an opportunity offered of atoning for their past inactivity, by cutting off Arnolds retreat from the Chesapeake. They were farther encouraged to make this attempt, by having lately acquired some addition to their own naval force, and the British fleet having suffered by a dreadful tempest, in which the Culloden, a new 74 gun ship, was totally lost; the Bedford, of the same force, was dismasted; and the America driven so far out to sea, that she was, for some time, sup-| posed to be lost.

The scheme seems to have failed only through the delay of putting it in execution. D'Estouches, who, after the death of admiral de Ternay, commanded the French fleet, instead of instantly blocking up the Chesapeake whilst it was in his power, only sent thither a

ship of the line with some frigates, to deFeb. 9. stroy the small marine force of Britain lying there at that time, as well as to obtain intelligence of the state of the country; so that though this small force had the good fortune to capture the Romulus, a 44 gun ship, and to take or destroy ten small vessels, the Brittsh admirals Arbuthnot and Greaves had time to repair their March 8. damages. Accordingly D'Estouches sail

ed from Rhode Island with 1,500 additional men on board the fleet, and being intercepted

by admiral Arbuthnot, off the capes of March 16. Virginia, was obliged to stand an engagement. The British had the advantage of more guns than the French, but the latter were much more strongly manned than the former. The contest was so nearly balanced, that it ended without the loss of a ship on either side. The British, however, obtained the fruits of victory so far as to oblige their adversaries to return to Rhode Island without effecting any one of the purposes of the expedition.

A few days after this engagement, a convoy arrived from New York, having on board general Philips, with

2,000 chosen troops. This officer, with his March 26. companions who were taken at Saratoga, had been, after long confinement, at last re leased by a new cartel concluded some months before; and he was now appointed commander in chief of the Virginia forces.

Generals Philips and Arnold having joined their forces, carried every thing before them in Virginia. The best troops of the state had gone to the southward, so that only the militia remained to defend their country, and these were defeated in every encounter. The long navigation of James's River, and its numer

ous dependant branches and creeks, laid the country open to them in every direction, for a very great extent, and the mischief they did was in proportion. At Petersburgh, on the southern branch of this river called Appomatax, 4000 hogsheads of tobacco were destroyed. The damage done by the destruction of shipping and vessels of every sort, as well as of barracks, warehouses, and stores of every kind was almost incredible. About four miles above a place called Osborne's, on the same branch of the river, a state ship of 20 guns, another of 26 guns, a brigantine of 14 guns, besides many other armed vessels, were destroyed. Two ships and ten smaller vessels, loaded with 2,000 hogsheads of tobacco, cordage and flour, fell into Arnold's hands. At Manchester, which lies up the Fork, on the north branch of the river, near 150 miles from its mouth, they destroyed 1,200 hogsheads of tobacco; the marquis de la Fayette, with his army, who had arrived the day before at Richmond, on the opposite side, being spectators of the conflagration, without being able to put a stop to it. The marquis, however, notwithstanding his inferior force, saved the capital, which at that time contained almost the whole military stores of the state, from imminent danger. A magazine of flour, with a large range of rope walks, were destroyed at Warwick, together with the ships on the stocks and in the river. Along with these a number of warehouses filled with tobacco and other commodities; tânhouses full of hides and bark, together with several fine mills, were all consumed. After which the troops, having re-embarked on board their ships, fell down towards the mouth of the river.

During these destructive expeditions, which ended in the month of April, the war raged chiefly in the two Carolinas; of which an account will be given in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XVII.

General Greene oppsoes lord Cornwallis in the Carolinas and Georgia-Exploit of colonel Washington-General Morgan defeats lieutenant colonel Tarleton-Lord Cornwallis pursues general Morgan-General Greene keeps alive the courage of his party, when greatly reduced-Major Craig takes post at Wilmington-General Greene defeated at Guilford, yet reaps the fruits of victory-Distresses of the British ar my-British interest ruined in North Carolina-Lord Cornwallis retreats to Wilmington-General Greene returns to South Carolina-He takes a number of British posts— Lord Rawdon defeats General Greene at Camden-Augus ta taken-Ninety six besieged-Relieved by lord Rawdon General Greene retreats-he is pursued-he returns when lord Rawdon divides his force-Lord Rawdon evacuates Ninety Six-General Greene's method of carrying on the war-Battle at Eutaw Springs-The British driven down to Charleston.

IT has been already noticed, that, whilst lord Cornwallis was preparing for a powerful invasion of North Carolina, general Greene succeeded general Gates in the command of the southern army. He was looked upon to be the best officer in the American service next to general Washington himself, with whom he was in high favor; and he was accompanied by general Morgan, a brave and distinguished partizan, who, like the late colonel Ferguson in the royal army, excelled in the knowledge of rifle arms. He had commanded those rifle men who opposed Burgoyne in the northern war, and who so much excelled the Indians in their own way, that, to use the expression of that general, "they could not be brought within the sound of a rifle shot."

