CHAP. XX. 1781. Thefe fpecious promifes had little effect on the alienated inhabitants: no allurements could induce them to join heartily, in affifting the British commander to fubjugate their native land. Their defection daily increased; and a more thorough averfion to the designs and the authority of the British government, almoft univerfally appeared. This, his lordship himfelf attefted. He obferved afterwards in a letter to fir Henry Clinton, that " after the complete "victory at Guilford, his numbers did not in"crease, though he had ftaid two days near the "field of action." His lordship acknowledged, that though he had marched through the part of the country where he had reafon to fuppofe he had the most friends, he found himself equally disappointed and mortified. He obferved, that—“ Many of the inhabitants rode into camp, fhook me by the hand, faid they were glad to fee me, and to hear that we had beat"en Greene, and then rode home again; for "I could not get an hundred men in all the "Regulators' country to stay with me, even as "militia."* This must have been a very unpleasant prelude to his lordship's march through a forlorn wilderness, interfperfed with deep rivers, which muft greatly impede an army encumbered with * See lord Cornwallis's letter to fir Henry Clinton, April 10, 1780. 1781. fick and wounded, who were many of them CHAP. XX. obliged to travel in waggons, while all were fcantily provided with clothes, fhoes, or provifions. But notwithstanding all-impediments, they reached Wilmington the seventh of April. There, the commander found new fources of anxiety he felt his apprehenfions increased on account of the fituation of lord Rawdon, on whom the command had devolved, when lord Cornwallis left Guilford. He had left with him only nine hundred men: but whatever dangers his little army might be expofed to from the pursuit of general Greene, which was now afcertained, it was impoffible for lord Cornwallis to tread back his fteps to their affiftance. These confiderations determined his lordship to take the advantage of general Greene's having left the back part of Virginia open, to march immediately into that ftate. As he had received express injunctions from fir Henry Clinton, to leave the Carolinas as foon as poffible, and repair to Virginia to the aid of general Phillips, it was his opinion, that his own movements were not optional. This officer had been fent forward to the Chefapeake with a reinforcement, in order to fupport the meafures fir Henry Clinton had, early in the preceding winter, adopted, and for a time had entrusted general Arnold to profecute. CHAP. XX. 1781. Previous to lord Cornwallis's removal from Wilmington, he wrote general Phillips, that he was in great distress at the reflection, that general Greene had taken the advantage of his abfence, and had marched towards South Carolina: that he had endeavoured to warn lord Rawdon of this danger; but that he had reason to think, his dispatches had been intercepted. He observed, that "the mountaineers and militia had "poured into the back parts of that province; "and he much feared, that lord Rawdon's pofts "would be fo diftant from each other, and his troops fo fcattered, as to put him into the ઃઃ greatcft danger of being beat in detail: and "that the worft of confequences might happen "to moft of the troops out of Charleston. By "a direct move towards Camden, I cannot get "there time enough to relieve lord Rawdon; "and fhould he have fallen, my army would "be expofed to the utmoft dangers, from the great rivers I fhould have to pafs, the exhauft"ed ftate of the country, the numerous militia, "the almoft univerfal fpirit of revolt which pre"vails in South Carolina, and the ftrength of "Greene's army, whofe continentals alone are "almost as numerous as I am." His lordship feemed however determined to make a feint in favor of lord Rawdon, by moving towards Hillsborough; yet he did not feem to expect much advantage could refult there, from. His fituation was fuch, that he appeared 'embarraffed in his decifions; nor could, he ea fily determine, under the difficulty of exifting circumstances, what line of conduct would beft promote the general caufe in which he was engaged. In lord Cornwallis's letter to general Phillips, from which an extract is given above, dated Wilmington, April 24th, 1781, he informed him, that an attempt to march from thence to Virginia was exceedingly hazardous; and that many unforefeen difficulties might render it totally impracticable; that he fhould however endeavour to furmount them, and as foon as poflible attempt to march to the Roanoke. In the mean time, he cautioned general Phillips to take no fteps that might expofe the army with him to ruin, if in any event their junction fhould be retarded. He urged him to transmit the earlieft intelligence from time to time, until circumftances fhould admit of his meeting him at Petersburgh. General Washington, foon after Arnold's embarkation from New York, had ordered a detachment of continental troops, under the command of the marquis de la Fayette, to follow, to watch the motions, and if poffible to defeat the fanguinary purposes of this newly converted agent, to execute the defigns of their enemies, and waste the blood of his countrymen. A French fquadron had lately arrived at Rhode Island, a part of which it was expected СНАР. ХХ, 1781. CHAP. XX. 1781. would foon repair to the Chefapeake, under an able and experienced naval commander, the count de Barras. High expectations were formed by every class of Americans, that the affiftance of France this year, would be fufficient to enable the armies of the United States to counteract, if not to defeat, the defigns of the British commanders in their several depart ments. Sir Henry Clinton, apprifed of thefe circumftances, and very apprehensive for the safety of his friends in Virginia, judged it neceffary, there fhould be no further delay in sending a more reípectable force to that quarter, to strengthen the hands of general Arnold. Arnold had, on his firft arrival in Virginia, landed at Weftover, and marched to Richmond, destroying all before him, with little or no oppofition. He was aflifted in his marauding exploits by colonel Simcoe, who marched from Richmond to Weftham, and there deftroyed one of the finest founderies for cannon in all America. They burnt, plundered, and destroyed every thing before them as they moved. Yet fir Henry Clinton was convinced, that their numbers were not fufficient to facilitate his withes and fubdue the ftate, without a more ftrong and refpectable force. In confequence of this determination, he had ordered major general Phillips, with four thousand men, to repair immediately to Virginia to fuccor Ar |