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Showing posts from March, 2013
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Some notes on the Battle at Weitzel's Mill Weitzel’s Mill, March 6 th , 1781 A few days after The Battle at Clapp’s Mill Cornwallis, determined to bring Greene to battle, launched his own light forces northward to cut Greene’s line of retreat to Virginia.   Greene gave him the chance to do so by maneuvering too far west along Buffalo Creek, his moat.   Greene’s light troops were camped a few miles north of Clapp’s Mill, along Buffalo Road, on Great Alamance Creek, Cornwallis’ moat.   They were all that stood between the overextended Greene and his main line of maneuver.   On March 6 th , very early as was his style, Tarleton, leading a flying column of Cornwallis light forces, marched on the Americans.   Alert pickets picked up the British movement and warned Otho Williams and Henry Lee of the approaching enemy and Williams ordered a retreat to Reedy fork, about ten miles to the north.   The ford at Weitzel’s Mill on Reedy Fork was the only defensible ground between the