Dec. 3.

Within a few hours after general Greene took charge of the army at Charlotte Town, a report was made of a gallant enterprise of lieutenant colonel Washington. Being out on a foraging party he had penetrated within 13 miles of Camden, to Clermont the seat of lieutenant colonel Rugely of the British militia. This was fortified by a block house, and encompassed by an abattis; and was defended by upwards of one hundred of the inhabitants, who had submitted to the British government. Lieutenant colonel Washington advanced with his cavalry, and planted the trunk of a pine tree, so as to resemble a

field piece. The lucky moment was seized on. A corporal of dragoons rode up, and made a peremptory demand of an immediate surrender; when the garrison, impressed with the expectation of an immediate cannonade in case of their refusal, surrendered at discretion, without a shot being fired on either side. This favorable incident, in the juncture of affairs then existing, through the superstition to which most men are more or less subject, was viewed by the army as an omen of success under the new commander. Lord Cornwallis now began to make very vigorous exertions, in order to penetrate into North Carolina.

On the 11th of January his lordship's army 1781. was in motion, and advancing towards Jan. 11. that province; but was somewhat delayed

by an attempt made by the Americans, under general Morgan, to make themselves masters of the valuable district of Ninety Six. In order to prevent this, lord Cornwallis detached lieutenant colonel Tarleton, with 350 cavalry, part of the light infan try, the 7th regiment, the first battalion of the 71st regiment, and two three-pounders, to oppose the progress of Morgan, not doubting but that he would be able to perform this service effectually. The British troops came up with the Americans under general Morgan on the 17th of January. The Americans, two thirds of whom were militia, were drawn up in an open wood, at a place called the Cowpens, near Pacolet River. The British, besides their field-pieces, had the advantage of five to four in infantry, and of more than three to one in cavalry. The attack was begun by the first line of infantry, consisting of the 7th regiment, and a corps of light infantry with a troop of cavalry placed on each flank. The first battalion of the 71st and the remainder of the cavalry, formed the reserve. The American line soon gave way, and their militia quitted the field; upon which the royal troops, supposing the victory already gained, engaged with ardor in the pursuit, and were thereby thrown into some disorder. General Morgan's corps, who were supposed to have been routed, then immediately faced about, and threw in a heavy fire upon the king's troops, which occasioned the utmost confusion among them; and they were at length totally defeated by the Americans. The British had ten commissioned officers, and upwards of 100 rank and file killed; 200 wounded; 29 commissioned officers, and above 500 privates taken prisoners. Two pieces of artillery, two standards, 800 musketa, 35 baggage waggons, and upwards of 100 dragoon horses fell into the hands of the Americans ; VOL. II.

whilst the latter had only 12 men killed and 60 wounded. Lieutenant colonel Tarleton then retreated to Hamilton's ford, near the mouth of Bullock's creek, carrying with him part of his baggage, and destroying the remainder.

This defeat of the troops under Tarleton was a severe stroke to lord Cornwallis, as the loss of his light infantry was a great disadvantage to him. The day after the event he employed in collecting the remains of Tarleton's corps, and in endeavoring to form a junction with general Leslie, who had been ordered to march towards him with a body of British troops froin Wynnesborough. Considerable exertions were then made by a part of the army, without baggage, to retake the prisoners in the hands of the Americans, and to intercept general Morgan's corps on its retreat to the Catawba. But that American officer, after his defeat of Tarleton, had made forced marches up into the country, and crossed the Catawba the evening before a great rain, which swelled the river to such a degree, as to prevent the royal army from crossing for several days; during which time the British prisoners were got over the Yadkin; whence they proceeded to Dan River, which they also passed, and on the 14th of February had reached Court house, in the province of Virginia.

The Americans met with very providential_escapes in this hot pursuit. The British reached the Catawba on the evening of the same day on which their fleeing adversaries had crossed it: And it is certain that if the rising of the river had taken place a few hours earlier, general Morgan, with his whole detachmeut and 500 prisoners, would have scarcely had any chance of esoape. The same good fortune, attended with similar circumstances, protected them on passing the Yadkin.

Lord Cornwallis employed a halt of two days in collecting some flour, and in destroying superfluous baggage, and all his waggons, excepting those laden with hospital stores, salt, and ammunition, and four reserved empty in readiness for sick or wounded. Being thus freed from all unnecessary incumbrances, he marched through North Carolina with great rapidity, and penetrated to the remotest extremities of that province on the banks of the Dan. His progress was sometimes impeded by parties of the militia, and some skirmishes ensued, but he met with no very considerable opposition. On the first of February the king's troops crossed the Catawba at M'Cowan's Ford, where the river is upwards of 500 yards wide and about three feet deep, sustaining a constant fire from the militia