tation of the arrival of
Grasse's fleet, brought his troops from Rhode Island (p. 219) and joined
Washington at White Plains. It was agreed between Grasse and Washington
that the united army, 4,000 French and 2,000 Americans, should march
into Virginia and act in co-operation with the French fleet. Clinton,
however, deceived by fictitious letters, written by Washington and
designed to be intercepted, believed that it would attack New York, and
remained quietly there while it marched half through New Jersey. Not
until September 2 did he discover that it was on its way to join in a
combined attack on Cornwallis. On the 5th it reached the head of
Chesapeake bay.

[Sidenote: _CAPITULATION OF CORNWALLIS._]

By that time the inferiority of the British fleet rendered Cornwallis's
situation extremely perilous. When Hood with the fourteen ships of the
line left by Rodney (p. 218) arrived off Cape Henry on August 25, Graves
was not there to meet him; he sailed to Sandy Hook and joined him. The
fleet, nineteen ships of the line, sailed under Graves to Chesapeake
bay, and found that during Hood's absence Grasse had entered the bay
with twenty-eight ships of the line. Grasse at once stood out to sea,
for he was anxious to secure a junction with the squadron from Newport,
under Count de Barras, which Rodney had failed to attack in the previous
September. Graves, who should have caught these ships instead of aiming
at the main fleet, engaged him on September 5, handled his fleet badly,
and got his ships knocked about. While he remained uselessly at sea the
squadron of Barras slipped into the bay. On the 14th the British fleet
returned to New York to refit, and Cornwallis was left without succour.
Lafayette with a large army of French and Americans was already blocking
the neck of the peninsula. Clinton attempted a perfectly useless
diversion in Connecticut under Arnold. Washington's army joined
Lafayette on the 18th, and Cornwallis was soon besieged by a force of
over 16,000 men. On October 19 he was forced to capitulate. Of the
garrison which surrendered at Yorktown and Gloucester, 6,950 men, only
4,017 remained fit for duty. On the day of the surrender, naval
reinforcements having arrived at New York and the fleet at last being
refitted, Clinton sailed with 7,000 troops to the relief of Cornwallis.
They found that they were too late and returned to New York.

With this disaster the war in America virtually ended. Cornwallis in his