Battle Description

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was a fierce and costly engagement in the Southern campaign of the Revolutionary War. On March 15, 1781, General Nathanael Greene deployed his forces in three defensive lines near Guilford Courthouse, anticipating an attack by British General Charles Cornwallis.

Cornwallis’s troops advanced through heavy musket and artillery fire, breaking through successive lines of militia and Continental regulars. Despite ultimately holding the field, the British suffered severe casualties. Greene withdrew in good order, preserving his army for future operations.

Outcome

• Outcome: Tactical British victory; strategic American advantage.
• Casualties:
  • American: ~79 killed, ~174 wounded, ~1,000 missing or captured
  • British: ~93 killed, ~413 wounded, ~26 missing

Significance on the Revolution

Though Cornwallis claimed victory, the heavy losses weakened his army and forced a retreat to Wilmington. Greene’s strategy of attrition continued to erode British strength in the South. Guilford Courthouse marked a turning point in the campaign, leading Cornwallis to abandon the Carolinas and march toward Virginia—where he would eventually be trapped at Yorktown. The battle demonstrated Greene’s tactical brilliance and the effectiveness of his Fabian strategy.