to France, without giving the least notice to General Washington; so that all hope of naval assistance vanished. The land forces remained and co-operated in the final reduction of the British forces in America; but General Washington was extremely angry and disappointed at the conduct of the French commander.

512. Arnold's Treachery. During these affairs, a plot of immense danger was happily discovered. General Arnold, after his wounds had in a manner disabled him, was appointed to a command in Philadelphia ; where his oppressive and overbearing measures had provoked a severe inquiry into his conduct. A committee

appointed by Congress to examine his accounts, had rejected many of them as unjust; and his severe invectives, on the occasion, and the charges against him, had subjected him to a trial by court martial, by which he was sentenced to be reprimanded. By these proceedings, Arnold was greatly exasperated, and he determined on revenge. General Washington still valued him for his bravery and his former military services, and intrusted him with the chief command at the important post at West Point. He took that opportunity to carry on a negotiation with the British commander in New York, for the surrender of the post into the. hands of the enemy.

513. Detection of the plot. For the purpose of concerting all the requisite measures, Major Andre, adjutant general of the British army, proceeded to West Point in disguise, where he took plans of the fortresses, and agreed upon the time and manner of attack. He then received a passport from Arnold, and set out on his return to New York, under the name of Anderson. He had passed all the outposts of the American army. when, riding along the road in Tarrytown, he was stopped by three militiamen, who were on a scouting party. Major Andre, alarmed for his safety, offered his watch and a purse of gold, for permission to proceed, but the men refused the bribe, and seized him. The papers found in his boot evidenced his guilt, and he was condemned and executed. Every effort was made by the British commander in New York to obtain his re

lease; but in vain. His life was forfeited by the laws of war. His fortitude and amiable deportment, however, endeared him to the officers of the American army, who regretted the necessity of his fate.

514. General Arnold's escape. The news of the seizure of Andre, soon reached the ears of General Arnold, who, leaving his family and effects, immediately fled and went on board the Vulture, a sloop of war, which the British commander had stationed near the American lines, for the purpose of carrying on the negotiation. General Washington arrived in camp from Connecticut, just after Arnold had made his escape; and found the affairs of the garrison in disorder. He received a letter from Arnold, requesting that his wife might be treated with respect, and suffered to join him, or return to Philadelphia, and also that his baggage might be sent to him; which requests were granted. Arnold received the reward of his treason, and the commission of brigadier-general in the British army. He then issued a paper explaining the motives of his conduct, and had the impudence to publish an address to the American army inviting officers and soldiers

to betray their country; but without the least suc

cess.

515. Operations in Carolina, in the winter of 178081. In the autumn of 1780, General Greene, an excellent officer, was appointed to the command of the American forces in Carolina. He was accompanied by Col. Morgan, an active officer, who commanded a body of riflemen. The first action, after this appointment, was fought at the Cowpens, where Col. Morgan was attacked by Col. Tarleton, who had the advantage of numbers. Col. Morgan placed a body of militia in front of a wood, while his best troops were drawn up in the rear and out of sight. The first line gave way, and as Tarleton pursued them, the other line opened to let his men advance, until they were placed between two fires, when a deadly discharge from Morgan's troops threw the enemy into irrecoverable disorder. The enemy lost three hundred men killed and five hundred prisoners. The loss of the Americans was twelve men killed and sixty wounded.

516. Battle near Guilford Court-House. After the disaster at the Cowpens, Lord Cornwallis determined to intercept Col. Morgan, and retake the prisoners, but a heavy rain during the night swelled the rivers so as to prevent his design. To enable his troops to march with more celerity, he destroyed all his heavy baggage. At length General Greene joined Col. Morgan, with additional forces, and Lord Cornwallis, having collected his troops, the armies met near the court-house in Guilford. The action was fought on the 15th of March, 1781. The Americans amounted to between four and five thousand men, but mostly militia, or inexperienced soldiers. The British force consisted of about half the number of veterans. The battle was fought with great bravery and effect; for although Lord Cornwallis remained master of the field, his losses, in a country where he could not recruit his army, had the effect of a defeat. His loss was more than five hundred men. That of the Americans could not be less.

517. Subsequent operations. Lord Cornwallis not being able to pursue his advantages, General Greene

H

marched to Camden, where Lord Rawdon was fortified, with nine hundred men. The British commander sallied out and attacked him; victory for some time hung in suspense; but the retreat of two companies, gave the British the advantage. The loss on each side was between two and three hundred men. General / Greene did not remain inactive; a number of posts, in different parts of the country, fell successively into his power, with supplies of military stores. General Greene laid siege to Ninety Six, a strong post; but Lord Raw, don, with a re-enforcement, advancing to its relief, Gen. Greene attempted to take it by storm. But the attempt failed, with the loss of one hundred and fifty men.

518. Battle at the Eutaw Springs. Many skirmishes and movements took place in the summer of 1781; but on the 19th of September, General Greene, with about two thousand men, attacked Col. Stewart, at the Eutaw Springs. After a severe fire between advanced parties, the action became general, and the militia gave way. General Greene then ordered the regular troops of the Maryland and Virginia lines to advance with trailed arms, and make a free use of the bayonet. A shower of musketry and a severe cannonade, made no considerable impression on this body; they attacked the enemy, and won the victory. Five hundred men were taken prisoners, and the whole loss of the British was estimated at eleven hundred. Col. Washington, bravely advancing to dislodge a party of the enemy from a picketed garden and house, was wounded and taken prisoner. Col. Stewart, the next day, abandoned the place, and retreated towards Charleston.

519. Arnold's exploits in Virginia. Early in 1781, General Arnold was dispatched with about seventeen hundred men, to make a diversion in Virginia, by calling the attention of the Virginians from Lord Cornwallis. General Philips, with two thousand troops, was sent from New York to re-enforce him. General Washington detached General Lafayette, with two thousand men, to oppose the enemy in Virginia; and a small naval force, under De Ternay, sailed from Newport to block up the Chesapeake and take the British troops. An

.

inconsiderable action took place between this fleet and a division of the British ships under Admirals Arbuthnot and Graves. But the French ships returned, and left the British squadron to succor the army in Virginia. The British troops were employed for a long time without much interruption, in destroying the warehouses, tobacco mills, and other property on James' river and the Appomattox, and immense was the destruction of property.

520. Junction of the British forces in Virginia. After the severe action at Guilford, Lord Cornwallis retreated to Wilmington in North Carolina. His troops suffered every possible distress from the want of provisions and clothing, and the extreme heat of the climate. He therefore determined to force a march through a most inhospitable desert, and join the troops under General Philips in Virginia. He arrived in May, and took the command of the united forces. Gen. Philips died of a fever before his arrival. After some predatory warfare, Lord Cornwallis encamped at Yorktown and Gloucester Point on York river, which affords deep water for shipping, and there he fortified his camps; the main body of the army being on the south side of the river at Yorktown, and his whole force being about seven thousand men.

521. Events which led to the attack on Lord Cornwallis. In the year 1780, a plan of combined operations against the British forces in America, was preconcerted by General Washington, at Wethersfield, in conjunction with General Rochambeau, General Knox, and other generals. General Washington was induced to this, by the absolute necessity of obtaining some splendid advantage, to revive the expiring hopes and languid exertions of the American states. The point of attack was not absolutely determined; for it was not possible to foresee where the enemy would be most susceptible of impression. But the General determined to be prepared, either for an attack on New York, if the prospect of success should be clear; or upon any other impressible point. For this purpose great exertions were made in collecting artillery, boats, stores, and provisions. At