Grand Review Tours

Saturday Tours

"The Longest and Most Bloody Action": The Battle of Guilford Courthouse

On January 17, 1781, a force led by Brig. Gen. Daniel Morgan from Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene's Continental Army defeated a British command under Lt. Col Banastre Tarleton at Cowpens. Hoping to avenge the loss, British Lt. Gen. Charles, Lord Cornwallis initiated a pursuit of Greene. Less than a month after Cowpens, Greene reached the safety of Virginia. Returning to North Carolina, Greene and Cornwallis maneuvered across the countryside. Greene encamped at Guilford Courthouse on March 14, within eight miles of Cornwallis. The next day, Cornwallis set out for Greene's camp. The battle that resulted helped shift the momentum in the South and completely change the trajectory of the war.

Join Dan Davis, the Trust's Senior Education Manager, as we explore the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. We'll visit Pyle's Defeat and Weitzel's Mill skirmishes fought in the weeks leading up to the engagement as well as one of the battles that became a steppingstone to the British surrender at Yorktown.
Sites Include: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Pyle's Defeat, Weitzel's Mill, and more.
Walking Level: Limited. This tour includes roughly one mile of walking over relatively flat terrain on a gravel surface.
Guide: Daniel Davis, American Battlefield Trust
 

Calamity in Carolina: The Battle of Bentonville and the Surrender at Bennett Place

The final year of the American Civil war brought Union and Confederate armies to the Tar Heel State, as Joseph Johnston's Confederate army desperately moved north in an effort to link up with Robert E. Lee's forces around Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, in the balance was the fleeting hopes of the Southern Confederacy. In close pursuit of the Rebels was the army group of William T. Sherman. Johnston's and Sherman's forces first clashed at Averasboro on March 16, 1865. The battle was a delaying action for Johnston, as he attempted to concentrate his forces for a major strike at Sherman's army group.

Three days later, Johnston and Sherman's armies clashed for the last time at the Battle of Bentonville. Although outnumbered nearly three-to-one, the Southern forces fought tenaciously in what was the largest Civil War engagement on North Carolina soil. In the end, the Federals were victorious, and Johnston's army was, again, in retreat. 

Join American Battlefield Trust Education Department team members Garry Adelman and Chris Mackowski, as well as the staff of Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Sites, for an informative, entertaining, and irreverent tour of the Bentonville battlefield and the Bennett Place. You know the story of Lee's surrender, now hear the rest of the story.  

Sites Include: Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site and Bennett Place State Historic Site
Walking Level: Moderate; Total walking distance of 2 to 3 miles. We will explore most of the day, including walking on uneven terrain, undergrowth, and more, to ensure you can fully appreciate the power of place. 
Guides: Garry Adelman, Chief Historian, American Battlefield Trust, Dr. Chris Mackowski, Copie Hill Civil War Fellow-American Battlefield Trust, the Staff of Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site.

Sunday Photo Extravaganza

The Civil War in 1865: A Photo Extravaganza 

The year 1865 proved to be the last for the American Civil War. January to May was a whirlwind period of pivotal events—the fall of Fort Fisher, Lee's surrender at Appomattox, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln—are just a few of the many landmark moments from 1865. Join the American Battlefield Trust’s Director of History and Education for fast-paced; action-packed, journey through the events of 1865, via photography. It’s a presentation that you won’t want to miss!