during the absence of La Fayette. But the events in Europe at the same time, had the most important influence in behalf of the American cause. Not only France, but Spain had acknowledged the independence of the United States, so that both these powers united in a declaration of war against the British empire.

As there are always a few clouds that more or less overcast the most brilliant prospects in human affairs, both in public as well as private occurrences, in order to give a kind of counterpoise to nations as well as to persons, by placing an equilibrium in the scale of all earthly prosperity, so these bright omens in behalf of the United States, at the first cursory view of the case, might appear highly beneficial to the prosperity of the American cause, which had for some time been diffusing a spirit of joy throughout the Union. Still, as we have said, there was a kind of counterpoise in the too great expectations from the warlike powers of France and Spain, their new allies, with their puissant fleets. So that by placing too great confidence in their operations at sea, it might act unfavourably, not only on the people at large, but also on the activity and spirit of Congress, as in some measure came to pass, when some of them were almost ready to say, like an ancient king in the presence of one of Israel's prophets, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." So, when viewing with much confidence the co-operation of our new allies, we begin to sing, the bitterness or burden of the war is almost past. Both congress and the people were ready to indulge the pleasing thought, that the war with France and Spain would so entirely engross and occupy the forces of Britain, both by land and sea, that she would be obliged to abandon her project of coercing her revolted colonies into submission. This mistaken view of the case led Washington to endeavour to convince Congress of the fallacy of this opinion, and that the naval superiority of Britain over France and Spain would render the war with them of less consequence to the British government, than was at first supposed: so that this event, instead of causing her to relax, would be more likely to induce her to redouble her exertions, and call forth all her energies to the farther prosecution of the war against America; and that it was the wisdom of our national policy, as well as safety to ourselves, to prepare carrying on the war on a broader scale than had yet been done. About this time General Arnold, in September, 1780, made an arrangement with Sir Henry Clinton at New York, through the special agency of Major Andre, to deliver into the hand of the British commander in chief at New York, the strong hold and fortress at West Point, for which the arch traitor was to receive a most royal, princely reward, of ten thousand guineas, and a brigadier general's commission for life. Arnold, like a military shark, seized the bait. But Sir Henry Clinton lost the whale, or the fortress of West Point, by the overruling providence of the God of nations, through the pure republican fidelity and love of country of three militia men, who refused Major Andre's purse of gold. The dark designs of Arnold were discovered by the papers found in Major Andre's boot in Ar

for

nold's handwriting; which when the traitor became informed of, he fled with all possible speed on board the Vulture ship of war, which conveyed him safe to the British commander in New York, without the valuable prize of West Point. Arnold had been one of the primary satellites, that for four years had been revolving round the bright morning star of the American independence: so that we are justified in borrowing the language of one of the ancient bards of the children of Israel, and exclaim, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!"-how art thou fallen from the heaven of thy once republican glory, to rise no more out of the slough of thy traitorship. After this, Sir Henry Clinton sent Arnold into Connecticut, where the traitor having for some time distinguished himself by predatory incursions through Connecticut, marked in the wake he left behind him, plunder, robbery, and blood, with every other species of desolation, burning villages, towns, and private houses.

After the traitor had committed a vast number of depredations in the state of Connecticut, he returned to New York about the last of 1780, when his new master sent him to the state of Virginia, on a similar predatory excursion, and, after committing a number of devastations, worthy only the character of a traitor, at Richmond, Smithfield, and many other places, he at last established himself at Portsmouth in Virginia, so that by this time, namely, in the spring of 1781, Virginia was almost overrun by being invaded by Lord Cornwallis, with General Phillips, and their newly adopted brother Arnold, whose united forces were greatly superior to that of General La Fayette, whom General Washington had sent into Virginia, in order to defend the state as much as was in his power against the depredations of the British army, that now amounted to nearly nine thousand royal troops. At the same time all the American forces that La Fayette could avail himself of, from all the appearances of things in the state of Virginia, were about three thousand: so that the state would be speedily overrun by these three great generals and their potent armies, and soon be entirely conquered; an event which would have been attended with the most serious consequences, as the conquest of Virginia would have probably terminated all resistance in the Southern states. General La Fayette was fully sensible of the difficulty and responsibility of his command and character as a young soldier of the republic, as well as his own critical situation; and at the same time he had under his command only about a thousand continentals, and about two thousand Virginia militia, and sixty dragoons. General Phillips died soon after he left Richmond: hist detachment of British troops were united with those under Lord Cornwallis, which led his lordship to experience in his mind the fullest assurance of success; so that he did not in the least disguise his utter contempt for his young French adversary, when Cornwallis in a letter to a friend confidently observed, "The boy cannot long escape me.'

