s and several
of his guns had to be thrown overboard. It was the close of the year
when he anchored in the Chesapeake.

Virginia, at the time, was almost in a defenceless state. Baron
Steuben, who had the general command there, had recently detached such
of his regular troops as were clothed and equipped to the South, to
reinforce General Greene. Governor Jefferson, on hearing of the
arrival of the fleet, called out the militia from the neighboring
counties; but few could be collected on the spur of the moment, for
the whole country was terror-stricken and in confusion. Having land
and sea forces at his command, Arnold opened the new year with a
buccaneering ravage. Ascending James River with some small vessels
which he had captured, he landed on the 4th of January with nine
hundred men at Westover, about twenty-five miles below Richmond, and
pushed for the latter place, at that time little more than a village,
though the metropolis of Virginia.

It was Arnold's hope to capture the governor; but the latter, after
providing for the security of as much as possible of the public
stores, had left Richmond the evening before on horseback to join his
family at Tuckahoe, whence, on the following day, he conveyed them to
a place of safety. Governor Jefferson got back by noon to Manchester,
on the opposite side of James River, in time to see Arnold's marauders
march into the town. Arnold sent some of the citizens to the governor,
offering to spare the town, provided his ships might come up James
River to be laden with tobacco from the warehouses. His offer was
indignantly rejected, whereupon fire was set to the public edifices,
stores, and workshops; private houses were pillaged, and a great
quantity of tobacco consumed.

While this was going on, Colonel Simcoe had been detached to Westham,
six miles up the river, where he destroyed a cannon foundry and sacked
a public magazine; and after effecting a complete devastation,
rejoined Arnold at Richmond. Having completed his ravage, Arnold
re-embarked at Westover and fell slowly down the river, landing
occasionally to burn, plunder, and destroy; pursued by Steuben with a
few Continental troops and all the militia that he could muster.
General Nelson, also, with similar levies opposed him. Lower down the
river some skirmishing took place, a few of Arnold's troops were
killed and a number wounded, but he made his way to Portsmouth,
opposite Norfolk, where he took post on the 20th