but, from a tongue of land stretching into the river at no great distance, he soon perceived the British force to be much more considerable than had been apprehended, and hastened to call off his men. On his return he found Wayne closely engaged.

A piece of artillery had been left but weakly defended, which Wayne determined to seize, and Major Galvan was advanced for that purpose. Scarcely was the attempt made, when he discovered the whole army arranged in order of battle, moving out against him. A retreat was now impossible, and the boldest had become the safest measure: under this impression he advanced rapidly, and with his small detachment, not exceeding eight hundred men, made a gallant charge on the British line. A warm action ensued, which was kept up with great spirit for several minutes; when La Fayette, who had now come up, perceiving Wayne to be outflanked both on the right and left, ordered him to retreat, and form in a line with the light infantry, who were then drawn up about half a mile in his rear; after which the whole American force saved itself behind a morass.

Fortunately for La Fayette, Lord Cornwallis did not improve the advantage which he had gained.

Suspecting this to be a stratagem of the American general to draw him into an ambuscade, a suspicion equally favoured by the hardiness of the measure and the time of the attack, Lord Corn. wallis, who still supposed the opposing army to be much

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from various causes, especially from a want of arms, and from that general repugnance to the service which a harassed unpaid militia must be expected to manifest, less resistance was encountered than the strength and population of the state had rendered probable; yet no disposition was openly manifested, except in a remote quarter,* to join the royal standard, or to withdraw from the contest. The Marquis complained of "much slowness, and much carelessness in the country; but the dispositions of the people,” he said, “ were good, and they required only to be awakened.” This, he thought, would be best effected by the presence of General Washington; an event for which he expressed the most anxious solicitude.

The governor also, with most of the members of Congress, as well as many other very respectable citizens, urged the commander in chief to the defence of his native state. But Washington, contemplating America as his country, and the general safety as his object, deemed it of the utmost importance to remain on the Hudson, for the purpose of digesting and conducting a grand plan of

In the county of Hampshire some disposition to take up arms in support of the royal cause was discovered; but Morgan, whose ill health had forced him out of the army, imme diately formed a body of mounted riflemen, at whose head he placed himself, and speedily reduced the malecontents to unconditional submission.

combined

combined operations, then meditated against New

York.

By executing this plan, he counted more certainly on relieving the southern states, than by any other system of conduct it was then in his power to adopt.

An express carrying letters, which were designed to communicate to Congress the result of his consultations on this subject with the commanders of the land and naval forces of France, was intercepted in the Jerseys; and when brought before Sir Henry Clinton, his letters disclosed the views of the American general against the seat of the British power in the United States. This interesting discovery seems to have alarmed Sir Henry for the safety of New York, and to have determined him to require the return of a part of the troops in Virginia. Supposing himself too weak, after complying with this requisition, to remain at Williamsburg, Lord Cornwallis took the resolution of passing James river, and retiring to Portsmouth.

In pursuance of this resolution, he marched from Williamsburg, and encamped in such a manner as to cover a ford into the island of Jamestown; and, on the same evening, the Queen's Rangers crossed over into the island, and the two succeeding days were employed in carrying over the baggage.

VOL. IV.

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The

The morning after the evacuation of Williams. burg, La Fayette changed his position; and crossing the Chiccahoming, pushed his best troops within nine miles of the British camp, with the intention of attempting their rear when the main body should have passed into James-town.

Suspecting this design, Lord Cornwallis encamped the greater part of his army on the main land as compactly as possible; and displayed a few troops on the island, in such a manner as, in appearance, to magnify their numbers. All the intelligence received by La Fayette concurred in the representation, that the greater part of the British army had passed over into the island of James-town in the night. Believing this to be the fact, he detached some riflemen and militia on the 6th of July to harass their outposts, while he advanced at the head of the continental troops in order to cut off the rear should the intelligence he had received be well founded.

Every appearance was calculated to countenance the opinion which had been formed. The British light parties were all drawn in, and the piquets, which lay close to the encampment, were forced by the riflemen without much resistance. La Fayette, however, who arrived a little before sunset, determined to reconnoitre the camp, and judge of its strength from his own observation.

It was in a great degree concealed by woods;

but,

but, from a tongue of land stretching into the river at no great distance, he soon perceived the British force to be much more considerable than had been apprehended, and hastened to call off his men. On his return he found Wayne closely engaged.

A piece of artillery had been left but weakly defended, which Wayne determined to seize, and Major Galvan was advanced for that purpose. Scarcely was the attempt made, when he discovered the whole army arranged in order of battle, moving out against him. Aretreat was now impossible, and the boldest had become the safest measure: under this impression he advanced rapidly, and with his small detachment, not exceeding eight hundred men, made a gallant charge on the British line. A warm action ensued, which was kept up with great spirit for several minutes; when La Fayette, who had now come up, perceiving Wayne to be outflanked both on the right and left, ordered him to retreat, and form in a line with the light infantry, who were then drawn up about half a mile in his rear; after which the whole American force saved itself behind a morass.

Fortunately for La Fayette, Lord Cornwallis did not improve the advantage which he had gained.

Suspecting this to be a stratagem of the American general to draw him into an ambuscade, a suspicion equally favoured by the hardiness of the measure and the time of the attack, Lord Corn. wallis, who still supposed the opposing army to be much

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