Source: Arthur Forbis Monument
Arthur Forbis Memorial, Guilford Courthouse
This monument in the shape of a traditional tombstone is dedicated to Colonel Arthur Forbis, who was mortally wounded during the battle at Guilford Courthouse. The memorial is 2 feet high and 6 inches thick, set in a base of the same stone.
Front: IN HONOR OF / COL. ARTHUR FORBIS / OF THE N.C. TROOPS / WHO FELL AT HIS POST IN THE DIS / CHARGE OF DUTY / ON THIS MEMORABLE / FIELD OF BATTLE / MARCH 15 1781
Base: PRESENTED BY MCGALLIARD & HUSKE / JULY 4, 1887
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
July 4, 1887
36.130040 , -79.848070
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"A Monument to Col. Forbis," Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, NC), August 12, 1887 Link
"Col. Arthur Forbis," The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed January 17, 2018) Link
A Memorial Volume of the Guilford Battle Ground Company, (Greensboro, NC: Guilford Battleground Company, 1893), 1-27, (accessed February 8, 2012) Link
Baker, Thomas E. and Michael H. White. The Monuments at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, North Carolina, (Greensboro, NC: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, 1991)
Folder 16 in David Schenck Papers, #652, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, see scans 6-8, 10-15, 26-28, 91-100 Link
Grimes, J. Bryan. "Why North Carolina Should Erect and Preserve Memorials and Mark Historic Places: Address Before the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, Raleigh, N.C., November 4, 1909," ([Raleigh, NC: The News and Observer, 1909]), (accessed May 18, 2012) Link
National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. North Carolina National Register of Historic Places. "Inventory Form - Guilford Courthouse National Military Park," (accessed November 6, 2019) Link
“A Monument to Col. Forbis,” Greensboro North State (Greensboro, NC), August 11, 1887
“Guilford Battle Ground,” The Morning News (Greensboro, NC), July 5, 1887
“Organization of the Guilford Battle Ground Company,” The Greensboro Patriot (Greensboro, NC), December 23, 1887
Yes
Forsyth County Granite
McGalliard and Huske Stoneworks of Kernersville, NC
The memorial was donated by McGalliard and Huske Stoneworks. It was valued at $100.
News reports and the monument inscription say it was “presented” on July 4, 1887 although a Greensboro news article on July 5, 1887 still called for a local marble and stone company to donate a monument to Forbis in support of developing the battle ground. In any case the monument did not arrive in Greensboro by rail until August 1887 as reported in newspapers across the state. It does not appear there was a formal dedication outside of annual celebrations held at the site.
Arthur Forbis was a Captain in the Guilford County militia under Colonel James Martin. He acted as commander of the Guilford militia in Martin’s absence, while Martin rode to the courthouse to rally fugitives.
The monument to Forbis was the first erected at the battleground. He is buried at Alamance Presbyterian Church where a monument marking his grave was dedicated on July 4, 1860.
The memorial stands on Tour Road, within Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. James Tate Grave is about five hundred feet away.
Mature trees and bushes serve as a picturesque backdrop.
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