CHAP. XX 1781. and in the beginning of June, he was relieved from an affociate fo disagreeable to the feelings of a man of honor, by Arnold's return to New York. Sir Henry Clinton had various reasons for the recal of this officer: these he did not announce: but he doubtless thought, that from his conftitutional boldness, and the defperate fit. uation in which he would be found if defeated by the Americans, that Arnold would be a use ful agent if New York should be seriously attacked. But the principal defign appeared foon after, to be that of employing him in a business for which he was peculiarly calculated; the surprise, the plundering, and burning the plantations and defenceless towns, on the sea-coast of the state of Connecticut, and other places. The unexpected and much lamented death of general Phillips, and the recal of general Arnold, a man held odious by Cornwallis in every point of view, left his lordship the fole responsibility for events in Virginia: and perhaps the movements and termination of the cam paign there, were conducted with as much judgment, ability, and military skill, as could have been exhibited by any officer, involved in fimilar difficulties and embarrassments. It was not many weeks after lord Cornwallis arrived in Virginia, before the intelligence he received from the fouthward, filled him with the most serious and alarming apprehenfions for the fafety of lord Rawdon. He found by the moft authenticated accounts, that general Greene had taken the advantage of his abfence, and had moved with all poffible expedition toward the environs of Charleston; that fuccefs had attended his manoeuvres in various inftances; and that lord Rawdon had as frequently been disappointed in his fyftems. To return, and follow him, was impracticable; though in his opinion, the Carolinas were in the utmost danger of being loft to Great Britain. Yet the work affigned him in Virginia, required the talents and the vigilance of the ableft commander. On his arrival in that ftate, he found the Americans in high fpirits, and their troops strongly posted on the most convenient grounds. He found that general Arnold had done little to facilitate the conqueft of Virginia. He had indeed burnt feveral houfes, destroyed fome stores, and murdered many of the inhabitants; but no confiftent plan of conqueft appeared to have been either arranged or executed. His lordship also felt heavily the death of general Phillips, from whom he expected much information and advice, in the critical emergencies that opened upon him the farther he advanced. CHAP. XX. 1781. CHAP. XX. 1781. The orders of general Clinton were peremptory, and to Cornwallis appeared infcrutable: and in addition to the lift of perplexities and difappointments that daily thickened upon him, he received orders from fir Henry Clinton, to fend on a part of his troops for the defence of New York, which he ftill apprehended would foon be attacked by the combined armies of France and America. Thus, embarrassed on every fide, his own fyftems deranged, his judgment flighted, and his opinions difregarded by the commander in chief, his lordship was evidently chagrined; yet he loft not the vigilance or activity of an officer of diftinguished valor; and foon made an effort to concentrate his troops, and to place the main body of his army in the posts he judged beft calculated for defence. In this he dif fered widely in opinion from fir Henry Clinton; but finally took his ftand at York-Town, in obedience to the orders of the commander in chief. The marquis de la Fayette had not been idle before the arrival of lord Cornwallis; and afterwards aided by the judgment and experience of the baron de Steuben, who arrived in the month of June, he kept the British troops in. play for fome time. But the number of his troops was inconfiderable, and most of them militia-men they were easily routed in detached ! bodies, by the more experienced partifans who opposed them. Befides many officers of fuperior name and character, in the train of lord Cornwallis, he was attended with very many who had no higher defcription of talent, than what was neceffary for fudden and bold invafion of the weak and defencelefs, without any relentings, or compaffionate feelings toward the victims who fell into their hands. In a war like the prefent, they had many opportunities of indulging their propenfities, and exhibiting thofe talents. The violent and cruel vigilance of colonel Tarleton is already too well known to require any comment. Among other British partifans of notoriety, was a colonel Hamilton, who had diftinguished himself for his activity and his feverity, from Georgia to Virginia. Not lefs active than either of the above, was a colonel Simcoe, more remarkable for intrigue, ftratagem, and furprise, than for the cool operations of the commander of magnanimity. The courage which is accompanied by humanity, is a virtue; but bravery that pushes through all dangers to deftroy, is barbarous, is favage, is brutal. These were the principal officers at this time, that headed the detachments in moft of the 1781. CHAP. XX. 1781. marauding parties that infefted the ftate of Virginia. Simcoe had diftinguished himself in this way through the Jerfies, until taken prifoner by the Americans. When he recovered his liberty, he purfued the game; and became fo perfect in the art of coup de main, that in one of his excursions in Virginia, he eluded even the vigilance of the baron Steuben, fo far as to oblige him to remove with precipitation from an advantageous poft, not without confiderable lofs. Lord Cornwallis himfelf detailed fome of the heroic feats of this trio, in a letter to fir Henry Clinton, dated Williamsburgh, June 30th. The principal defign of his lordship was by their movements to prevent the junction of general Wayne, who was marching through Maryland to the affiftance of the marquis de la Fayette. He pushed his light troops over a river in haste, in order to effect this if poffible. Finding it impracticable, and that in fpite of all his efforts general Wayne had made good his march, and reached his intended poft, he took the advantage of the marquis's paffing the Rappahannock, and detached lieutenant colonels Simcoe and Tarleton, to difturb the affembly of the ftate, then fitting at Charlotteville. The refult of this excurfion was the capture of feveral of the members of the affembly, and the wafte of the continental ftores in that quarter. They deftroyed at Charlotteville, and on their return, |