The Battle of Guilford Courthouse, March 15, 1781

[mjr]

The annual reenactment will be in Greensboro this Saturday and Sunday. What with money getting tight and a cold, rainy weekend predicted, I wonder how many reenactors are going to show.

I liked this rig at the 2008 reenactment:

 

[mjr]

The annual reenactment will be in Greensboro this Saturday and Sunday. What with money getting tight and a cold, rainy weekend predicted, I wonder how many reenactors are going to show.

I liked this rig at the 2008 reenactment:

 

[Muley Gil]

Pretty mule! Looks a bit like mine.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I grew up in Greensboro and know Guilford Courthouse well. I participated in the Bicentennial event there. Gosh, that seems like such a long time ago. Wish I could make it this year.

I also tried to do Moore's Creek Bridge (February 27, 1776) but having old NC scots ancestry and some decent 18th Century highlander duds, I usually was on the losing side

.

Not sure which side I may have had relatives on at Guilford Courthouse. My ancestors were already in Guilford, but the 71st Highlanders were there. My guess is cousins just met somewhere and got drunk like good scots should.

 

[handejector]

A fabulously laid out park. I toured the battlefield many years ago, so I can only hope they have kept the displays, narrations, and so forth as good as they were then.

Nathaniel Greene, the Quaker General, gave the Brits a helluva lesson in tactics that day! The Brits ultimately carried the field, but only after firing grapeshot from their artllery into their own troops, mixed up with the Colonials in a melee they were afraid they would lose!

Last major battle fought in the South.

 

[mjr]

Originally posted by VAdoublegunner:
I grew up in Greensboro and know Guilford Courthouse well. I participated in the Bicentennial event there. Gosh, that seems like such a long time ago.

I was in the audience for the Bicentennial battle in 1981. It was a huge event--were there more soldiers on the field than there were in the original battle? I've missed maybe five reenactments since. It became an annual family event--my younger daughter still hopes to own a cannon some day.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

Originally posted by mjr:

Originally posted by VAdoublegunner:
I grew up in Greensboro and know Guilford Courthouse well. I participated in the Bicentennial event there. Gosh, that seems like such a long time ago.

I was in the audience for the Bicentennial battle in 1981. It was a huge event--were there more soldiers on the field than there were in the original battle? I've missed maybe five reenactments since. It became an annual family event--my younger daughter still hopes to own a cannon some day.

Cool! I was militia. There was a huge crowd for it, both spectators and participants. I still have slides, somewhere.

 

[dpsix]

Michael Shaara's historical novel, "Killer Angles", details the Battle of Gettysburg. After his death, Michael's son, Jeff Shaara, wrote a prequel and sequel to that Pulitzer Prize novel. More recently Jeff wrote a two volume historical novel of the American Revolution. A section of "The Glorious Cause" relives the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. In any case, the two books are an enjoyable overview of America's founding.

 

[sparky9]

There was and article in the Greensboro paper today about an author that is a descendant of Peter Fransisco, one of the soldiers at the battle of Guilford Courthouse.

http://www.news-record.com/con...guilford_battle_hero

Very interesting reading.

 

[greengael]

Was there in '92 haunting park at dawn or dusk. Special place.

 

[JayCeeNC]

I live here in Greensboro but have never been to any reenactments at the Battlefield. Nice place to visit and tour, though.

 

[mjr]

My wife and I went to Country Park to see if anything was happening in the rain. Not much was. There were only three sutler's tents. There were a couple of dozen personal tents set up, but the reenactment had been canceled for Saturday. Though there was no official cancellation for Sunday, most of the solders, we were told, had decided the heck with it and headed home, since the chance of rain tomorrow is 70%. This is only the second time in memory that this event has been called off. Still, we met some new people and had some good conversations. Just wait till next year.

A botched photo from last year which sort of conveys this year's mood: