Fifth graders at Excelsior School in Granite Bay learned about one of the bloodiest battles of the “War of Independence” during a presentation by the Gold Country Sons of the American Revolution on Tuesday.
They learned how the 1781 Battle of Guildford Court House in North Carolina ended with the Americans retreating — and the British subsequently abandoning their mission in the south.
“You may not even see this in your history books … but it was one of the most important battles of the American Revolution,” said presenter Dave Gilliard.
Gilliard and fellow members of the Sons of the American Revolution dressed in period attire as they recounted this pivotal battle. The group attempts to bring history alive so students better understand why Americans have fought for freedom.
By the end of February, the group will have presented to about 900 students in local schools. They invite these students to participate in a national Sons of the American Revolution poster contest. The winners earn scholarships.
They talk about reasons for the Revolutionary War and how the American Continental Army and militia learned a different way to fight from the American Indians. While the British Army marched in a straight line, the Americans hid behind trees and rocks, shot their guns and scattered.
In the Battle of Guildford, the Americans left the battlefield to save their troops. Of the roughly 4,000 American men who fought, 79 died and 185 were wounded. But of the British’s 1,900 men, 413 were wounded and 93 killed. Because of the heavy casualties, the British retreated.
Presenter Conni Barker also told the kids about life in colonial times — for instance how people accessed water.
“You had to carry a pail of water from a stream nearby and haul it back to your house,” said student Adam Zinn in response to a question.
People also grew their own food and sewed their own clothes.
“Their life was a whole lot different,” Barker said.
