XLIII arms at this moment was less than one thousand men, CHAPTER serving under Greere, and about half as many more naked recruits whom Steuben was striving to arm and equip. 1781. Not able to muster troops enough to make any effectual April 29. resistance, his Continentals being mostly without arms, Steuben retreated to Richmond. Phillips followed, and arrived opposite, on the banks of the James River, just as La Fayette's division from Baltimore entered the town. Even the invasion of the state had called into the field less than three thousand militia; and Richmond owed its temporary safety to the presence of La Fayette's New England detachment. Phillips retired to City Point, at May 7 the junction of the James and Appomattox. After collecting an immense plunder in tobacco and slaves, besides destroying ships, mills, almost every thing, indeed, that fell in his way, he embarked his army, and dropped some distance down the river. The policy adopted by Dunmore, at the beginning of the contest, of arming the slaves against their masters. had not been persevered in by the British. Neither in Virginia nor in the Carolinas had the negroes been regarded in any other light than as property and plunder. The slaves carried off first and last from Virginia alone were estimated at not less than thirty thousand. Had they been treated, not as property, but as men and the king's subjects, and converted into soldiers, the conquest of the Southern states would have been almost inevitable. Having marched across the whole breadth of North Carolina with less than two thousand men, encountering no opposition on the way which a small advanced guard, under Tarleton, had not easily overcome, Cornwallis presently reached Halifax, on the Roanoke, whence orders were sent to Phillips to proceed to Petersburg, to meet him. Bodies of light troops were thrown out from Hal. CHAPTER ifax toward Petersburg; the fords of the Meherrin and XLHL the Notaway were occupied; and the junction of the two 1781. British corps was effected without any obstruction. ReMay 20. enforced, shortly after, by four additional regiments from New York, Cornwallis greatly outnumbered La Fayette's army, which consisted of little more than one thousand Continentals and two thousand militia. The most valuable stores having already been removed May 25 from Richmond, La Fayette, abandoning that town, retired northwestwardly toward the Rappahannoc, to form a junction with the Pennsylvania line under Wayne, recruited, since the late revolt and disbandment, to about a thousand men, and now on their march to join the Southern army. The Assembly of Virginia, as a means of meeting the present emergency, besides conferring very extensive pow ers upon Governor Jefferson, had proclaimed martial law within twenty miles of either army, and had authorized the issue of fifteen additional millions of pounds in bills of credit, at the rate of forty for one. The depreciation, already three times as much, received a great impulse from this immense additional issue, and the bills proved but a very ineffectual resource. Upon La Fayette's retirement from Richmond, the Assembly adjourned to Charlottesville. The prisoners under Burgoyne's capitulation, encamped in that vicinity for two years past, obliged suddenly to leave their comfortable huts and little gardens, were hastily marched, for security, over the mountains to Winchester. When about thirty miles from Richmond, finding that the junction of La Fayette and Wayne could not be prevented, Cornwallis stopped the pursuit. But a light infantry party, under Colonel Simcoe, was detached to break up the Virginia laboratory and armory at the junction of XLIII. the Rivanna with the James, some sixty miles above CHAPTER Richmond, insufficiently guarded by a body of half-armed recruits under Steuben. Another party, composed of cav. 1781. alry, under Tarleton, was sent to make a dash at the Virginia Assembly at Charlottesville, and to capture Jefferson, who resided in the neighborhood. Tarleton met and destroyed twelve wagons loaded with clothing and stores for Greene's army. He also made prisoners of several gentlemen-among them seven members of Assembly-who had fled for safety from the lower country. On the news of his approach, the Assembly adjourned in June 4. great confusion to Staunton. Jefferson, whose term of office had just expired, received warning, and had a very narrow escape. The late governor had already declared his intention not to be a candidate for re-election, and, when the Assembly came together at Staunton, General Nelson, the June 7 commander of the Virginia militia, was chosen to suc A motion ceed him. There was, indeed, some disposition to throw Simcoe had already completely succeeded in the object of his expedition. Steuben, with his recruits, retreated without attempting any opposition. A large quantity of arms under repair, powder, and other stores, which could very hardly be spared, were destroyed by the British; after which, Simcoe and Tarleton, having joined their forces, descended the James River, one party on either bank, ravaging every thing before them. Joined by Wayne, La Fayette again advanced, and interposed himself in a strong position near Charlottesville, June 2 between the British army and some large quantities of CHAPTER stores removed from that town on the enemy's approach XLIII. In consequence of Clinton's apprehensions that Wash 1781. ington meant to attack New York with the aid of a French fleet, Cornwallis had just received orders to send a part of his troops to that city. To embark the troops as directed, Cornwallis marched off toward Williamsburg, followed cautiously by La Fayette, who was presently joined by Steuben with his new levies. La Fayette's force amounted now to four thousand men, half Continentals. Cornwallis had many more men; his cavalry, mounted from the stables of the planters, whose horses, begrudged to Greene, were now seized by the British, ravaged the country in every direction, and spread every where the greatest alarm. After a sharp action with a party of La July 6. Fayette's troops at the Jamestown Ford, Cornwallis crossed the James River, and retired to Portsmouth. Part of his troops were embarked for New York, but were speedily disembarked on the receipt of fresh orders to occupy some strong and defensible position in Virginia convenient for ulterior operations. Portsmouth did not seem tc be such a place; and Cornwallis selected, in preference. the two opposite peninsulas of Yorktown and Gloucester, projecting into York River-a more central position, and more convenient and accessible for heavy ships. Thither Aug. 1. he presently removed with his whole army, amounting to eight thousand men, attended by several frigates and smaller vessels, which continued their depredations up the rivers. The destruction of property by the recent invasion was estimated at not less than ten millions of dollars. The Southern states were very anxious for the personal presence of Washington in that department; but he be lieved that the South might most effectually be relieved by striking some decisive blow at New York. The means, however, for such a blow were not so obvious. The su XLII. periority of the British naval force still kept the French CHAPTER army idle at Newport. The Southern states, invaded and overrun, were hardly able to defend themselves; while 1781. the Eastern states, hitherto so sturdy, seemed now almost exhausted Recruits for the army came forward very slowly. The New York regiments had been detached to defend that state from Tory and Indian invasion. The Pennsylvania line, and even some drafts from the Eastern regiments, had been sent to Virginia. Late in the spring, the entire force under Washington's immediate command fell short of seven thousand men— not equal to the number of Loyalists employed at that time in the British service. It was with the utmost difficulty that even this small force was fed. To obtain a supply of provisions, Washington was obliged to send May 10. Heath to the Eastern states with a circular letter and pressing representations. In addition to the requisitions of the last year, which remained, in a great measure, undischarged, Congress had called upon the states for six additional millions, in quar- March 18 terly installments, to commence on the 1st of June, payable in money of specie value. The scheme of specific supplies, found very unmanageable, and attended with great expense, was now finally abandoned. The domestic debt of the Union, under the scale of de- April 16. preciation adopted by Congress-estimating the outstanding old tenor at seventy-five for one, to which rate it had nɔw sunk-amounted to twenty-four millions of specie dollars, to which some five millions were to be added, due abroad. Interest to the annual amount of a million of dollars was already payable on the liquidated portion of this debt. The estimate for the current year, including the payment of half a million of outstanding cominissary cer |