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South Anna (Virginia, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
The boy cannot escape me. The youthful commander warily kept to the north of his pursuer, and, passing South and North Anna, went through the wilderness across the Rapidan, and on the seventh of June made a junc- June 7. tion with Wayne not far from Raccoon ford. Small as was his force, he compared the British in Virginia to the French occupation of Hanover in the seven years war, and confidently predicted analogous results. Cornwallis advanced as far as Hanover courthouse, then crossed South Anna, and, having failed in his first object, he sent out two detachments,—one of cavalry under Tarleton to break up the Virginia assembly, then in session at Charlottesville; the other to the Point of Fork, where Steuben, with five hundred Virginians of the line and a few of the militia, kept guard over large stores intended for the south. The main body of his army, in its camp on the James river, just below Byrd creek, awaited the return of the expeditions. For the next ten days, Cornwallis
Middlesex County (Virginia, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
duced to eightyseven. A fortnight later the motion of Sir James Lowther to give up all further attempts to reduce the revolted colonies was well received by the Chap. XXV.} 1781 Nov. members from the country, and the majority of the ministry after a very long and animated debate dwindled to forty-one. The city of London entreated the king to put an end to this unnatural and unfortunate war. Such, too, was the wish of public meetings in Westminster, in Southwark, and in the counties of Middlesex and Surrey. The house of commons employed the recess in grave reflection. The chimes of the Christmas bells had hardly died away when the king wrote as stubbornly as ever: No difficulties can get me to consent to the getting of peace at the expense of a separation from America. Yet Lord George Germain was compelled to retire ingloriously from the cabinet. It was sought to palliate his disgrace with a peerage; but as he crossed the threshold of the house of lords, he was met by the
Richmond (Virginia, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
, with sixteen hundred men, appeared by his order in the James river. The generous state had sent its best troops and arms tis career in Virginia by seizing the fine horses on the James river, and mounting a Chap. XXV.} 1781. gallant and most effehe south. The main body of his army, in its camp on the James river, just below Byrd creek, awaited the return of the expediejoined the camp of Cornwallis, which extended along the James river from the Point of Fork to a little below the mouth of Byning the advanced guard reached the opposite bank of the James river. Two or three more days were required to carry over all y of the British army was still on the north side of the James river; but Wayne, without his knowledge, detached a party undeank, where the long peninsula dividing the York from the James river is less than eight miles wide. The water is broad, boldundred of his seamen and ninety officers were on duty in James river, ordered his ships to slip their cables, turn out from t
Hudson River (Maryland, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
o sea to put myself under his orders. The same spirit insured unanimity in the mixed council of war. The rendezvous was given to de Grasse in Chesapeake Bay; and, at the instance of Washington, he was to bring with him as many land troops as could be spared from the West Indies. Clinton was so certain in his own mind that the siege of New York was the great object of Washington, that, although the force under his command, including militia, was nearly eighteen thousand, he suffered the Hudson river to be crossed on the 23. 24. twenty-third and twenty-fourth of August without seizing the opportunity to give annoyance. Von Wurmb, a Hessian colonel, who had command at King's bridge, again and again reported that the allied armies were obviously preparing to move against Cornwallis; but the general insisted that the appearances were but a stratagem. On the second Sept. 2. of September, it first broke on his mind that Washington was moving southward. In the allied camp all was joy
Carolina City (North Carolina, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
f property was not equal to the loss in skirmishes on the route and from the heats of midsummer. From his camp on Malvern Hill, Lafayette urged Washington to march to Virginia in force, and he predicted in July that if a French fleet should enter Hampton roads the English army must surrender. In like manner, on the eighth of the same month, Cornwallis, in reply to Clinton, reasoned earnestly against a defensive post in the Chesapeake. It cannot have the smallest influence on the war in Carolina: it only gives us some acres of an unhealthy swamp, and is Chap. XXV.} 1781. July. for ever liable to become a prey to a foreign enemy with a temporary superiority at sea. Thoroughly disgusted with the aspect of affairs in Virginia, he asked leave to transfer the command to General-Leslie, and for himself to go back to Charleston. Meantime transport ships arrived in the Chesapeake: and, in a letter which he received on the twelfth, he was desired by his chief so to hasten the embarkatio
