e Bourbons, the
sun of liberty would be set for ever. Lafayette exerted his influence
with M. de Vergennes, the French minister on this occasion. He furnished
Laurens with a letter to him, in which he stated, that with a naval
inferiority it was impossible to continue the war; that the resources of
the country, great as they were, would be ineffectual unless money were
sent; that the last campaign had been conducted without a single dollar;
and that all that credit, persuasion, and force could do in the way of
obtaining supplies had been done. In conclusion, he demanded clothes,
arms, and ammunition, and represented that a great fleet, and a new
division of 10,000 troops ought to be sent from France to New York, in
order to destroy the power of the British on the continent.

ARNOLD'S EXPEDITION TO VIRGINIA, ETC.

On the very day that the Pennsylvanian line revolted, General Arnold
appeared in Hampton Road on the Chesapeak, to carry devastation into
Virginia. Arnold had with him about 1200 men, part of whom were American
royalists; and with this force he proceeded up James's River, and landed
at Westover, about twenty-five miles distance from Richmond, the capital
of Virginia. There were 50,000 enrolled militiamen in that province; but
Jefferson, its governor, could only collect a few hundred, and therefore
he was obliged to relinquish all hopes of defending the city Knowing the
rapidity of Arnold's movements, he caused some of the public property
to be removed to the country above, and then fled with his council,
secretaries, and officers, with the greatest precipitation. Arnold
entered Richmond the morning after his flight, the troops evacuating
the town at his approach. On his arrival he sent some of the citizens
of Richmond to Jefferson, offering to spare the town if British vessels
were permitted to come to it, and take off the tobacco there deposited,
unmolested. This offer was rejected; and Arnold then detached Colonel
Simcoe, with nearly half of his force, to Westham, to burn and destroy
all the buildings there which contained arms, ammunition, and military
stores; and when Simcoe had completed this work of destruction, and had
returned, Arnold set fire to all the public buildings and tobacco-stores
at Richmond. He then quitted the capital of Virginia, and encamped at
Four-mile Creek, whence he returned to his shipping at Westover. From
Westover he detached a party of horse to Charles City Court-house, wher