Battle of Wetzell's Mill

On March 6, 1781, forces tied to Nathanael Greene's Continental Army and militia clashed with Banastre Tarleton's Loyalist provincial troops at Wetzell's Mill, located in Guilford County, North Carolina. This engagement is sometimes recorded under alternate spellings such as Weitzell, Weitzel, Whitesell, Whitsell, or Whitsall.

At the time, Greene sought to steer clear of direct confrontation with Cornwallis, whose army outnumbered his own, while he waited for reinforcements to arrive. To keep tabs on the British commander's movements, he dispatched Williams along with several hundred men to scout ahead. Cornwallis discovered Williams' location on March 4 and recognized an opportunity: Williams was cut off from Greene's main force by Reedy Ford Creek, leaving him vulnerable. In response, Cornwallis ordered Tarleton to lead 1,200 men toward the crossing at Wetzell's Mill.

Before dawn on March 6, Tarleton's troops attempted a surprise approach on Williams, who was stationed roughly ten miles south of the ford. A short clash broke out, after which both sides dashed toward the crossing. Williams assigned Harry "Light Horse" Lee to hold the rear and shield the withdrawal, allowing his troops to reach the ford before Tarleton's men arrived. Once his forces made it across, Williams chose to hold his ground and fight at that spot.

Tarleton's initial push across the water was beaten back, but he succeeded on his second try, forcing Williams to pull back.

Background

Britain's push to reclaim its breakaway colonies rested on the "southern strategy," a plan to seize the southern colonies and push northward, which got underway in late 1779 when Savannah, Georgia fell. By the start of 1781, British authority nominally extended over Georgia and South Carolina, two Continental Armies had already been captured or scattered, and General Lord Cornwallis was pursuing a third out of North Carolina, this one led by General Nathanael Greene. Operating with a leaner, more agile force, Greene had gambled by splitting his troops at one juncture, a decision that paid off when Daniel Morgan overcame Cornwallis's principal cavalry unit, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, at Cowpens that January.

Recognizing that striking Morgan or Greene individually would be far simpler than fighting them combined, Cornwallis shed every nonessential burden from his army and pressed forward in pursuit. Morgan and Greene did manage to unite their troops, yet their combined strength remained modest since many enlistments were running out, prompting Greene to keep withdrawing north toward Virginia rather than risk a major engagement. This maneuver became known as the "Race to the Dan," named for the Dan River running near the Virginia-North Carolina boundary. Reaching the river before Cornwallis, Greene found it, like other waterways in the region, swollen from heavy rain, and he crossed into the comparative security of Virginia.

Once resupplied and bolstered by fresh reinforcements, Greene brought his army back across the Dan, intending to eventually provoke a decisive clash once further troops joined him. While moving his main force back and forth through Guilford County, he dispatched Colonel Otho Williams, along with light infantry companies, riflemen, and Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee's cavalry, to shadow Cornwallis's army and keep tabs on it, allowing Greene himself to keep maneuvering without triggering a large battle. In response, Cornwallis dispatched Tarleton on missions meant to locate Greene's force and compel a fight.

On March 3, Williams sent a detachment to strike at the British encampment. This group killed a handful of sentries and captured two prisoners before withdrawing to Williams's position at Wetzell's Mill, situated near a crossing point on Reedy Ford Creek. Three days later, on March 6, Cornwallis ordered Tarleton to move against Williams.

Battle

Warned that Tarleton was closing in, Williams pulled the bulk of his force back over the ford and formed a defensive line on the far bank. The remaining light infantrymen under his command were pushed across the river by Tarleton's advancing troops. In response, Tarleton dispatched a company drawn from the 23rd Regiment, placing James Webster in charge of the effort to force the crossing. Williams instructed his riflemen to single out Webster, and Henry Lee later noted that they fired at him one after another, yet neither Webster nor his mount suffered so much as a scratch. Despite this resistance, the British managed to push across the creek, and Tarleton kept up the pursuit for several miles before abandoning it and returning to join the rest of his army.

Aftermath

After the engagement, Williams and his troops made their way back to Greene's main force. With 2,500 fresh soldiers now added to its ranks, the army readied itself to confront Cornwallis in the vicinity of Guilford County, North Carolina. This buildup culminated in the pivotal clash at Guilford Courthouse, which took place on March 15.