Cornwallis proceeded to Petersburgh, in Virginia. From Ramsay's mills, Greene marched towards Camden, where were posted nine hundred men, under the command of Lord Rawdon. He took a position on Hobkirk's hill, about a mile from the British entrenchments.

At this position the Americans were attacked on the 25th of April. In the beginning of the action, their bravery gained advantages which, in its progress, were lost by the premature retreat of two companies, occasioned by the death of all their officers. At this reverse of fortune, Greene retired a few miles from the field, both armies having sustained nearly an equal loss.

In April and May, several British posts in South Carolina fell into the power of the brave and active partizans, who, with small bodies of troops, were ever present where oppression was to be resisted or glory won. Marion and Lee invested and took fort Watson. Orangeburg and fort Motte surrendered to Sumpter. Lee captured fort Granby, and Marion drove from Georgetown the troops stationed to defend it. None of these posts had numerous garrisons, the prisoners being less, in the whole, than eight hundred; but the advantages they had secured to the enemy, rendered their capture important to the American cause.

About the last of May, Lord Rawdon retired to Monk's Corner, near Charleston, leaving garrisons only at Ninety-Six, and Augusta. The latter post was besieged by Lee, and soon capitulated. Ninety-Six, which was much stronger, was invested by the main army. The siege had continued

three weeks, and eventual success appeared certain, when intelligence arrived that Lord Rawdon, having received a reinforcement from Ireland, was approaching with two thousand men to the relief of the place.

All hope was now lost of reducing it by the slow operations of a siege. On the 18th of June, the Americans, with great gallantry, made an assault upon the works. They were received with no less gallantry by the garrison, and repulsed. Greene then retired towards North Carolina, and three days afterwards Lord Rawdon arrived at Ninety-Six.

During this year, the inhabitants of the Carolinas endured calamity and distress, from which huma nity revolts with horror. The country was ravaged and plundered by both armies. The people, in sentiment, were about equally divided. Village was hostile to village, and neighbour to neighbour; and their hostility had been embittered by accusation and retort, by attack and reprisal, until pillage, burning, and murder became familiar to all. Whenever a republican or royalist fell into the power of an adversary, he was instantly sacrificed in revenge of a friend, or to gratify political hatred. It is asserted that, in this manner, thousands were put to death. Each party aimed at the extirpation of the other, and the whole country presented an unvaried scene of blood and slaughter. But censure ought not to rest equally upon the two parties. In the commencement of the contest, the British, to terrify the people into submission, set an example which the tories were quick, but

the whigs slow, to follow; and in its progress the American generals, and they alone, siezed every occasion to discountenance such vindictive and barbarous conduct.

Lord Rawdon having returned to England, the command of the British troops, in South Carolina, devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart. In the beginning of September, he took post at Eutaw. Greene, marched against him from the high hills of Santee. Their forces were equal, amounting on each side to two thousand men. On the 8th, a battle was fought, more bloody perhaps than any which had occurred during the war. The attack was made by the Americans; the British, resolute and brave, made an obstinate resistance, but were at length driven in disorder from the field.

A small number, on their retreat, took possession of a large brick house, and others of an adjoining picketed garden. From these strong positions, a deadly fire was poured upon the Americans, who persisted, for a long time, in a rash attempt to take them by storm. This check enabled the British commander to rally his broken battalions, and bring them again into action. Greene, despairing of further success, withdrew his troops, carrying with him his wounded and prisoners.

The loss on both sides was uncommonly great, in proportion to the numbers engaged. On the American side, the number of killed and wounded amounted to five hundred and fifty; on that of the British, as stated by themselves, to almost seven hundred. This sanguinary battle was fol

lowed by the retreat of the British army towards Charleston. The Americans pursued, and by establishing a chain of posts at a short distance from that city, protected the state from their in

cursions.

Cornwallis, who left North Carolina in April, arrived at Petersburgh, in Virginia, on the 20th of May. He there formed a junction with a British detachment, which, commanded at first by Arnold, and afterwards by Phillips, had previously gained possession of Richmond and Portsmouth. With the force now at his command, he flattered himself that he should be able to add this state also to the list of his conquests.

The American troops, stationed in Virginia for its defence, were indeed entirely insufficient to oppose any effectual resistance. Under their gallant leader, the Marquis de la Fayette, they accomplished even more than was expected; but were unable to prevent the enemy from marching through the country, and destroying much public and private property.

From these excursions, Cornwallis was recalled to the sea-coast by his commander-in-chief, who having intercepted a letter from Washington to Congress, became acquainted with the danger which threatened New York. He was directed to take a position near the ocean, where his army and the fleet might afford mutual protection, until the event of the operations at the north should be known. He selected Yorktown and Gloucester Point, situated on opposite sides of York river, which empties into Chesapeake bay. He had an

army of more than 10,000 men, and applied all his means, with unwearied industry and zeal, to fortify these commanding positions.

In the mean time, but little progress had been made in the preparations to besiege New York. Of the 6,000 men whom the northern states were required to furnish for that purpose, a few hundred only, at the beginning of August, had joined the army. On the other hand, the enemy in the city had been strengthened by the arrival of 3,000 Germans. In this posture of affairs, the idea of an expedition against Cornwallis occurred to the commander-in-chief. While deliberating on the enterprise, he received information that a French fleet, under the Count De Grasse, with 3,000 troops on board, was on the way to America, and destined to the Chesapeake.

He hesitated no longer, but determined to conduct the expedition in person. The show of an intention to attack New York was nevertheless preserved. After the troops left their respective positions, and crossed the Hudson, their march was so directed as to lead Sir Henry Clinton to believe that it was the object of Washington to gain possession of Staten Island, in order to facilitate his designs against the city. The despatches he had intercepted assisted to deceive him, and not until the army had crossed the Delaware, and was thus beyond the reach of pursuit, did he suspect the real object of his adversary.

He then determined to profit by his absence, or recall him, by some daring enterprise at the north.