Race to the Dan

The year was 1781. The Battle of Cowpens occurred in South Carolina in January, and The Battle of Guilford Courthouse occurred in March in present-day Greensboro, NC. What occurred in between?

The Race to the Dan.



After recuperating from the January victory at Cowpens, on February 10, 1781 at Guilford Courthouse, NC General Nathanael Greene calls a Council of War to determine the next plan in the Southern Campaign. Stay and fight, or retreat and retool, rearm, and re-energize? It is determined to make a run northward to cross the Dan River.

North Carolina is interwoven with rivers, rivulets, creeks, and tributaries. General Greene studied the lay of the land and is said to have understood the terrain better than some locals; even without personally seeing some of the rivers himself. He had the foresight to acquire ferries and boats and rivermen to aid his army if needed. This foresight served him well.


February 12th, Greene ordered Otho Williams to take 700 or so troops and act as a feint to draw British General Lord Cornwallis while Greene, 1600 troops, horses and wagons made their break for the Dan. It is just a 70 mile race from Guilford Courthouse in February, but roads were semi-frozen, wagon axles break, troops march miles and miles up to 19 hours day, troops sleep on the ground as not one tent is unfolded, just one meal per day is prepared. Between February 12 and February 14, it is rumored that General Greene slept a total of 4 hours.

Once Greene was across, word was sent to Williams who then high-tailed it toward the Dan and made it across safely.

Disheartened and without boats, Cornwallis retreats southward from the Dan River to Hillsborough, NC. One month later in March, Cornwallis and Greene meet for the final time in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse; a technical British victory, but at what cost? Cornwallis must forfeit the victorious battlefield and retreat to Wilmington for troops and supplies, then gives up North Carolina all together in favor of taking Virginia at Yorktown...only to be besieged and surrenders.

OK, now that the history lesson is complete, here's what happened today: an old tobacco processing plant called "The Prizery" in South Boston, VA holds a new display highlighting this military manouever. Chris made the trip today the 27th and found it enlightening and entertaining. It opened yesterday the 26th.

An online story can be found before the opening here and afterwards here.


Displays and maps and artifacts and uniforms and flags; all on display on the third floor of a tobacco building overlooking the Dan River. Chris talked up the curator and she obviously saw the gleam in his eye. "You've heard of the Race to the Dan before your visit today?" Why of course! She then gave Chris directions to the riverbank and see the actual ferry crossing where the last remnants of the Southern Army crossed. Greene and a majority of the army crossed 4 miles down at Irwin's Ferry, but Lighthorse Harry Lee and Otho Williams crossed at Boyd's Ferry, now occupied by a railroad bridge. Wow.

The entire photo set, albeit just a few more than were posted here, can be found here. Truly a nice day for driving and feeding the inner nerd.


The cool thing is that there was a stash of 200 1-cent stamps from 1936 featuring Washington and Greene found, and as a fundraiser they were affixed to envelopes highlighting the opening of the exhibit and sold. Chris got one of the 200 after his visit. Sweet.

As an aside, a monumental occurrence happened to the Jeep during the drive home. Observe: