Finding American militia arrayed across the eastern edge of Hoskins' fields, it appears that battle is imminent. Lord Cornwallis is called up, where he consults with his brigade commanders.
An American battery is blocking the New Garden Road, and Cornwallis calls forward one of his own batteries to confront it. A brief and ineffectual artillery duel follows.
Cornwallis summons his remaining light troops to hold the Hoskins farm. In addition to the lights of the British Legion, he has a detachment of Jagers and the combined light infantry from his two Guards battalions.
Greene had positioned his army early in the morning, using the lessons learned from Morgan's earlier victory at Cowpens. Greene's first line consisted of his least experienced, least reliable troops: his two brigades of North Carolina militia. Most had never before been in combat. They were positioned behind a fence line, to steady them.
To further steady the militia, Greene positioned seasoned troops on either flank of the North Carolinians' line. On the left flank were a company of Virginia riflemen, along with Lee's Legion -- the cavalry in green and the infantry in purple.
On the right flank of the first line were another company of Virginia riflemen, Kirkwood's Delaware light infantry, and William Washington's little company of Continental dragoons.
A few hundred yards to the rear of the first line, and largely hidden by the wooded terrain, was Greene's second line, this one consisting of two brigades of Virginia militia. These units were more experienced, their ranks strengthened by many time-expired former Continentals.
Finally, Greene positioned the heart of his small army -- his four regiments of Virginia and Maryland Continentals -- further back still, on the small rise near Guilford Courthouse. This position covered both of his possible lines of retreat: east on the New Garden Road, or north up the smaller Reedy Fork Road. The position also overlooked both "the vale", the cultivated field between two rises, and the open fields to the south.
The entire American position:
Despite having very little knowledge of the terrain or the forces before him, Cornwallis, eager to finally begin the battle that he has been seeking for months, calls the remainder of his army up across the creek. A scout notifies General Greene that the British army is advancing.
The right of Cornwallis' first line consists of the 2nd Battalion of the 71st Highlanders and the Von Bose regiment of Hessians, with the 1st battalion of Foot Guards in reserve behind them.
The left of Cornwallis' line consisted of the 23rd and the 33rd Foot, again backed up by a Guards reserve -- in this case, the 2nd battalion of Foot Guards and the detached Guards Genadiers.
The opposing forces are in position. It is not until early afternoon on March 15, 1781 that the actual battle begins.
I'll report on how the game progresses with a Battle Report over in the Gallery section of this Forum. We've gotten all of the troops on the table, but work and vacation schedules are complicating finding a time to actually begin the game. So it may be a few weeks before I've anything to report.
