nations in a similar fashion for years, but they were not true mercenaries. Most of the Hessians received no compensation for their services beyond their daily bread. It was the Prince of Hesse-Cassel, Frederick II, who made off like a bandit in his dealings with George III. He sold the services of 12,000 Hessians to the English at [sterling]7 4s. a head.
In total, nearly 30,000 German soldiers fought for the British in North America. Once there, they discovered a thriving German-American community of almost 200,000 people. For many Hessians, the possibilities in this rich, new land with its growing German population was a great enticement to desertion---a fact that Americans worked hard to promote with promises of free land for Hessians willing to switch sides. An estimated 5,000 Germans stayed in this country, when their fellow countrymen returned home.
Loyalist cavalry frequently adopted the clothing style of Banastre Tarleton's British Legion:
British Legion Cavalry, 5th American Regiment, 1778-1783
Green jacket
Black cuffs, and collar, trimmed with white lace (gold for officers).
Brass buttons.
Buckskin (tan) breeches.
Black leather belts and pouches are shown in the famous painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Black Tarleton helmet, with green turban, and green plume on the left side.
Shabraque colours are not known with certainty. Green shabraques like those of the Queen's Rangers Hussars are likely, but other colours may have been used on campaign.
Brown pistol holsters with black fur covers.
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