Greensboro became a city in 1808 and it was named after Nathanael Greene, who was a general in the Continental Army in the Revolutional War. He was born in 1742 in Potowomut Rhode Island and died in 1786 in Mulberry Grove Georgia, at the age of 43. While he was neither born nor died in Greensboro, he did fight in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on the very spot where the visitor center is located, just off of New Garden Road. The above portrait of General Greene is located in the visitor center. Yesterday was such a busy day in celebration of General Greene's birthday. The events started at 10:00 am with the dedication and firing of a cannon that is so big that they will have to adjust the size of the door of the visitors center to fit it in here! The birthday celebration ended with a ranger-lead tour at 3:00 pm.
Since on Sundays, we like to post something spiritual, we asked the ranger if there was anything religious to fit with General Greene and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The ranger thought about it for a while and said, well, the Quakers, who were pacifists and didn't want anything to do with war, helped the wounded from the battle. It didn't matter who the wounded soldiers fought for, many were left behind and the Quakers cared for them. We are left wondering how many of the surviving soldiers decided to make Greensboro their home. We also learned that New Garden Road, that connects the Battlefield to the Friends Meeting, has been called New Garden Road since at least the 1700s. The rangers at the park are so helpful and interested in discussing the history of the area. If you know of anyone who ever has to do a report on the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, send them to the visitors center. The rangers will answer questions or, if they don't know, point you in the direction of the answer. Happy birthday, General Greene. You are gone but not forgotten.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
He was a great general. Tenacious and tough.
Posted by: William Kendall | Monday, August 08, 2022 at 05:26 PM