Command Briefing -  Heroes of the Southern Campaign.  Most of the portraits shown here were painted by the American artist Charles Willson Peale, although there are a few by other artists.
Each one of these individuals  fought against the armies of Charles, Earl Cornwallis and Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, and acquitted themselves honorably.

Opposing Views

Referring to a tactical retreat later known as the Retreat to the Dan, the Briish Officer wrote that  it was most "judiciously designed and vigorously executed."





   Banastre Tarleton, in his memoires, which seemed to indicate professional admiration for his enemy, Nathanael Greene.		 "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again"








 Nathanael Greene, in his own words, summing up
his lack of success in achieving a tactical victory.  Nevertheless
he completely destroyed British authority in the southern states.

                         Active Roster   Patriot Index
      Bill Snyder joined the Nathanael Greene Chapter of the NCSSAR in 1969 and has been a member ever since. As he tells it, the Chapter went inactive for a few years but was resurrected about 12 years ago.  With this resurgence in activity, Bill started to attend functions hosted by the North Carolina Society, and it was there that he met Nat Clark, then President of the North Carolina Society, who asked him to consider accepting a senior position within the state.  Several years later he did just that.  He became President of the NCSSAR when he succeeded Charles Page, the successor of Nat Clark.   Bill relates that his proudest moment while a member of the SAR was the day that he was inducted as President of the NCSSAR.  Bill was awarded a George Washington Fellowship shortly after his tenure as President.

     Bill has always been a history buff.  He is especially knowledgeable of the life of George Washington, having read everything about our first President that he could get his hands on.  He said the man was absolutely without fear and that there are many things about George Washinton that the average American doesn't know, none of it bad.  

    Bill has recruited a number of members into the SAR, although he didn't keep count.  And while he has been awarded numerous medals, he doesn't wear them, except for the Presidential Neck Ribbon.  He is still actively engaged in his Chapter's Color Guard.
  
     Patriot and Statesman Charles Bruce was born January 5th, 1740 and became a prominent figure in the history of Greeensboro and Guilford County.  According to Bill Snyder, his 4th great-grandson, at one time Charles Bruce owned all the land between Haw River and Reedy Forks, including part of the property on which the Battle of Guilford Courthouse was fought. The town of Summerfield, NC, used to be known as Bruce's Cross Roads, named after Charles Bruce.

   It was at Bruce's Cross Roads that a famous skirmish occurred between Lighthorse Harry Lee and members of Tarleton's cavalry under Capt. Miller.  Tarleton's men had hacked to death James Gillies, a 14 year old bugler assigned to Lee's Legion.  Henry Lee's calvary scattered Miller's forces and captured Capt. Miller.  Lee was in the process of hanging Capt. Miller when Cornwallis' main Army appeared at the scene. Lee beat a hasty retreat and turned Capt. Miller over to Nathanael Greene as a prisoner.

    Within two days time, Charles Bruce had hosted Col. Otho Holland Williams,  Patriot and Commander of Nathanael Greene's screening forces during the Retreat to the Dan, while the next night Cornwallis' Army encamped at his plantation.

  
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