March 15, 1781

Greene Wins Strategic Victory Over Cornwallis at Battle of Guilford Court House

In one of the few pitched battles of the war in North Carolina, American commander Nathanael Greene engages Charles Cornwallis at Guilford Court House. Greene ultimately retreats but the heavy losses he inflicts on Cornwallis's forces convince the British commander to move into Virginia, join up with the British army there, and concentrate on winning a major victory in the Chesapeake.