Led by Lord Cornwallis in early 1781, well-trained British troops were giving chase to a small American army under the command of the Brillant and innovative Nathaniel Greene. Cornwallis shadowed Greene's every evasive manoeuvre as the two armies moved north toward Virginia. Finally, on a cold and wet March afternoon, Greene turned to meet his British adversary in pitched battle at Guildford Courthouse. The American militia and cavalry experienced a punishing frontal assault by the British. Greene's militia fled the field in panic, but his cavalry bravely held its position. When the British engaged Greene's last line of troops, the Americans retreated and Cornwallis claimed victory. But British casualties that day - twice what the Americans suffered - were so heavy that Cornwallis was forced to stop his advance. The American road to victory at Yorktown began that day at Guilford Courthouse. Guildford Courthouse offers a unique approach to the battle and the battlefield. Described in lively and compelling narrative complemented with original accounts and illustrations, modern-day photographs, and detailed maps.
