Guildford Courthouse and an Eighteenth-Century Adonis of War
With the ground-breaking inclusion of HTR in Colonial America, we can track Tarleton’s escapades through the manuscript voices of his various commanding officers. One such account penned by Lord General Cornwallis on 17 March 1781 provides a vivid picture of the intense firefight at Guildford Courthouse, North Carolina.
Lord Cornwallis had hounded the Continental General Greene to a dense wooded area not far from Deep River and, receiving intelligence that he had been joined by a regiment from Virginia and 3,000 militia, deemed it prudent to hazard an engagement before Greene had a chance to join up with the main army.
Striking camp, he detached the baggage, sent the cavalry forward (commanded by Tarleton) and marched the 12 miles to Greene’s encampment. It was not long before the advanced guard stumbled across the first of the reinforcements “… which he attacked with his usual good conduct and spirit, and defeated.” (folio 111) Prisoners were taken and Cornwallis lined up in front of Greene; cannon at the centre.
At half-past one on the afternoon of 15 March 1781 the action began. Continental detachments were swiftly routed, with Cornwallis concentrating on infantry fire and cannon. Instructions were relayed to Tarleton “… not to charge without positive orders, except to protect any of the Corps from the most evident danger of being defeated.” (folio 112) All seemed to be going well, however, troops soon found the woodland cover so thick that bayonets were of little use – the terrain also afforded ample chances for men to escape and regroup; forcing the battle into desperate broken skirmishes.
Grenadiers on the left wing found themselves under heavy fire and resolved to attack, however they pursued with “… too much ardour …”(folio 112) and soon found themselves in chaos. Storming to the rescue, they were ably extricated by Tarleton’s cavalry, which regrouped under fire to perform the same manoeuvre on the right flank. One can imagine this eighteenth-century Adonis and his well-trained troop zipping around the field to where they were needed most, sabres flashing.
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