March 15, 1781. A rebel army of 4,400 Americans led by Major General Nathanael Greene made its stand here to contest the invasion of North Carolina by a veteran force of 1,900 British soldiers commanded by Lt. General Charles, Earl Cornwallis.The Battle of Guilford Courthouse marked the limit of British occupation in the South during the Revolutionary War. It also left Lord Cornwallis’ army in tatters. As the British columns limped eastward to gather supplies and reinforcements, General Greene’s forces would march south to overrun the last remaining outposts of King George III. Only seven months after winning the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, besieged on land and sea by French and American forces, Cornwallis would surrender his army at Yorktown. This battle signified the beginning of the end of the Revolutionary War.Monument to General Cornwallis.General Greene split his forces into three lines, each one to progressively weaken the British forces.The first line was manned by Lt. Colonel Henry Lee. Lee’s orders were to withdraw to the second line when the first line gave way. But the thick woods and chaos of battle disoriented Lee’s men and the veered southeast and missed the left flank of the second line. This confusion had serious consequences for both armies. A large contingent of British and Hessians split off from the main British advance and pursued Lee’s Legion in a separate running battle, which fragmented the British attack, and both sides’ battle plans unraveled.This monument is dedicated to Peter Francisco, who according to legend, “slew in this engagement eleven of the enemy with his own broad sword rendering himself thereby perhaps the most famous private soldier of the Revolutionary War.The second line, with the Virginia militia, opened their ranks for the retreating North Carolinians from the first line. The Virginia militia faced 800 British infantry. The second line was posted in the woods, a strong position along the high ground. Firing from behind think trunks in the forest, they exchanged heavy fire with the advancing British infantry. The redcoats suffered heavy losses, but they were able to break through this line toward the third line.The third line was the day’s most contested ground. Here were the Patriots’ most seasoned troops, the Maryland and Delaware Continentals. The Patriots held the high ground, forcing the British to climb out of the creek valley into the fighting. With the British Guard advancing, this was the day’s fiercest fighting. As the British overwhelmed the left and the right, General Greene directed an orderly retreat.As the Americans withdrew from the field they lost all four of their cannons to the British. Mostly ineffective in the heavily wooded terrain, they were devastating to enemy troops crossing cleared ground.A British battalion swept across this ground from right to left. By this point the British have momentum but their ranks had been thinned.Statue of Major General Nathanael Greene. This is a very impressive statue.
October 7, 1780. A battalion of loyal Americans stood battle-ready on the spine of Kings Mountain. Lord Cornwallis’ powerful army had ground its way north from Charleston with an unbroken string of victories. Here, they were primed to finish off the rebels gathering below the mountain.The Patriots who formed battle lines at the foot of the hillside were local boys who know the mountain well.The ground was soggy from a hard morning rain. The North Carolinians left their horses a half mile away, so they had to slog across swampy ground to reach this slope.Isaac Shelby, Patriot leader from Tennessee told his men “When we encounter the enemy, don’t wait for a word of command. Let each of you be your own officer, and do the very best you can. If in the woods, shelter yourselves and give them the Indian play, and advance from tree to tree, and killing and disabling all you can.Everyone know Colonel Sevier’s rugged frontiersman for their long-rifle markmanship and their touchy eagerness for a brawl. But no experienced military man expected men armed only with hunting weapons to be able to face and defeat real soldiers trained to use the bayonet.This ridge was craggy and rough, covered with flame and smoke, where Campbell’s Virginia regiment’s assignment was to lead the first strike against the Tories. Some Patriots stood their ground and were run through, most broke and ran. William Campbell stood halfway between the enemy and his own men, now on the run. He shouted “Halt! Return my brave fellows, and you will drive the enemy immediately!” The Virginians turned about and rallied to attack again.In Memory of the patriotic Americans who participated in the Battle of Kings Mountain. This monument is erected by their grateful Descendants.To commemorate the victory of King’s Mountain October 7, 1780 Erected by the government of the United States to the establishment of which the heroism and patriotism of those who participated in this battle so largely contributedMarker memorializing Patrick Ferguson, killed at King’s Mountain. British commander at King’s Mountain, Colonel Ferguson was well liked and esteemed by Cornwallis, who commanded the British in the Southern Theater. Even though a deadly rifle shot himself, Ferguson underestimated the capabilities of the Patriot’s rifle at King’s Mountain.On this site President Hoover addressed an audience of 75,000 at the celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Kings Mountain October 7, 1930.Colonel William Campbell of VirginiaPatrick FergusonMajor Patrick Ferguson patented this breech-loading rifle in England in 1776. Between 100 and 200 of the infantry model Ferguson Rifle were produced and put into service during the Revolutionary War.The museum portrayed the back country of North Carolina.The Patriot Victory at King’s Mountain October 7, 1780, by Richard Luce.Diorama of the battle.
