war, like a whirlwind, over the State. Cornwallis left Hillsborough, and, after both generals had manoeuvred with uncommon abilities for a long time, Greene avoiding a general action until the arrival of his expected reinforcements, the two armies met at Guilford Court-House; but not until the American general had received his reinforcements, when he made the first move against the enemy. "On the 8th of March, a general engagement took place, in which victory, after alternately passing to the banners of each army, finally decided in favour of the British. "The British loss, in this battle, exceeded five hundred in killed and wounded, among whom were several of the most distinguished officers. The American loss was about four hundred in killed and wounded, of which more than threefourths fell upon the continentals. Though the numerical force of General Greene nearly doubled that of Cornwallis, yet, when we consider the difference between these forces, the shameful conduct of the North Carolina militia, who fled at the first fire, the desertion of the second Maryland regiment, and that a body of reserve was not brought into action, it will appear that our numbers actually engaged but little exceeded that of the enemy. "Notwithstanding the issue of the above battle, General Greene took the bold resolution of leading back his forces to South Carolina, and of attacking the enemy's strong post at Camden, in that State. Accordingly, on the 20th, he encamped at Logtown, within sight of the enemy's works. Lord Rawdon at this time held the command of Camden, and had a force of only nine hundred men. The army of General Greene-a detachment having been made for another expedition under General Lee-amounted scarcely to twelve hundred men of all classes. "On the 25th, Lord Rawdon drew out his forces, and the two armies engaged. For a season victory seemed inclined to the Americans, but, in the issue, General Greene found himself obliged to retreat. "The American loss, in killed, wounded, and missing, was two hundred and sixty-eight; the English loss was nearly equal. The failure of the victory in this battle was not attributable, as in some cases, to the flight of the militia, when danger had scarcely begun-but General Greene experienced the mortification of seeing a regiment of veterans give way to an inferior force, when every circumstance was in their favour-the very regiment, too, which, at the battle of the Cowpens, behaved with such heroic bravery. "Although the British arms gained the victory of Camden, the result of the whole was favourable to the American cause. General Lee, with a detachment despatched for that purpose, while Greene was marching against Camden, took possession of an important post at Mottes, near the confluence of the Congaree and Santee rivers. This auspicious event was followed by the evacuation of Camden by Lord Rawdon, and of the whole line of British posts, with the exception of Ninety-Six and Charleston. 66 Ninety-Six, one hundred and forty-seven miles north-west from Charleston, was garrisoned by five hundred and sixty men. Against this post, after the battle of Camden, General Greene took up his march, and on the 22d of May sat down before it. Soon after the siege of it had been commenced, intelligence arrived that Lord Rawdon had been reinforced by troops from Ireland, and was on his march with two thousand men for its relief. Greene now determined upon an assault; but in this he failed, with a loss of one hundred and fifty men. "Soon after his arrival at Ninety-Six, Lord Rawdon deemed it expedient to evacuate this post. Retiring, himself, to Charleston, his army encamped at the Eutaw Springs, forty miles from Charleston. "General Greene, having retired to the high hills of Santee, to spend the hot and sickly season, in September approached the enemy at the Eutaw Springs. On the morning of the 8th, he advanced upon him, and the battle between the two armies became general. The contest was sustained with equal bravery on both sides-victory seeming to decide in favour of neither. "The British lost, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, about one thousand one hundred. The loss of the Americans was five hundred and fifty-five. "The battle at Eutaw Springs was the last general action that took place in South Carolina, and nearly finished the war in that quarter. The enemy now retired to Charleston. "Thus closed the campaign of 1781 in South Carolina. Few commanders have ever had greater difficulties to encounter than General Greene; and few have ever, with the same means, accomplished so much. Though never so decisively victorious, yet the battles which he fought, either from necessity or choice, were always so well managed as to result to his advantage. "Not unmindful of his eminent services, Congress presented him with a British standard, and a gold medal, emblematical of the action at the Eutaw Springs, which restored a sister State to the American Union. Had it pleased Providence to take away Washington during the revolution, Greene would have been his successor. "After the battle of Guilford, between Greene and Cornwallis, noticed above, the latter, leaving South Carolina in charge of Lord Rawdon, commenced his march towards Petersburg, in Virginia, where he arrived on the 20th of May. Having received several reinforcements, he found himself with an army of eight thousand men, and indulged the pleasing anticipations that Virginia would soon be made to yield to his arms." While Colonel Tarleton was making his predatory excursion through Virginia, nine of his men went to a tavern to rob and plunder as usual. Peter Francisco became an object of their attention; and, among other things, a pair of shoebuckles were found on Peter, which were fashionable in those days. A British officer, with drawn sword, approached our hero and demanded his buckles. Peter, being defenceless, told him to take them, when the officer placed his sword under his arm and stooped to take them from Peter's shoes. Peter was one of the strongest men in the State; and, watching his opportunity, he very slyly took the sword from under the arm of the Briton and laid him at his feet; then falling upon the rest, he dealt destruction on all sides, and routed the whole of them! The reader will perceive that Peter is in a fair way of retaining his buckles to ornament his shoes many a day, while the Briton on horseback is less likely to hold on to his gun; his countenance, bespeaking anything but exultation, seems to indicate that he considers himself in rather a dangerous position. Lay it on, Peter; you are ridding our country of robbers and murderers, who would have had the audacity to rob you of your buckles! The man who looks on seems somewhat amazed; and the negroes, showing the white of the eye rather largely and using their legs very freely, seem somewhat alarmed. I am told Peter is still living, which shows he knew as well how to escape from Tarleton's four hundred soldiers as to conquer nine of them.-Huzza for Peter! CHAPTER XXVII. Washington manœuvres before New York-Directs his Course to YorktownReaches Chesapeake Bay-Arrival of Count de Grasse-Wading through the Susquehanna-Arrival of Count de Barres-Siege of Yorktown-Efforts of Cornwallis-Storming of Redoubts-Critical Situation of Cornwallis-Surrender of Cornwallis-Terms of Capitulation-Rejoicings of the People-Dissection of a King-End of the War-Courtship and Marriage of Washington-Prayer of Washington. "The drying up a single tear has more Of honest fame, than shedding seas of gore. And why? because it brings self-approbation, Though they may make corruption gape or stare, And such they are-and such they will be found. Whose every battle-field is holy ground, Which breathes of nations saved, not worlds undone. While the mere victors may appal or stun "And seas and continents his voice obey." HERE, in this sacred spot, beneath the cedar and the pine, where the cactus flourishes, and the wild rose blooms; where the mocking-bird sings in the grove, and the fawn steals timidly away, and where, sixty-three years ago, Washington stood directing a great siege, we now wander to study the battle-ground of Yorktown. Yorktown is situated on the south side of York river, eleven miles from its mouth; and opposite is Gloucester, another village, on a point of land projecting far into the river, leaving the stream only one mile wide, though it is from three to four miles wide above and below. "Time, war, flood, and fire, Have dealt upon the seven-hill'd city's pride." This is literally true, except the flood, and instead of Yorktown being built on seven hills, it is on no hill at all, but merely on a high bank. The town is still in ruins; the siege, and subsequent fire, have left only a remnant of what it was before. The lizard crawls through the tall weeds in the ruined church; and the walls of the cemetery being levelled with the earth, enables brutes to rove about among the sculptured monuments of the illustrious dead. The number of inhabitants is only one hundred and twenty. The battles were fought all around the town, on the plantation of Governor Nelson, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, who had been elevated by Congress to the rank of brigadier-general, and who was now at the head of a detachment of Virginia militia. His house soon became a shapeless heap of ruins; his land covered with en |