Major General Nathanael Greene to George Washington, 10 March 1781
From Major General Nathanael Greene
Head Quarters, Iron Works, North Carolina1
March 10th, 1781.
sir
Since I had the honor of addressing your Excellency last, there have been some changes in our circumstances.2 On the 2d Lieutt Colo. Lee with a detachment of Rifle-Men attacked the advanced of the British Army under Colo. Tarlton near Alamance, and killed and wou⟨nd⟩ed, by report, about thirty of them.3 On the 6th the British moved down towards high Rock,4 either with a view to intercept our Stores, or cut off the Light Infantry from the main Body of the Army then advanced near seven Miles, but they were handsomely opposed and suffered considerably without effecting any thing.5
This Manœuvre occasioned me to retire over the Haw River, and move down the North side of it, with a view to secure our Stores coming to the Army, and to form a junction with6 several considerable reinforcemen⟨ts⟩ of Carolina and Virginia Militia, and one Regiment of Virginia 18 Months Men on the march from Hillsborough to high Rock. I effected this business, and the Enemy retired towards Gilford Court House.
Our Militia had been upon such a loose and uncertain footing ever since we crossed the Dan, ⟨t⟩hat I could attempt nothing with confidence, tho’ we kept within ten or twelve miles of the Enemy for several Days. The Enemy kept close,7 seemingly determined that we should gain no advantage of them without risquing something of consequence. I have the honor to be with great respect and esteem, Your Excellencys mo: obt hble servt
Nath. Greene
LS, DLC:GW; Df, NjP: De Coppet Collection; copy, DNA:PCC, item 155; copy, DNA:PCC, item 172; copy, MHi: Adams Papers; copy, PPAmP: Benjamin Franklin Papers; copy, P.R.O.: C.O. 5/102. “Acknow. 19th of April” is written on the docket of the LS, but GW did not acknowledge this letter when he wrote Greene on 19 April. A note on the copy in P.R.O. reported it “taken from a Philadelphia Rebel Paper of 31st March 1781.” The copies in MHi and PPAmP also appear to have been taken from a newspaper.
1. Speedwell’s ironworks was located along Troublesome Creek about seventeen miles northeast of Guilford Courthouse and about forty miles northwest of Hillsborough, North Carolina.
2. Greene last wrote GW on 28 February.
3. A small corps under Lt. Col. Henry Lee, Jr., met part of Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s command (see Otho H. Williams to Greene, 2 March, in , 7:381–82).
4. Greene refers to High Rock Ford (see Greene to GW, 28 Feb., n.1).
5. For this battle, known as Weitzel’s Mill, see Williams to Greene, 7 March, in , 7:407–8.
6. “General [ John] Butler, who was moving up with a” is struck out at this point on the draft.
7. On the draft, “and still contine to do so,” is struck out at this point.