Jimmy Carter was our 39th president, from 1977-1981. He was elected in 1976, the first presidential election I voted in (for Ford!)This museum chronicles Carter’s life from his birth in Plains GA.This was his high chair as a baby.Carter’s family raised peanuts, which became the source of many jokes during his rise on the national stage.Jimmy and Rosslyn at their wedding in 1946.Their marriage license.Pictures from Carter’s inauguration as governor of Georgia 1971.Carter burst on the national scene in 1976 running for President.Reproduction of President Carter’s Oval Office.Year by year in Carter’s presidency.December 2, 1980. President Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, protecting more than 100 million acres of land.October 28 debate with Ronald Reagan.Neat view of President Carter’s stored presidential records.A remarkable portrait by Octavio Ocampo 1979. Details are broken down below:President Carter negotiated a treaty (over much opposition) with Panama that would return control of the Panama Canal back to Panama in 2000. Bad move.President Carter’s energy and environment plan: turn down the thermostat and wear a sweater.President Carter normalized relations with China. And here we are.President Carter negotiated the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) with the Soviet Union, just prior to the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan, and the Islamic revolution swept over Iran and kidnapped Americans at the US Embassy in Tehran.First lady Rosslyn Carter played an active role in the Carter Administration. She was “Ambassador to the Americas” for the president. She was also honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health, and she pushed for childhood immunizations for all 50 states.The singular greatest achievement by President Carter was the Camp David Accords, which created a peace between Egypt and Israel. This is a peace that has lasted to this day. A worthy accomplishment for the president to be proud of.Late 1979 into 1980 were a disaster for President Carter. Islamic revolutionaries in Iran stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took Americans as hostages. The daily Day count was a constant drip, drip reminder to the American public of our helplessness. Ultimately, President Carter’s accomplishment was that the hostages were able to come home alive, released at the very minute President Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president on January 20, 1981.The Soviets invaded Afghanistan shortly after President Carter had negotiated the SALT treat with the Soviets. Another world event that displayed our helplessness.Inflation was another issue that President Carter was unable to bring under control.The general malaise and obvious failures on both domestic and worldwide issues caused a great turning by the American electorate. Ronald Reagan defeated the incumbent President Carter in 44 of 50 states, an embarrassing landslide.The hostages return home.Four presidents: Reagan, Ford, Carter and Nixon.President Carter was much more successful as an ex-President. He started Habitat for Humanity, building and repairing homes for disadvantaged people.The Carters became active in monitoring elections around the world, working for fair elections, and against mail-in ballots. They monitored elections in Indonesia, Lebanon, Ghana, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama, among others.Election Observer badges for the Carters in Lebanon.Carter also became very involved in eliminating chronic diseases in the third world, particularly river blindness in Africa and Latin America.River blindness, elephantiasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma and malaria affect millions of people, mostly the poor. All these diseases are preventable or have treatments. The Carter Center works to bring medicine and health education to these African and Latin American nations.President Carter was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.President Carter also won a Grammy for the Spoken Word.President Bill Clinton awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to both President Jimmy and First Lady Rosslyn Carter. It is the highest civilian honor in the US.Sightless Among Miracles. This sculpture brings attention to the prevalence of river blindness in Africa. For hundreds of years, a child leading a blind elder has been the fate of families stricken with river blindness in Africa and Latin America. Now the demise of this ancient scourge is in sight, as Merck, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer have donated hundreds of millions of doses of medicine for the work of the Carter Center.Mectizan (Ivermectin), Zithromax, Albendazole for treating diseases in the third world. Hmm, seems like Ivermectin is pretty important, huh?
Quick visit in Gainesville GA. Did you know Gainesville is the Poultry Capital of the World?Never thought I would see a sculpture of a chicken!Confederate statue in the town square.First private mint in the US was here.Interesting sign…Apparently, the people of Gainesville do not obey signs.Confederate General Longstreet lived in Gainesville.Gainesville High School, home of the Red Elephants!
Lots of towns have a “solar system” walk, but I had never actually done one before, so since I had some time to kill, I decided to give Gainesville’s a try. Of course, it starts with the sun.Gainesville Solar System map.This is the last marker. There used to be one for Pluto to the left here at the end of the trail, but they must have removed it after it was determined that Pluto is not actually a planet (or is it?).
