s entrusted to Lafayette, who collected his forces on the
Elk River, and then marched into that province. In the meantime
Generals Phillips and Arnold were engaged in the work of destruction.
Williamsburg, York Town, Petersburg, and Chesterfield Court-house were
all captured, and public property, with a quantity of vessels found in
the different harbours, etc., were destroyed by them. After the capture
of Chesterfield Court-house, Arnold marched through Osbornes--where he
destroyed the tobacco--to Warwick; just above which place, and between
it and Richmond, an American flotilla had been collected. On his
approach the crews set fire to these vessels or scuttled them; and
escaping to the opposite shore, there joined a body of militia and fled
with them. Generals Phillips and Arnold now again united their forces
and marched to Manchester, a town on the southern bank of James's River,
where they burned all the tobacco and stores. They contemplated crossing
the river to Richmond; but Lafayette had reached that place in the
course of the preceding evening, and they therefore retraced their steps
by the way of Warwick, and retired to Bermuda Hundred. Soon afterwards
they re-embarked their troops, and fell down the river to Hog Island,
where they remained till they received notice from Lord Cornwallis that
he was about marching into Virginia from the Carolinas, and expected
their co-operation.

LORD CORNWALLIS'S EXPEDITION TO VIRGINIA.

This was the last year in which any grand efforts were made for
the recovery of the colonies, and the plan of the campaign was thus
arranged. Lord Cornwallis was directed to penetrate through the
intervening provinces into Virginia, there to attack Lafayette, while
Sir Henry Clinton himself engaged to keep Washington and Rochambeau in
check. Cornwallis took the field early in this year, and having left a
considerable force under Lord Rawdon for the defence of South Carolina,
advanced towards the frontiers, and took a position at Winnsborough;
General Leslie proceeding towards Camden. About the same time the
American general, Greene, marched with the main body of his forces to
the Cheraw-hills, on the Pedee, having detached General Morgan to act on
the left of Lord Cornwallis. This movement alarmed the British commander
from some of his posts, and he despatched Colonel Tarleton, with a
force of about 1100 men, to counteract the designs of Morgan. This time
Tarleton was unsuccessful. Meeti