A Call of Valour

It was here that British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis and his army of 2100 soldiers defeated American Major General Nathanael Greene and his band of nearly 4,500 soldiers. But who really won?

History has it that Cornwallis’s goal was to rid himself of Greene. Greene’s goal was to significantly disable Cornwallis. Considering Cornwallis lost 27% of his forces—but did not eliminate General Greene, one might believe both sides of this 90 minute battle won.  It was soon after this that the extremely successful General Cornwallis surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown, thus sealing the success of the American Revolution.

Every year, the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park hosts a commemorative reenactment of this important battle. This year, I decided to attend.

The park has been left very natural with rolling hills, streams, and woods composing the majority of the property. -- It gives one the feeling of what it might have been like on that very pivotal day. As I wandered about, I came upon a clearing where a camp of Hessian soldiers had set their tents. They were in perfect alignment. A sense of regiment prevailed. Some had lanterns posted. Some had their “doors” pulled back to reveal the inclusion of life’s mere necessities. To one side, you could witness the soldiers preparing for war. Even the flag boy was among the lot. This is extremely well-choreographed pageantry: it is done with the utmost sincerity and professionalism. The soldiers certainly appeared real. With only a minor adjustment of veracity, one could easily become consumed by the theatre of it.

The other end of the camp included the gathering of a group of colonial women and their children. You could listen to their conversations of concern and peril. It was very thought provoking indeed. There was a commitment here. A call to do what was deemed vital to the survival of one’s beliefs and life.