h navy bore down to visit the fleet, but
returned with the astounding intelligence that it was British!

Admiral Arbuthnot had in fact overtaken Destouches on the 16th of
March, off the capes of Virginia. Their forces were nearly equal;
eight ships-of-the-line, and four frigates on each side, the French
having more men, the English more guns. An engagement took place which
lasted about an hour. The British van at first took the brunt of the
action, and was severely handled; the centre came up to its relief.
The French line was broken and gave way, but rallied, and formed again
at some distance. The crippled state of some of his ships prevented
the British admiral from bringing on a second encounter; nor did the
French seek one, but shaped their course the next day back to Newport.
Both sides claimed a victory. The British certainly effected the main
objects they had in view; the French were cut off from the Chesapeake;
the combined enterprise against Portsmouth was disconcerted, and
Arnold was saved.

A detachment [of two thousand troops] from New York, under General
Phillips, arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th of March. That officer
immediately took command, greatly to the satisfaction of the British
officers, who had been acting under Arnold. The force now collected
there amounted to three thousand five hundred men. The disparity in
force was now so great, that the Baron Steuben had to withdraw his
troops, and remove the military stores into the interior. Many of the
militia, too, their term of three months being expired, stacked their
arms, and set off for their homes, and most of the residue had to be
discharged.

General Phillips had hitherto remained quiet in Portsmouth, completing
the fortifications, but evidently making preparations for an
expedition. On the 16th of April he left one thousand men in garrison,
and embarking the rest in small vessels of light draught, proceeded up
James River, destroying armed vessels, public magazines, and a
ship-yard belonging to the State. Landing at City Point, he advanced
against Petersburg, a place of deposit of military stores and tobacco.
He was met about a mile below the town by about one thousand militia,
under General Muhlenburg, who, after disputing the ground inch by inch
for nearly two hours, with considerable loss on both sides, retreated
across the Appomattox, breaking down the bridge behind them.

Phillips entered the town, set fire to the tobacco warehouses, a