ant Colonel Mercer fell in with one of Tarleton's parties which he pursued and captured.

Cornwallis apparently as much determined now to avoid a contest with la Fayette, as he had in the first instance shown himself eager, for it remained but a few days at Richmond; and retreating still nearer to his shipping, entered Williamsburg on the 25th of June, having destroyed in the course of his march upwards of 2000 hogsheads of tobacco. From Williamsburg his lordship detached Lieutenant Colonel Simcoe to destroy some boats and stores that belonged to the Americans on Chickahominy river. Information of this detachment was received by la Fayette too late to prevent the execution of their object, but learning the route taken by Simcoe on his return, he detached Lieutenant Colonel Butler with the rifle corps under Majors Call and Willis, and a few cavalry to intercept him. Major M⚫Pherson (of Pennsylvania) who led the van of this detachment, came up with Simcoe about six miles from Williamsburg, and attacked his Yagers with such spirit that they were thrown into confusion. By the time Majors Call and Willis had got up, the Queen's Rangers had drawn up to the support of the Yagers, and a fierce action commenced, which resulted in no decided advantage to either party.

On the 4th of July, Cornwallis being required by Sir Henry Clinton to send a considerable detachment from his army to reinforce the commander in chief at New-York, determined to break up his position at Williamsburg and retire to Portsmouth. With this view, he marched to James City, for the purpose of crossing the river at that point, and embarking his ar

my.

On the 5th and 6th of July, the baggage wa

gons and bat horses of the army were transported across, and on the 7th it was designed to transport the troops. La Fayette followed his Lordship on the 5th and halted his army within eight miles of the point of embarkation, under the impression that the greater part of the British army had crossed, and that he would have an opportunity in the morning of striking at their rear guard. The light troops were therefore put in motion early on the morning of the 6th and Lieutenant Colonel Mercer advanced as far as Greenspring for the purpose of reconnoitering. Here he learned that Tarleton was at that moment quartered in the house, and that Cornwallis was at the church, about a mile in advance; on turning to rejoin his. troops, he was nearly intercepted by a party of the enemy's dragoons, but fortunately reached the army in safety. His intelligence seemed to contradict the report of the main body of the British army having crossed the river, and produced a halt; but a second report confirmed the first impression, and the army continued its march to Greenspring, which it entered soon after his Lordship had left it. General Wayne, second in command to La Fayette, always anxious for battle, even with a superiour foe, was easily persuaded to believe what he wished to be true, and the weight of his opinion confirmed La Fayette in the determination to strike the blow.

The house at Greenspring is separated from the road along which the enemy passed, and by which it was necessary that La Fayette should pass to come up with him, by a low marshy piece of ground, a quarter of a mile in width, over which a narrow causeway formed the only practicable route for an army. Our troops moved at three o'clock in the afternoon,

the rifle corps of Majors Call and Willis, with a few dragoons, formed the front; Major MPherson followed these with the cavalry of Armand and Mercer, and these were supported by General Wayne with the continental infantry. The Baron Steuben with the militia continued at Greenspring.

Cornwallis saw the mistake under which La Fay ette laboured, and endeavoured to keep up the deception, by contracting his force into as narrow a compass as possible, and ordering his pickets to fall back, upon the first attack. After crossing the causeway, the horse were placed in front, and continued to advance along the road, until they were saluted by a fire from the enemy's Yagers, when they fell back. Lieutenant Colonel Mercer and Major M.Pherson were now ordered to take charge of the two rifle corps, and advance. They very soon came up with the enemy's pickets, whom they attacked so warmly, that they were compelled to fall back three hundred yards upon their legion cavalry. Though it was a part of Cornwallis's plan, that his pickets should appear to give way, the number of men killed and wounded in this onset, and the confusion in which they retired, left no room to doubt that this movement was one of necessity, and not in obedience to the order.

The cavalry now joined the two rifle corps, which continued boldly to advance, until they came in sight of the enemy's infantry drawn up on the flanks of their cavalry. Here they took post under cover of a rail fence, and were soon joined by two battalions of Wayne's infantry under Majors Galvan and Willis, and two pieces of artillery, commanded by Captain Savage. The firing was recommenced and kept up for some time with considerable spirit, when the ad

vance of the enemy in a body under Lieutenant Colonel Yorke, with three pieces of artillery, convinced Generals Wayne and La Fayette, that they had something more to contend with than the enemy's rear guard. Wayne, however, was not disposed to give way until he had tried the mettle of the British troops with the bayonet. He continued the contest until La Fayette, who saw the inevitable destruction that awaited his army, if he persevered in the unequal dispute, ordered him to draw off, which was executed in the most handsome style. The Marquis having recrossed the causeway, retired to à distance of six miles and encamped for the night.

Whether Cornwallis suspected, from the daring presumption of Wayne, that his object was to lead him into an ambuscade, or whether he was deterred by the approaching darkness from pursuing, the Marquis was suffered to make his retreat without interruption, and his Lordship returned to his camp. The passage of the river was completed on the 8th July, and on the 9th his lordship continued his march to Portsmouth, having previously detached Tarleton with his cavalry and mounted infantry to a distance of 200 miles into the country, for the purpose of destroying some stores that were supposed to be deposited at Bedford, for the use of Greene's army. Upon an examination of the town and vicinity of Portsmouth, Cornwallis was convinced that it was not a proper place at which to spend the summer in a state of inactivity, which he would be compelled to do if obliged to send the reinforcements to New-York, which were asked for by the commander in chief: he therefore asked permission of Sir Henry Clinton either to return to South Carolina, or to retain his whole force and

fix upon some more eligible spot for the execution of their intended operations on the Chesapeake. Sir Henry at length yielded to the latter suggestion, and Cornwallis by the advice of his engineers, made choice of Yorktown and Gloucester Point, to which positions after destroying the works at Portsmouth, the whole British army moved by the 23d of August, and his lordship applied himself with unremitted assiduity to fortify these posts both by land and water.

While these things were going on in Virginia, matters of high moment seemed to be in agitation between the two commanders in chief, in the north, which the arrival of the Count de Barras from France, soon fully developed on the part of the allied army. The Count de Barras succeeded the Chevalier de Ternay as Admiral of the fleet, and the despatches which he brought for the Count Rochambeau being of a nature to require an immediate consultation with the American commander, a meeting took place at Weathersfield, in Connecticut, on the 21st of May. The situation of the British army at New-York, weakened as it was by the heavy detachments which had been sent off to the south, excited the immediate attention of the two commanders at this interview, and various considerations urged the adoption of a plan for a combined attack upon Sir Henry, without delay. A double object would be accomplished by this attack-either Sir Henry would be compelled to draw a part of his forces from Cornwallis, and thus releive Virginia, or to withdraw from New-York and leave that desirable position at the mercy of the American commander.

Washington, had in the mean time, used every exertion to impress upon the several states the necessity of speedily sending in their quotas of militia, and urg