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being able to apprehend Arnold; and directed Lafayette to grant him no terms which would save him from the consequences of his crimes. However, the delay in the sailing of the fleet frustrated Washington's design.

The British admiral, Arbuthnot, having repaired his damages, pursued, and on the 16th overtook the French fleet off the capes. of Virginia. An indecisive engagement ensued, in which each party claimed the victory; but the object of the French expedition was defeated, and the fleet returned to Newport.

It is necessary, here, to revert to what had been passing in Virginia, in order to understand the position of affairs in that state, at the time of Lafayette's assuming the command.

Towards the end of October, 1780, General Leslie entered Chesapeake Bay, landed at Portsmouth, and began to fortify himself there with about three thousand men. But on experiencing unexpected and increasing difficulties in the Carolinas, Cornwallis directed that officer, with his detachment, to proceed to Charleston. The invasion of Virginia, however, though interrupted, was not relinquished. Sir Henry Clinton resolved to prosecute the war with vigour, in that quarter; and in the end of the year sent the infamous Arnold to Chesapeake Bay, with a detachment of sixteen hundred men. Arnold, thirsting for plunder, sailed up James River, and on the 4th of January, 1781, landed at Westover, one hundred and forty miles from the capes, and twenty-five below Richmond.

Major-general Baron Steuben, who then commanded the American forces in that part of Virginia, thought the expedition was intended to act against Petersburg, situated on the Appomattox, which falls into James River, a little above Westover. At that place a considerable quantity of stores had been collected for the use of the southern army; and those stores the baron caused his feeble body of raw troops, scarcely amounting to three hundred men, to remove to a place of greater security.

At Westover, Arnold landed with the greater part of his troops, and marched directly towards Richmond. A few regulars who were in that vicinity, and some militia, were ordered to impede his progress, but their efforts were ineffectual. Meanwhile, Baron Steuben made every exertion to remove the stores from Richmond, carrying a part of them across the river, and a part to West Ham, at the head of the rapids.

On the day after landing at Westover, Arnold entered Richmond, with little opposition. There he halted with five hundred

men, and sent Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe forward with other five hundred to West Ham, where he burned and destroyed a valuable foundery, a boring mill, a powder magazine, and a considerable quantity of military stores. Colonel Simcoe returned to Richmond, where the public property and a large quantity of rum and salt belonging to individuals were destroyed. After completing the work of destruction at Richmond, Arnold returned to Westover on the 7th; and after some skirmishing, re-embarked on the 10th, sailed down the river destroying the property on his way, and on the 20th arrived at Portsmouth, where he manifested an intention of establishing a permanent post. In this expedition, Arnold, while he destroyed a large quantity of military stores and other valuable property, stated his loss at only seven men killed and twenty-three wounded.

Baron Steuben being in no condition to attack Arnold at Portsmouth, was careful to station his troops at the most convenient passes leading from that place into the country, in order to afford the inhabitants all the protection in his power. It was while Arnold lay at Portsmouth, that General Washington formed the plan of apprehending him, which failed through the backwardness of the French to engage in it.

As Arnold's force was not sufficient to make any deep and permanent impression on the powerful state of Virginia, the British commander-in-chief resolved to increase it; and for that purpose, about the middle of March, sent General Philips with two thousand chosen men from New York to Chesapeake bay. General Philips arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th; and being the superior officer, took the command of the army in Virginia.

After employing some time in completing the fortifications of Portsmouth, General Philips began offensive operations, with a force much superior to what Congress could oppose to him in that part of the country. On the 18th of April, he embarked twentyfive hundred men on board his smaller vessels, and sailed up James River, in order to destroy every thing that had escaped the ravages of Arnold. He landed at Burrel's Ferry, and marched to Williamsburgh, the former seat of government in Virginia. A small body of militia assembled there, retreated on his approach, and he entered the place without opposition. He sent part through all the lower district of that narrow tract of land, which lies between James and York rivers, who destroyed all public stores and property which fell in their way. He then re-embarked, sailed up the river to City Point, where he landed on the 24th, and next day marched

ARNOLD'S DESCENT ON VIRGINIA.

419 to Petersburgh, where he destroyed an immense quantity of tobacco and other property, together with the vessels lying in the river.

Baron Steuben was unable to make any effectual resistance to this ruthless work of devastation. The regular troops of the state had been sent to reinforce General Greene, and the militia then in the field did not much exceed two thousand. Even although the whole of that number could have been collected at any one point, yet with that kind of force no enterprise of importance could be undertaken. To have hazarded a battle with the militia against regular troops would only have been to insure defeat, the loss of arms, and the consequent discouragement of the country. Baron Steuben had the mortification to see the state laid waste, without being able to relieve it; and after some slight skirmishing he retreated to Richmond.

Arnold was detached to Osbornes, a small village on the south side of James River, fifteen miles below Richmond; while General Philips marched to Chesterfield court-house, which had been appointed the place of rendezvous for the new levies of Virginia, where he destroyed the barracks and the public stores which had not been removed. About half-way between Osbornes and Richmond, a few small armed vessels which had been collected to co-operate with the French against Portsmouth, after a slight resistance, were scuttled, and set on fire by their crews, who joined the militia and retreated.

On the 20th of April, Philips and Arnold reunited their forces near Osbornes, and marched against Manchester, a small town on the south bank of James River, opposite Richmond, where, as usual, they set fire to the warehouses, and consumed the tobacco and other property.

At this critical and disastrous period in the history of Virginia, Lafayette arrived from the northward, to take command of the military force in that state. This illustrious friend of America had already manifested such a lively zeal for the interests of the Union as secured him the entire confidence of Washington, and of the Congress. When the attempt was meditated against Arnold at Portsmouth, Washington, as we have already seen, had appointed Lafayette to command the troops to be employed in that enterprise; but, on the abandonment of the expedition by the naval force of France, he returned from Annapolis in Maryland, where he had arrived, and proceeded to the head of Elk River, at which place he received General Washington's orders to take the command of the troops in Virginia.