Battle of Green Spring

The Battle of Green Spring was Cornwallis's most clever maneuver of the Virginia campaign — a trap that nearly destroyed Anthony Wayne's force and demonstrated that Cornwallis could be a skillful tactician when he chose to be. Cornwallis was crossing the James River at Jamestown Ford, and the crossing appeared to offer an opportunity to strike his rear guard.

Cornwallis feigned weakness, concealing most of his army in the woods while presenting only a small force at the ford. When Wayne approached with about 800 men, believing he faced only Cornwallis's rear guard, he found himself facing the entire British army. The trap was sprung — Cornwallis's hidden main body emerged and Lafayette could not reach Wayne in time to support him.

Wayne made a desperate decision: rather than retreat in the face of the entire British army, he charged forward with his 800 men against thousands of British troops. The audacity of the charge caught the British momentarily off balance. Wayne's men fought furiously before breaking off and retreating. The gamble cost 28 killed and 99 wounded but probably saved the force from being surrounded and destroyed.

Wayne's aggressive response to a seemingly hopeless situation — charging when retreat seemed logical — was characteristic of 'Mad Anthony' Wayne and prevented a much greater disaster. Cornwallis continued his march to the coast and eventually to Yorktown, where his fate awaited.