General La Fayette was sensible, that with only a disposable force of three thousand men, he could do no more than keep in his lord

ship's rear and watch his movements. Shortly after this, General La Fayette moved from Richmond to Chickahomminy, where he hoped to form a junction with General Wayne, whom the commander in chief had sent from the North to re-enforce the army in Virginia. No sooner had Cornwallis become apprized of the same, than he strained every nerve in order to prevent this junction of La Fayette with Wayne. Cornwallis pursued him with the greatest rapidity, till at last he found the boy, as he was pleased to name him, or the young French fox had become so wary, that his English steel traps could not catch him. As it respected military tactics, the boy was rather an overmatch for his lordship; so that he found himself foiled in all his attempts to catch the beardless youth. After General La Fayette had succeeded in uniting his forces with those under General Wayne at Raccoon Ford, without any loss of his troops, Cornwallis endeavoured by hasty movements to throw himself between the American army and their magazines, with a view to cut off the communication with them and the army. But in order to prevent this La Fayette opened an old disused road, so that by a forced march the beardless French boy passed the British army to the great astonishment of the British general; and also secured a strong position between his troops and the magazines at Albemarle court house. After having failed in all his martial plans to catch La Fayette, his lordship returned to Richmond, and from thence to Williamsburg, whither he was followed by the Marquis.

About this time Cornwallis received orders from Sir Henry Clinton to send him all his disposable forces to New York, as he was rather apprehensive that an attack was designed by the combined forces of the Americans and French against that city. But Cornwallis about this time was so closely watched by General La Fayette, that he did not altogether comply with the requisition of Sir Henry Clinton, for fear the boy's beard might by this time have grown a little longer, as in the case of Samson in the prison-house of the Philistines: so that in process of time he might become his most troublesome enemy. After this his lordship made several attempts to deceive La Fayette, by one of his martial stratagems in order to draw him into an engagement. As he knew that La Fayette would attack his rear guard, when the main body of his army were passing the Ford to the island of Jamestown Cornwallis, accordingly made such a disposition of his troops, as was calculated to make the young French fox suppose that the principal part of his army had crossed the Ford, where he had placed his British steel trap in perfect order, by sharpening the teeth with his warlike experience, in order to give new energies to the springs of his military mind. Cornwallis detained his troops in their present position, and expected by this martial manoeuvre, that General La Fayette, like a young military shark, would take the bait, and then attack him, and so bring on a general action between the two armies; but like the young miss with a pail of new milk on her head, going to market to sell it, in order to buy a handsome silk dress for the wedding day, being so over pleased at the idea of marriage, which she thought was the consummation of

human felicity in this world, the young lady gave a small inclination of her head, and spilt her pail of milk; and her fine wedding dress was lost for ever. The moral of the story may be very appositely applied to Lord Cornwallis's case. But martial characters and honorary titles, do not always produce the wisest statesmen, nor the most consummate generals.

