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"No, I won't. I'll be a soldier, and lead a private, are poor; and, in short, there is noregiment of horse like Colonel Lee." "Get away, then; take your tin sword, and make war upon the mullin stalks."

Still rolling westward we pass Hillsborough, the county town of Orange, then the Haw River. At length we approach Greensborough, the county town of Guilford. Here we must tarry to visit the battle-field, which is but a few miles distant.

The town of Greensborough contains about two thousand inhabitants, and is a place of some trade. Except two or three private residences and two seminaries, its buildings, public and

thing about its exterior either to prepossess or interest the passing traveler. Its two seminaries for the education of young ladies are said to be in a flourishing condition. In North Carolina there are a number of institutions, colleges, etc., for the education of ladies, all in high repute and well attended. Indeed nowhere does this important subject seem to have received more consideration than in this State.

On arriving at Greensborough our traveler ascertained that the site of Martinsville, the old Guilford Court House of Revolutionary times, was five miles distant. As it was too late in

the day to set out for a visit, he passed the afternoon in sauntering about the village, and the evening in poring over "Lee's Memoirs." At an early hour next morning he mounted a horse and trotted off toward Martinsville.

While our hero is making his way through muddy lanes toward this interesting locality, we will compile, from the best authorities, a sketch of one of the most important battles that was fought during the war of the Revolution.

The retreat of Greene across the Dan left North Carolina virtually in the hands of the British. Having been unable to bring his adversary to battle, Cornwallis retired to Hillsborough, from whence he issued proclamations to every quarter, calculated to induce the Tory population to rise and join the royal standard. This was what Greene most feared; and the possibility that these efforts might prove successful, kept him uneasy amidst the safety and abundance of his camp in Halifax. Scarcely did he allow the troops time for repose after their arduous retreat, before he detached a light corps, under Pickens and Lee, across the Dan, to hang on the skirts of the enemy, and, if possible, to repress any attempt on the part of the loyalists to embody. The terrible fate of Pyle and his followers seemed effectually to have accomplished this result; yet, so anxious was the American commander on the subject, that he would not wait for his expected reinforcements and munitions, but recrossed the Dan, with the main army, on the 23d of February.

This movement was followed by a series of skillful manoeuvres which lasted for ten days; the British Commander endeavoring to force, and the American to avoid, a general action. Greene, as usual, was successful; while Cornwallis, foiled and tired of this unavailing pursuit, retired to a position on Deep River for the purpose of giving repose to his wearied troops.

In the mean time the loyalist population, warned by the slaughter of Pyle's command,

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NATHANIEL GREENE.

LORD CORNWALLIS.

and awed by the unconquered attitude of the American forces, preferred to remain quiescent until victory had declared for one side or the other. The expected reinforcements having at length arrived, Greene determined to give his enemy the long-sought-for opportunity of battle. He advanced and, on the 14th of March, took his position at Guilford Court House, within twelve miles of the enemy. His prompt and confident adversary accepted the challenge without hesitation. Early on the morning of the fifteenth he was in motion.

Tidings of his approach having been conveyed to the American commander at four o'clock in the morning, he ordered his van to arms and to breakfast with all soldierly haste, while Colonel Lee, with his cavalry, was sent forward to reconnoitre. Having advanced two or three miles, this officer met his scouts retiring before the troops of Tarleton. Believing that the main body of the British army was at hand, Lee ordered his column to retire by troops, taking distance for open evolution. The rear troop went off at full gallop, followed by the centre. The front troop, to gain the open order required, necessarily kept their horses at a walk. The enemy, mistaking the object of this movement, and supposing it the prelude to flight, made a dash at this troop, hoping thereby to hasten their pace. Finding that their advance was unnoticed, they fired their pistols, shouted, and pushed upon them a second time until their leading sections had nearly closed with the Americans. Astonished that their noise and bravadoes had in no way accelerated the pace of the legionary horse, they drew up, not knowing what to make of the sullen impassiveness of their enemy. At this moment Lee ordered the charge. The troop wheeled suddenly, and their pent up fury burst upon the foe like a thunderbolt. The columns met in a lane, and the En

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COLONEL HENRY LEE.

tinentals, were new levies, and that the whole army was comparatively illequipped and scantily provided with ainmunition.

The British force consisted-horse, foot, and artillery-of about two thousand men. But these were all veteran troops, completely armed and equipped, inured to war and accustomed to victory.

Cornwallis made his disposition for the attack with an audacity which nothing but an entire confidence in his troops and his previous successes could have justified. From a letter, it ap pears that he supposed his adversary to be about seven thousand strong; and this supposed force, strongly posted, as he was aware, he hastens eagerly to attack with but two thousand men, as if he had been beforehand assured of victory.

No sooner had the British column deployed and commenced marching to the attack than the militia forming the left of the front line were seized with a panic, and fled, before a man of them had been either killed or wounded. Many of them did not even discharge their guns, but left them loaded, sticking between the rails of the fence behind which they were posted. In vain did their officers attempt to rally this terror-stricken herd; in vain did Lee threaten to fall upon them with his dragoons, and cut them to pieces. The panic was complete and final. The gap thus ignominious

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glish were literally ridden down and trampled under foot by the powerful horses of the legionary troopers. About thirty were killed, and the rest fled with all speed upon the main body. The bodies of the overthrown men and horses so encumbered the lane that direct pursuit was impeded, and having attempted in vain to overtake and cut off the flying corps by a circuitously left was immediately seized by the enemy, route, Lee continued his retreat, and took the position assigned him on the left of the American army.

