ings were saved from the pain of a negative. The guard which attended him in his confinement marched with him to the place of execution. The way over which he passed was crowded with anxious spectators, whose sensibility was strongly impressed by beholding an amiable youth devoted to immediate execution. Major André walked with firmness, composure, and dignity, between the officers of his guard, his arm being locked in theirs. Upon seeing the preparations, he asked with some degree of concern," Must I die in this manner!" was told it was unavoidable. He replied, "I am reconciled to my fate, but not to the mode: it will however be but a momentary pang." His conduct excited the admiration and melted the hearts of all the spectators. He was asked if he had any thing to say;" Nothing," says he, "but to request that you will witness to the world that I die like a brave man.'

He

This execution was the subject of severe censures; and notwithstanding the usages of war, which were appealed to for the justice of the sentence, it would have been honourable to the congress, and their general in chief, had the life of this excellent young man been spared. While every heart pitied the fate of major André, the conduct of the infamous Arnold was stamped with universal infamy; and, like persons of his description, he lived despised by mankind, and died a few years since* unlamented. General Washington arrived in camp just after Arnold had made his es, cape, and restored order in the garrison.

After the defeat of general Gates in Carolina, general Greene was appointed to the command of

*See Monthly Magazine, vol. xi. p. 546.

the southern army. From this period things in that quarter wore a more favourable aspect. Colonel Tarleton, the active commander of the British legion, was defeated by general Moreton, the intrepid commander of the riflemen.

1781.

the war.

After a variety of movements the two arA. D. mies met at Guildford, in Carolina, where was one of the best-fought actions during General Greene and Lord Cornwallis exerted themselves at the head of their respective armies; and although the Americans were obliged to retire from the field of battle, yet the British army suffered immense loss, and could not pursue the victory. In this action generals O'Hara and Howard, and colonel Tarleton, were wounded; besides these, colonel Stuart and three captains were killed, and colonel Webster died of his wounds.

At this period Arnold, who had been made a brigadier-general in the British service, with a small number of troops sailed for Virginia, and plundered the country.

After the battle of Guildford, general Greene moved towards South Carolina, to drive the British from their posts in that state. Here lord Rawdon obtained an inconsiderable advantage over the Americans near Camden. Greene, with his usual promptitude, instantly took measures to prevent his lordship from improving the success he had obtained. He retreated with such order that most of his wounded, and all his artillery, together with a number of prisoners, were carried off. The British retired to Camden, where it was known that they could not long subsist without fresh provisions, and the American general took proper measures to prevent their getting any.

General Greene more than recovered the advantage gained over him at Camden, by a brilliant and successful action at the Eutaw Springs. The loss of the British was upwards of eleven hundred men, besides 1000 stand of arms: that of the Americans five hundred, in which number were sixty officers. Soon after this engagement, the British retired with their whole force to Charleston Neck. The defence of the country was given up; and the conquerors, who had carried their arms to the extre mities of the State, seldom aimed at any thing more than to secure themselves in the vicinity of the capital. The crops which had been planted in the spring of the year under British auspices, and with the expectation of affording them supplies, fell into the hands of the Americans, and administered to them a seasonable relief. The battle of Eutaw may be considered as closing the war in South Carolina. Atits commencement the British were in force over all the state; at its close they durst not venture 20 miles from Charleston. History affords but few instances of commanders who have achieved so much with equal means as was done by general Greene in the short space of a twelvemonth.

Lord Cornwallis finding general Greene successful in Carolina, marched to Virginia, collected his forces, and fortified himself in Yorktown. In the mean time Arnold made an incursion into Connecticut, burnt a part of New London, took fort Griswold by storm, and put the garrison to the sword. The brave colonel Ledyard, who commanded in the fort, was barbarously slain with his own sword, after he had surrendered.

The marquis de la Fayette had been dispatched with about two thousand light-infantry from the VOL. XXIV.

2 B

main army, to watch the motions of lord Cornwallis in Virginia. About the end of August, count de Grasse arrived with a large fleet in the Chesapeake, and blocked up the troops in Yorktown, and soon after admiral Greaves, with a British fleet, appeared off the Capes; an action suceeeded, but it was not decisive.

General Washington had, previously to this, moved the main body of his army, together with the French troops, to the southward; and as soon as he heard of the arrival of the French fleet in the Chesapeake, he made rapid marches to the head of the Elk, where embarking the troops, he soon arrived at York-town, and a close siege commenced, which was carried on with great vigour.

In a short time the batteries of the besiegers were covered with nearly a hundred pieces of cannon, and the works of the besieged were so damaged that they could scarcely show a single gun. Lord Cornwallis had now no hope left but from offering terms of capitulation, or attempting an escape. He determined on the latter, but the scheme was frustrated by a sudden and violent storm of wind and rain. With this failure the last hope of the British army expired; longer resistance could answer no good purpose, and must occasion the loss of many valuable lives. Lord Cornwallis, therefore, wrote to general Washington, requesting a cessation of arms for 24 hours, and that commissioners might be appointed to digest terms of capitulation. It is remarkable, that while colonel Laurens, the officer employed by Washington on this occasion, was drawing up these articles, his father was closely confined in the Tower of London, of which lord Cornwallis was governor. By this singular combination of cir

cumstances, his lordship became a prisoner to the son of his own prisoner. A capitulation was signed; but the honour of marching out with colours flying, which had been refused to general Lincoln, on his giving up Charleston, was now refused to lord Cornwallis: and general Lincoln was appointed to receive the submission of the royal army at York-town, precisely in the same way as his own had been conducted about eighteen months before.

The regular troops of France and America employed in this siege, consisted of about seven thousand of the former, and of five thousand five hundred of the latter; and these were assisted by four thousand militia. The troops of every kind that surrendered prisoners of war exceeded seven thousand men.

Five days after the surrender, a British fleet and army of seven thousand men, destined for the relief of Cornwallis, arrived off the Chesapeake; but on receiving advice of his lordship's surrender, they returned to New-York. Such was the fate of the general, from whose gallantry and previous successes, the speedy conquest of the southern states had been so confidently expected. No event during the war bid fairer for oversetting the independence of at least a part of the confederacy, than his complete victory at Camden; but by the consequences of that action, his lordship became the occasion of rendering that a revolution, which from his previous success was in danger of terminating as a rebellion. The loss of this army may be considered as deciding the contest in favour of America, and laying the foundation of a general peace.

The reduction of an army that had carried ra