Massachusetts (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
d to substitute for executive committees a single head of each of the most important departments; and, against the opinion of Samuel Adams and without aid from Massachusetts, the system was adopted. Robert Morris was placed in charge of the finances of the confederation; the conduct of foreign affairs was intrusted to Robert Livinxtreme. Meantime the conduct of the war continued to languish for the want of a central government. In the states from which the most was hoped, Hancock of Massachusetts was vain and neglectful of business. The president of Pennsylvania was more ready to recount what the state had done than what it meant to do; so that the armlate de Grasse on his victory. The system of co-operation between the land and naval forces was at the same time concerted. At this moment Gerry wrote from Massachusetts to Jay: You will soon have the pleasure of hearing of the capture of Lord Cornwallis and his army. Nothing can save Cornwallis, said Greene, but a rapid retre
Jamestown (Virginia) (Virginia, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
ng that he had been tempted to engage a greatly superior force, saw his only safety in redoubling his courage; and he kept up the fight till Lafayette, braving the hottest fire, in which his horse was killed under him, brought up the light infantry, and rescued the Pennsylvanians from their danger. Two of Wayne's field-pieces were left behind. In killed and wounded, each side lost about one hundred and twenty. The action took its name from the Green Springs farm, about eight miles above Jamestown, where Lafayette encamped for the night. After passing the river, Cornwallis, on the eighth, wrote orders to Tarleton with mounted troops to ravage Prince Edward's and Bedford counties, and to destroy all stores, whether public or private. The benefit derived from the destruction of property was not equal to the loss in skirmishes on the route and from the heats of midsummer. From his camp on Malvern Hill, Lafayette urged Washington to march to Virginia in force, and he predicted in
Elizabeth (Virginia, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
linquish it. Remain in Chesapeake, at least until the stations I have proposed are occupied and established. It never was my intention to continue a post on Elizabeth river. Now the post of Portsmouth on Elizabeth river had, as Lafayette and Washington well understood, the special value that it offered in the last resort the chaElizabeth river had, as Lafayette and Washington well understood, the special value that it offered in the last resort the chance of an escape into the Carolinas. The engineers, after careful and extensive surveys, reported unanimously, that a work on Point Comfort would not secure ships at anchor in Hampton roads. To General Phillips on his embarkation in April, Clinton's words had been: With regard to a station for the protection of the king's shipsay after de Grasse had arrived in the Ches- Sept. 5. apeake. Early on the fifth of September, Graves discovered the French fleet at anchor in the mouth of the Chesapeake. De Grasse, though eighteen hundred of his seamen and ninety officers were on duty in James river, ordered his ships to slip their cables, turn out from the an
Brest (France) (search for this): chapter 26
y. In the evening, Philadelphia was illuminated with greater splendor than at any time before. Congress voted honors to Washington, to Rochambeau, and to de Grasse, with special thanks to the officers and troops. A marble column was to be erected at Yorktown, with emblems of the alliance between the United States and his most Christian Majesty. The Duke de Lauzun, chosen to take the news across the Atlantic, arrived in twenty-two days at Best, and reached Versailles on the nineteenth of Brest, and reached Versailles on the nineteenth of Nov. 19. November. The king, who had just been made Chap. XXV.} 1781. Nov. 19. happy by the birth of a dauphin, received the glad news in the queen's apartment. The very last sands of the life of the Count de Maurepas were running out; but he could still recognise de Lauzun, and the tidings threw a halo round his death-bed. The joy at court penetrated the whole people, and the name of Lafayette was pronounced with veneration. History, said
North Carolina (North Carolina, United States) (search for this): chapter 26
lissimo of the combined armies of the two nations, to scenes of glory. The first act of Washington was to repair to the Ville de Paris to congratulate de Grasse on his victory. The system of co-operation between the land and naval forces was at the same time concerted. At this moment Gerry wrote from Massachusetts to Jay: You will soon have the pleasure of hearing of the capture of Lord Cornwallis and his army. Nothing can save Cornwallis, said Greene, but a rapid retreat through North Carolina to Charleston. On the seventeenth, Cornwallis reported to Clinton: This place is in no state of defence. If you cannot relieve me very soon, you must be prepared to hear the worst. On that same day, a Chap. XXV.} 1781 Sept. council of war, held by Clinton at New York, decided that Cornwallis must be relieved; at all events before the end of October. The next day RearAdmiral Graves answered: I am very happy to find that Lord Cornwallis is in no immediate danger. One peril yet men
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