sailed through
the Capes on December 30, 1780. Instead of stopping at Portsmouth, he
continued on up the James to capture Richmond, the new capital, on
January 5, 1781. After Arnold had set up his headquarters at Portsmouth,
two attempts to launch a sea and land attack against him failed to
materialize. Cornwallis marched into Virginia in late spring and in May
crossed the James and entered Richmond. During the summer of 1781, the
main achievement of Lafayette and the continental forces in Virginia was
to avoid destruction.

July 25, 1781. Cornwallis, marching from Richmond, reached
Williamsburg on June 25. He remained there until July 5, when he moved
toward the James River where transports awaited to take him to the Surry
side. Before he was able to make the crossing, he was attacked by
Lafayette, at Green Spring. After successfully repelling the American
forces, he crossed the river and pushed on to Portsmouth. In August he
crossed Hampton Roads and marched to Yorktown, which he fortified.

August 30, 1781. The stage was being set for the destruction of
Cornwallis's army when the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse sailed
through the Virginia Capes on August 30, 1781. General Washington was
hurrying with his army from New York and Lafayette was bringing up his
troops preparatory to bottling up Cornwallis on the Yorktown peninsula
where he had encamped with his army.

September 5, 1781. One avenue of escape for Cornwallis's army was
shut off when De Grasse assured French control of the river and bay by
repulsing the British fleet commanded by Admiral Graves.

September 28, 1781. The surrender of Cornwallis became only a
matter of time when Washington brought his army up to reenforce the
besieging forces of Lafayette.

October 19, 1781. General Cornwallis surrendered his army at
Yorktown. With the aid of the French, General Washington had won for the
colonies their independence. The independence of America became official
with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783.

October 20, 1783. Virginia, agreeing to the terms of Congress,
ceded her claims to territory north of the Ohio, and the deed passed
March 1, 1784. Virginia was shrunken to the limits contained in the
present States of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

Declaration of Independence

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people
to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with a