Greene's force was posted on a wooded hill, drawn up in three lines, the two first composed of militia, and the third of his Continentals, consisting of four regiments from Virginia and Maryland.

Colonel William Washington's cavalry, with some sharp-shooters, protected the right flank, while Lee's legion, with the Virginia riflemen, covered the left. Two pieces of artillery were placed in the rear line with the Continentals, while two six-pounders were so posted as to command the road by which the enemy was expected to advance. All told, the American force numbered four thousand five hundred men; of these about seventeen hundred were Continentals, the rest militia. Their position was chosen with ability, the woodland affording every advantage to the militia and riflemen, who were accustomed to that kind of fighting. They had too, a superior and effective cavalry, and in artillery were equal to the enemy. To counterbalance these advantages, however, it must be considered that militia, whatever may be their numerical superiority, have generally been found valueless and unreliable when opposed to regular troops; that a large portion even of the Con

giving him a powerful advantage at the commencement of the onset, and throwing the flanking legion out of combination with the rest of the army. But this auspicious beginning did not give to the enemy the speedy triumph it seemed to promise. The Virginia militia fought

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with extraordinary courage and obstinacy, and did every thing that raw troops could do against the highly-disciplined and indomitable valor of their adversaries.

The first and second lines were at length driven in, and the enemy became engaged with the third line, composed of Continental troops.

At this period of the battle Greene had every hope of obtaining a complete victory, and but for a disaster similar to that which occurred in the commencement of the battle, this hope would, doubtless, have been realized.

The enemy under Lieutenant-Colonel Webster had received a check from the first regiment of Marylanders under Gunby. The second regiment, however, when assailed by a battalion of the English Guards, led by Colonel Stuart, broke and fled, leaving two pieces of artillery in the hands of the enemy. The attempt of the Guards to pursue the flying regiment was checked by the First Marylanders, and at this point Washington fell upon them with his cavalry. This charge of horse was seconded by Colonel Howard with the bayonet. The Guards were ridden down and cut to pieces. Colonel Stuart fell by the sword of Captain Smith of the Marylanders.

When Cornwallis saw the remnant of this battalion flying before the advancing corps, he directed the fire of his artillery upon the mingled mass of pursuers and pursued. Brigadier O'Hara remonstrated, exclaiming that the fire would destroy the Guards. Cornwallis replied, "It is a necessary evil which we must endure, to arrest impending destruction."

Cornwallis went in person to direct these measures to stop the advance of the Americans, and in so doing exposed himself to imminent peril, as the following anecdote from Marshall's Life of Washington will show:

"After passing through the Guards into the open ground, Washington, who always led the van, perceived an officer surrounded by several persons, appearing to be aids-de-camp. Believing this to be Lord Cornwallis, he rushed

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on with the hope of making him prisoner, when he was arrested by an accident. His cap fell from his head, and as he leaped to the ground to recover it, the officer leading his column was shot through the body and rendered incapable of managing his horse. The animal wheeled round with his rider and galloped off the field. He was followed by all the cavalry, who supposed the movement had been directed."

Howard, with the infantry, believing himself to be out of support retired to his former position. Lee's legion in the mean time had fought its way back to the left of the main body of Continentals, and it is probable, if Greene had been informed of this, and aware of the condi

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tion of his enemy, he would have persevered | ined not to risk the annihilation of his force but and won the battle. As it was, the greater part of the militia had left the field, he had found it impossible to rally the second Marylanders, and supposing Lee's cominand to have been either destroyed or cut off from the army, he determ

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to draw off while he could. A Virginia regiment which had not yet tasted battle was ordered to the rear to cover the retreat, which was effected deliberately and without disturbance, as the enemy were in no condition to pursue.

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PLAN OF BATTLE OF GUILFORD.

The American loss in this battle, in killed, wounded, and missing, was about four hundred men; that of the enemy was little less than six hundred, nearly one-third of the

force engaged. The victory belonged to the British, but Fox said truly in the House of Commons, "Another such victory would destroy the British army."

A few days after saw the victorious Cornwallis in full retreat on Wilmington and the beaten Greene in hot pursuit, seeking battle and unable to obtain it. With his victory the British commander lost every thing for which he had so skillfully and arduously contended. Although defeated, the sagacious American regained his ascendency in North Carolina, and struck terror into the hearts of the loyalists over the whole South.

Such was the battle of Guilford, and such its results. Porte Crayon at length ar

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The view of the Battle-ground of Guilford is copied | open field, on the left of the road, seen in the hollow tofrom Lossing's "Field Book of the Revolution." "This view," says Mr. Lossing, "is from the eminence southwest of the old Guilford Court-House. The log-house, partially clap-boarded, seen on the right, was uninhabited. In the distance, near the centre, is seen Martinsville, and between it and the foreground is the rolling vale, its undulations furrowed by many gulleys. In an

ward the left of the picture, was the fiercest part of the battle, where Washington charged upon the Guards. Upon the ridge extending to the right, through the centre of the picture, the second line (Virginians) was posted. The snow was falling very fast when I made this sketch. Our point of view, at the old log-house, is the extreme westerly view of the field of controversy."

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