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CHAP. XX.

1781.

and the time of their continuance in service al

ways uncertain. Yet much generalfhip and military addrefs had been shewn on various occafions, both by the young hero and the aged veteran. They through all the fummer, oppofed the vigilance and fuperior force of lord Cornwallis, with great courage and dexterity.

Lord Cornwallis had made feveral judicious attempts to furprise the marquis with his little armament, confifting, as his lordship occafionally obferved, "moftly of unarmed peafantry." But wary and brave, his ability and judgment had fupplied the deficiencies, and balanced the weaknefs of his detachment; and before the arrival of the generals Washington and Rochambeau, the marquis de la Fayette had rendered very effential service to the American cause, by his valor and firmness in the state of Virginia.

Lord Cornwallis had been but a few days at Portsmouth, before he received a letter from fir Henry Clinton, cenfuring him in direct terms for attempting to pafs James River, and taking his ftand at Portsmouth, though he had before recommended this to general Phillips, as a convenient poft. He obferved, that he had flattered himself, until he had the honor to receive his lordship's letter of the 8th of July, "that upon re-confidering the general purport of our correfpondence, and general Phillips's papers "in your poffeffion, you would at least have

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1781.

"waited for a line from me, in anfwer to your CHAP. XX. "letter of the 30th ultimo, before you finally "determined upon fo ferious and mortifying a "move, as the repaffing James River, and retiring with your army to Portsmouth. And I "was the more induced to hope that this would "have been the cafe, as we both feemed to agree in our opinion of the propriety of tak

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ing a healthy ftation on the neck between "York and James Rivers, for the purpose of covering a proper harbor for our line of bat"tle fhips."

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Through all his correfpondencies, orders, commands, countermands, and indecifion, during the prefent fummer, no man ever appeared more embarraffed, or more totally at a lofs how to arrange his military manoeuvres, than did general Clinton. He appeared at times to confider the reduction of Virginia as a primary object, and that it was of the highest importance that lord Cornwallis fhould be there ftrengthened and fupported, both by fea and land: at other periods, he treated the operations there in fo light a manner, that his ideas could not be comprehended, even by fo intelligent an oflicer as lord Cornwallis.

It was not more than three or four weeks previous to the date of the above letter, that

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CHAP. XX.

1781.

fir Henry Clinton had preffed his lordship, as if in a fudden fright, to fend him two thousand troops to aid in the defence of New York: and, as if under fome panic-ftruck influence, he faid, "The fooner they are fent the better; "unless your lordship may have adopted my "plan to move to Baltimore, or the Delaware "Neck, and put yourself in a way to co-operate "with us; but even in that cafe, you can fpare "us fomething I fuppofe. From all the letters "I have feen, I am of opinion, if circumftances "of provisions, ftores, &c., turn out as they "wish, that the enemy will certainly attack "this poft. As for men for fuch an object, in "this (circumstanced as they suppose it to be) "it cannot be doubted that they can raife a fuf"ficient number."

Sir Henry Clinton had found by an intercepted letter, that there were eight thousand men collected at Weft Point, and that others were coming in very faft. He informed Cornwallis, that he had certain intelligence that admiral Barras had failed from Rhode Island; that many circumftances had put it beyond a doubt, that the design was to form a junction between him and general Washington, and that they meditated an attempt on the poft at New York.

It is needless to detail much more of the correfpondencies of the British officers acting at

1781.

this time in America: their characters are fuf- CHAP. xx. ficiently elucidated, not only by their own letters, but by fubfequent tranfactions. It is enough to obferve, that by the correspondence of the general officers, afterwards published in England, it clearly appears, that they did not harmonize in opinion; their councils at this time were confused, and their plans indecisive.

Yet it is worthy of notice, that distrust, diffenfion, and vilification, were kept up equally between fome of the British naval commanders and fir Henry Clinton. In one of his confidential letters he complained, that "all opportuni"ties of advantage were impeded or loft, by the "flowness and obftinacy of the admiral." He obferved, that "his strange conduct had, if pos

fible, been more infcrutable than ever at one "time, he declared he was immediately going "home; at another, he had fworn that he "knew nothing of his recal.”

In a fecret and confidential letter to general Phillips, fir Henry Clinton affured him, that "if "he was not better fatisfied by the next post, "relative to the recal of admiral Graves, he "fhould probably leave the management of him folely to lord Cornwallis."* In this letter he

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cenfured his lordship in direct terms, for leaving the Carolinas but half fubdued, to pursue the chi

See general Clinton's vindicatory letter.

CHAP. XX.

1781.

merical project of doubtful conquests in Virginia. He afferted, that his invitation, not his com. mands to his lordfhip, to come to the Chefapeake, was on the fuppofition that every thing was fettled in the Carolinas, agreeably to the wishes of adminiftration, and the defigns of the government of England.

Sure of the confidence of general Phillips, fir Henry Clinton expreffed the utmoft aftonifh. ment, that "with nine British battalions, a le"gion of infantry, a detachment of yaughers, "five Heffian and feveral provincial battalions, "fome American light-horfe, and large detach"ments of artillery and dragoons, that lord "Cornwallis fhould yet pretend that he want"ed forces fufficient for the moft folid opera"tions in Virginia."*

He fneered at his lordfhip's idea, that it was impoffible to act with his army in Carolina, without the affiftance of friends. This reflection alluded to a letter received by him, in which lord Cornwallis obferved, that the roval caufe had few friends in that country, and that when a ftorm threatened, even thofe few dif appeared. An hiftorian has obferved, that "Chofroes relinquished the Colchian war in

* General Clinton's letter to major general Phillips, April, 1781, printed in England with his other letters.

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