ences in a letter to Washington, saying: "We fight, get beat, and fight again." 582 He next began the siege of the British post at Ninety-Six, but failed to take the fort, and shortly after fell back to the hills of Santee to refresh his men.

1538

The southern campaigns of the Revolution, below Virginia, ended with the battle of Eutaw Springs (September 8, 1781). Greene said of this battle: "It was by far the most obstinate fight I ever saw." Both sides claimed the victory. Practically Eutaw resulted in success for the Americans, for the British, unable to hold the field, fled to Charleston and shut themselves up there.

Greene had never gained a victory in the South, yet, following Washington's example, he had exhausted and baffled the enemy. More than this, with the help of Marion, Sumter, and other partisan leaders, he had practically recovered possession of the Carolinas.

232. Cornwallis enters Virginia; ravages the country; Lafayette's movements; Yorktown. Meanwhile Cornwallis in pursuance of his plan (§ 231) had reached Petersburg, Virginia (May 20, 1781), and had increased his force to about seven thousand men. The British commander was confronted by Lafayette, who was waiting for Wayne to arrive with reinforcements.

Cornwallis (May 20 to June 26, 1781) sent out a force of a thousand cavalry, mounted on Virginia race-horses, to ravage the country. They seized or destroyed about $15,000,000

worth of property."

534

The British commander laughed at Lafayette, and boastingly wrote: "The boy cannot escape me." It so happened, however, that "the boy" intercepted Cornwallis's letter, and not only managed to escape him, but seriously harassed all his movements. At length, acting in obedience to what he considered imperative orders from Clinton, Cornwallis, with his seven thousand troops, retired (July 30, 1781) to the peninsula of Yorktown.5 535

233. Washington prepares to attack Cornwallis; what the French did. Washington had been planning an attack on New York. He now pressed De Grasse, who commanded a powerful French fleet in the West Indies, to come to his help. De Grasse decided that he would sail not for New York, but for Chesapeake Bay. This fact changed Washington's plans (August 17, 1781), and with the coöperation of the French commander he resolved to strike Cornwallis instead of Clinton.

Count Rochambeau's army of four thousand French regulars had been stationed at Newport, Rhode Island, since 1780. The Count now moved to the vicinity of New York to act with the Continental Army in its attack on Yorktown. Less than six months had passed since the American commander expressed grave doubts whether he could manage to keep the army together for the summer. He then wrote: "We are at the end of our tether . . . now or never deliverance must come." 536 At last deliverance had come.

Washington contrived, as he said, to completely "misguide and bewilder" Clinton, who was made to believe that the Americans were getting ready to attack New York. At length, when everything was prepared, Washington suddenly broke camp (August 19, 1781). Leaving Heath with four thousand men to hold West Point, he set out with his combined French and American army of six thousand troops to march across the country.587

But when the great movement was actually in progress, and part of the force had reached Philadelphia, a formidable obstacle arose. The men demanded their pay. Washington begged Robert Morris (§ 213) to raise some "hard money" for him. Morris borrowed $20,000 of Count Rochambeau ; the sight of the bright silver coin put the Continental Army in good humor, and smoothed the way onward.58 Fortunately, too, just at this juncture Colonel Laurens arrived at Boston with 2,500,000 francs given by the French King to the Ameri

can cause.

By this time Clinton had discovered Washington's real object, but it was too late for him to help Cornwallis. When the combined French and American armies arrived at the head of Chesapeake Bay, French transports (September 17, 1781) conveyed them to Yorktown. Here Washington was joined by Lafayette's men, by a body of Virginia militia, and by three thousand French soldiers furnished by De Grasse. His total force numbered nine thousand Americans and seven thousand French.

234. The siege and fall of Yorktown (1781). On the water side the powerful French fleet effectually cut off Cornwallis from all hope of help or of escape in that direction.

On the land side the British general saw himself hemmed in by a force of sixteen thousand or more than double his own army. The besieging force began at once (September 30, 1781) to throw up works. Day by day they crept nearer to the doomed town. Ten days later (October 9, 1781) Washington himself applied the match to the first American battery. From that time onward, for more than a week, a circle of sixty cannon and mortars rained an incessant storm of shot, shell, and red-hot balls against the defences of Cornwallis. The British general could make but a feeble reply, his stock of artillery ammunition was fast running short, and his halfcompleted fortifications were crumbling to pieces. Of his garrison only a little over three thousand men were fit for duty; the rest were lying sick or wounded in hospital, or were worn out by fatigue.

On October 17 (1781) Cornwallis sent out a white flag, and asked for terms. It was just four years to a day since Burgoyne had surrendered at Saratoga (§ 218). Two days later, October 19 (1781), the British garrison, with colors cased, marched out between the lines of the American and French forces, which formed an avenue more than a mile in length. The captive army moved with slow and solemn steps, their drums beating the quaint but highly appropriate tune of the "World's Upside Down."