Trading Ford (Yadkin River) – Greene’s Escape Route

Edit | 🗺️ Trading Ford (Yadkin River) – Greene’s Escape Route

🗺️ Trading Ford (Yadkin River) – Greene’s Escape Route

The Trading Ford, located about 7 miles northeast of Salisbury, served as a key crossing on the Great Wagon Road in Feb 1781, letting Greene’s army cross safely around February 2 loc.gov+15dncr.nc.gov+15amrevnc.com+15.
Greene’s forces used available boats, bateaux, and canoes at the crossing — taking all of them across — and forced Cornwallis’ army to wait behind until they eventually moved to Shallow Ford amrevnc.com+1dncr.nc.gov+1.
This crossing wasn’t just opportunistic; it fulfilled Greene’s plan to flank Cornwallis with a swift northward push toward the Dan River americanacorner.com.

Late-January 1781: Greene leaves Charlotte, moves northeast toward the modern Cabarrus–Rowan line, using Ninth Mile Creek as a rallying spot.
February 2, 1781: Reaches Trade Ford, crossing the Yadkin River en masse, depriving Cornwallis of easy pursuit outlandernorthcarolina.com+14dncr.nc.gov+14carolana.com+14.
Immediately after: Cornwallis followed but waited on the far side, then found an alternative crossing at Shallow Ford, several miles upriver amrevnc.com+1dncr.nc.gov+1.
Greene continued northeast toward the Dan River, setting the stage for the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781.