Backcountry Courthouse

For Cornwallis, Guilford Courthouse was not a military or strategic objective; Greene’s army was his target. After receiving intelligence that the British were marching toward the American camp, Greene changed his battle plans from attack to defense, and at this point along the main road General Greene began deploying his troops. In 1781 the county seat of Guilford served as the hub of a small farming community of about fifty English, Scots-Irish, and nearby Quakers. At the courthouse these settlers registered deeds, settled legal disputes, and were mustered into the militia. This ground is believed to be the general area of the courthouse. Apparently five other small buildings stood in the clearing, including a jail and a tavern. In 1809 the county seat was relocated six miles south, and no trace of the courthouse community remains.

Greensboro, North Carolina · United States