An account of the march of the reinforcements sent south under St. Clair is in Harmer's Journal, while the "Journal" of Major Denny in Penna. Hist. Soc. Memoirs, vii. pp. 249 et seq., contains much of interest relating to the operations around Charleston.[1183] Mention should also be made of a series of letters from Major Pierce to St. George Tucker, bearing on this period, in Mag. Am. Hist. (1881), pp. 431-445, while there is an original account by Seymour in Penna. Mag., vii. 377. A British narrative of the same operations is in Political Mag., iv. 36-44.[1184]
There are several descriptions of the triumphant entry of the Americans into Charleston on the 14th of December, 1782; that by Horry in Charleston Year Book (1883) is perhaps the best.[1185] Of the contemporary historians, Gordon (vol. iv. 173-177, 298-305) has given the best account of this time.[1186] In the library of the Mass. Hist. Soc. there is a manuscript giving details of the emigration at the evacuations of Savannah and Charleston.[1187] It appears from this that no less than 13,271 of the former inhabitants of those States, including 8,676 blacks, left with the British army when it finally retired from the South.
The British in Virginia, 1779 and 1780.—Besides the documents mentioned in the Virginia Calendar of State Papers, there are full and detailed accounts by Mathews and Collier of their doings at Portsmouth and Suffolk.[1188] There is some account also of the naval portion of this expedition in Town's Detail of Some Particular Services performed in America, compiled from journals ... kept aboard the Ship Rainbow, New York, 1835, pp. 77-88.[1189]
Clinton's instructions to Leslie are in Clinton's Observations on Cornwallis, App., pp. 25, 27. There is little else bearing on this movement except a few letters from Steuben in Historical Mag., iv. 301, and Corres. of the Rev., iii. 203.[1190]
Arnold and Phillips in Virginia, 1781.—With regard to the first part of Arnold's raid into Virginia, we have several letters from him to Clinton.[1191] On the American side there are many interesting letters in the Maryland Papers (134-144), and in Muhlenberg's Muhlenberg, 404, etc. See also Ibid. 216-253, for a description of Gen. Muhlenberg's share in resisting these incursions. Steuben, as Greene's lieutenant, had the chief command in Virginia at the time, and Kapp in his Steuben (Amer. ed., p. 371 et seq.) has not failed to give him full credit for his courageous endeavors.[1192]
Lafayette and Cornwallis in Virginia.—Lafayette, during his campaign against Phillips, and afterwards against Cornwallis, was considered as under the command of Greene. He reported to Greene, and his reports may be found in the Remembrancer, (vol. xii.).[1193] He also kept up an incessant correspondence with Washington, and Sparks's Corres. of the Rev.[1194] should therefore be compared with the papers in Lafayette's Memoirs.[1195] A few reports and letters from Cornwallis at this time will be found in his Correspondence (i. 105 et seq.). Tarleton (Campaigns, 279) gives a good account of the march from Guilford to Wilmington and thence to Petersburg, from his point of view. Gen. Graham was at that time a captain in the 76th regiment, which, with the 80th, bore the brunt of the action at the crossing of the James. The account of the affair in his Memoirs (pp. 53-55) is one of the best we have. Simcoe, in his Journal (ed. 1787, pp. 146-177; Am. ed., pp. 209-250), has given a detailed description of the campaign. He has exaggerated his own services, but has atoned, in part, for this by giving a set of good plans of the rencounters which he tried to dignify into battles.[1196] Giradin (Continuation of Burk, iv. 490) has given the Jeffersonian version of the period.[1197]
This gallant struggle of Lafayette against great odds was very creditable to him and to his soldiers; but it had little or no influence on the final result. Nevertheless, it has attracted the attention of recent writers, and has brought out two good articles: one from the pen of Carrington (Mag. Am. Hist., vi. 340, with map), the other from a less known writer, Mr. Coleman (Ibid. vii. 201).[1198]
The Yorktown Campaign.—Clinton and Cornwallis, in their pamphlets on the conduct of the campaign, printed most of the important documents which passed between them and their superiors and subordinates. Others will be found in the documents printed by order of the Lords, and still others in the biographies of the different commanders. I shall point out only the most important. In a letter (Wilmington, April 18, 1781) Cornwallis explained the reasons for the Guilford campaign, gave an account of his later movements, and advocated a march into Virginia. On the 24th he wrote to Phillips that his situation at Wilmington was very distressing (Parl. Reg., xxv. 155, etc.). On the preceding day he had announced his determination to Germain to go north (Parl. Reg., xxv. 145; extracts in numerous places, among others in Tarleton, 325). But more valuable than these are two letters to Clinton written April 24th (Parl. Reg., xxv. 156; extracts in Cornwallis's Correspondence, i. 94; Cornwallis's Answer, p. 55; and in many other places). Clinton disapproved this movement from the outset. (Cf. letter, May 29th, in Clinton's Observations on Cornwallis, App. p. 99.) Cornwallis tried to justify his conduct in a letter dated Portsmouth, July 24th (Parl. Reg., xxv. 207, etc.). On the other hand, Germain was "well pleased to find Cornwallis's opinion entirely coincided" with his (Parl. Reg., xxv. 135). Cornwallis therefore went north without any misgivings.[1199]
DE GRASSE'S VICTORY.