Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/262

230 Cornwallis in Virginia. [1781 after fort fell. One alone, Fort Ninety-six, constructed with great engineering skill and defended with conspicuous valour, held out; and the whole of South Carolina practically passed under the control of Greene. Ill-health compelling Rawdon to return to England, he handed over the command to Colonel Stuart, who on September 8, 1781, attacked Greene at Eutaw Springs and fought another indecisive battle, both suffering and inflicting considerable loss, but without doing anything to weaken Greene's hold on the country. In March, 1781, Clinton had sent a British force of about 3600 men, under General Phillips, to co-operate with Cornwallis, who at that time was advancing northwards. Washington thereupon detached La Fayette to follow and harass Phillips and, if practicable, to force him to an engagement. The death of Phillips transferred the command of his force to Arnold, now in the British service. On May 20 Cornwallis and Arnold joined forces at Petersburg in Virginia; and the former took command of the whole army. La Fayette's inferiority of numbers compelled him to act wholly on the defensive and to evade an action, while Cornwallis 1 troops patrolled the country and carried off stores. The finances of Congress were in a deplorable condition. A portion of Washington^ troops had mutinied ; and it seemed as if he might be forced to disband his army for lack of provisions. The French alliance now proved, for the first time during the war, of supreme value. The French fleet, acting in co-operation with Washington, first menaced New York and thereby induced Clinton to withdraw a portion of Cornwallis 1 force. Cornwallis, it is clear, was embarrassed by the necessity of obeying orders sent to him by Clinton at a distance from the scene of action, which, by allowing him a certain amount of discretion, imposed on him responsibility without giving full freedom. An attempt was made by the British fleet to co-operate with Cornwallis. It was, however, opposed and defeated by the French fleet at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay ; and the English Admiral, Graves, withdrew to New York to refit. Meanwhile Washing- ton had been joined by a considerable body of French troops, and had put his army in such order as to enable him to advance to Virginia. The French fleet, having uninterrupted control of Chesapeake Bay, was able to transport the troops, saving them a long march; and a junction with La Fayette was effected. Cornwallis entrenched himself at Yorktowri, on a peninsula between the York and James rivers. Here he was effectually cut off by a superior force from all possibility of escape by land. Clinton had promised to send relief; and, if only a co-operating fleet could command the sea, Cornwallis would have a base of supplies, a possibility of reinforcements, and, at the worst, a means of retreat. Accordingly Cornwallis took up a purely defensive attitude, employing his army entirely in the construction of fortifications and earthworks. On September 1 he received from Clinton a promise