General Wayne, who had been detached by General La Fayette, in order to reconnoitre the enemy's position, supposing that the rearguard of the British army only remained, in consequence of some slight skirmishing with a few small bodies of the enemy's troops, soon found himself engaged with the whole of the British line. But as General La Fayette had himself proceeded in another direction, in order to reconnoitre the enemy, he soon discovered his lordship's stratagem, and immediately ordered General Wayne to retreat, and Cornwallis, fearing at the same time lest La Fayette was in his turn laying a trap, or forming an ambuscade to entrap him, did not pursue the American forces under La Fayette and Wayne. Thus, by the circumspection and caution of La Fayette, nearly all the martial schemes and artful traps of Lord Cornwallis were defeated; and the troops under General Wayne rescued from the most imminent danger. Here follows General La Fayette's commendation of the military talents of General Wayne, in an engagement with a large body of the British under Lord Cornwallis; in the following words. "The gallantry of General Wayne, and the detachment under his command, was fully acknowledged in the general orders issued on the 8th of July, 1781. The General is happy to acknowledge the spirit of the detachment under General Wayne, in their engagement with the whole of the British line, of which he was an eye witness. He requests General Wayne and the officers and men under his command, to accept his best thanks. The bravery and destructive fire of the riflemen rendered him the most essential service, and the fire of the light infantry checked the enemy's progress round our right flank. The general was much pleased with the conduct of Captain Savage, of the artillery, and is satisfied that nothing but the loss of horses occasioned that of the two field pieces. The zeal of Colonel Mercer's corps is fully expressed in the number of horses he had killed."

Soon after this engagement, the traitor Arnold, hearing that a French fleet was on the American coast, and perceiving that Lord Cornwallis might not be able for any great length of time to retain the possession of the State of Virginia, viewed it as most advisable to take his passage to London, in order to see the court of St. James, and to kiss his royal majesty's hand, and also to keep himself out of the way of his old master; lest, if he were caught, Washington might give him a few minutes' employment either to spin or stretch a small ball of rope yarn under a cross beam. Arnold went to the royal city, to enjoy the sublime pleasure of a traitor's conscience to the end of his days.

In the spring of 1781, a combined attack had been conceived against the city of New York, so that immediately on the arrival of the

French fleet, the plan was spread before a council of war (at Hartford and Weathersfield in Connecticut,) of both land and navy officers, namely, Generals Washington, La Fayette and Count de Rochambeau, with a number of both French and American navy and land officers. But after spending some time on this contemplated attack on the British fleet and army at New York, the object was wisely given up, and the combined armies agreed to direct their united forces both by sea and land against the British army, under Lord Cornwallis in Virginia, and still hold out the idea of an attack on New York. This was so managed as to blindfold Sir Henry Clinton as long as they possibly could, in order to prevent him from re-enforcing Lord Cornwallis in Virginia.

On the 30th of August, 1781, at Chester, on their march to the South, Washington and Rochambeau received the agreeable intelligence of the arrival of Admiral De Grasse in the Chesapeake, with a squadron of twenty-four ships of the line, from which was immediately disembarked a few thousand French troops, under the command of the Marquis de St. Simon, who soon formed a junction with the American army under General La Fayette. Lord Cornwallis was at this time encamped at Yorktown, in the State of Virginia, North America, where his lordship had collected all his remaining forces. He was followed by the beardless youth, as his lordship was pleased to name him, in one of his letters, to Williamsburg. And although La Fayette was still unable to engage the enemy with three thousand troops, yet he pursued him by hanging in his rear wherever he went; just as Cornwallis did poor Washington, in the dark and cloudy days of the war, through the State of New Jersey, in the fall and winter of 1776. We still remember the old adage, that "turn about is fair play," which was literally fulfilled in Cornwallis's case. But the arrival of a French squadron with a re-enforcement of a few more thousand troops, filled the heart of La Fayette with joy, and inspired him with new hopes of a glorious campaign. On the arrival of Washington and Count de Rochambeau, they went on board Count de Grasse's flag-ship, in order to determine on future operations, which was soon followed by the movement of the combined army on Yorktown and Gloucester. At the same time, the fleet moved up to the mouth of James River, they having just been re-enforced by eight ships of the line, under the command of Count de Barras, from Rhode Island.

Thus the siege of Yorktown was commenced, which reflected such brilliant light, under a special providence, of the righteous Arbiter of all the nations of the earth, and also terminated in one of the most glorious revolutions in the history of the human race, since the creation of the world.

Cornwallis became somewhat alarmed at the activity and despatch of the besiegers. On the 11th of September, 1781, he opened all his batteries on the assailants, in order to stop their progress. Cornwallis's fire from two redoubts was at the first very annoying both to the French and American troops. But Washington perceiving this, was fully determined to carry those annoying redoubts by storm,