Tarleton was laying waste the whole James River country with fire and sword, destroying what they did not need. They made a raid on Charlottesville, hoping to capture the legislature, which was in session in that place, and also Governor Jefferson, who was at Monticello, but failed in this attempt. Cornwallis Entrapped. - Cornwallis finally selected Yorktown as the basis of his operations, where he fortified himself strongly. Washington, learning through Lafayette that the Count de Grasse was coming with a French fleet to take part against the British, at once decided to combine the French and American armies, and capture Cornwallis before he could be reinforced. The plan was kept a secret, the movement being covered under an apparent design of laying siege to New York. This deceived the British till it was too late to relieve Cornwallis, who did not realize his danger till the French fleet appeared in the waters of the Chesapeake, and landed three thousand troops to reinforce Lafayette, followed a few days later by the arrival of Washington and the Count de Rochambeau with land forces. The combined French and American armies amounted to sixteen thousand, and the British army numbered eight thousand. Cornwallis now saw that he was hemmed in both by land and by sea; but he prepared to make a desperate defense. Siege of Yorktown. The siege of Yorktown now began. For more than a week a vigorous cannonade was kept up; and then the outer lines of Cornwallis's works were carried at the point of the bayonet. The British still held the inner fortifications; but these were swept by the fire of the American batteries. The situation of Cornwallis becoming desperate, on the 19th of October, 1781, he surrendered. On this memorable occasion, the American Surrender of Cornwallis and French troops were drawn up in two columns, Washington and Rochambeau being at their head; and between them the conquered British marched out and laid down their arms, the bands playing "The world's upside down." Peace at Last. A great victory had been won; and Congress set apart a day for thanksgiving and prayer, while Washington ordered that all persons under arrest should be set free so that they, too, might share in the general rejoicing. The surrender at Yorktown was virtually the closing scene of the war, and it was fitting that it should occur in the Old Dominion, where the prelude to the Revolution had taken place. Governor Nelson. Among the Virginia patriots of the Revolution, Thomas Nelson, who succeeded Jefferson as governor, stands preeminent. He was a man of great wealth, all of which he sacrificed to his country's needs. When two Virginia regiments were ordered to the Carolinas, before the soldiers started, he gave them all that was due them as back pay out of his own private fortune. At a time when the public credit was in a very depressed condition, the state tried to borrow two million dollars to aid in carrying on the war, but the amount could not be obtained on the security of the commonwealth. Seeing this, Nelson added his personal security to that of the state, and in this way a large proportion of the sum was raised. At the siege of Yorktown, Nelson noticed that the American gunners refrained from firing at his house, which had become a refuge for the British. Thereupon he directed the first gun at it himself, and offered five guineas to the cannoneer who would put the first ball through it. He was for some time before the end of the war commander in chief of the Virginia forces; and Washington made special mention of the services rendered by him in bringing the siege of Yorktown to a successful issue. Nelson has many honorable descendants living in Virginia. QUESTIONS 1. After the battle of Saratoga, where was the seat of war transferred? 2. Why did the British decide to attack Virginia? 3. What did they do in Portsmouth and elsewhere? 4. In subjugating Virginia, what did they believe would follow? 5. What depredations did Benedict Arnold commit? 6. What did the British do in the spring? 7. Who was Marquis de Lafayette? 8. How had the war progressed in the Carolinas? 9. What was the result of the battle of King's Mountain? 10. Describe the battle of Cowpens II. What was Cornwallis's plan after these battles? 12. Give an account of the maneuvers of Cornwallis and Lafayette. 13. Why did Tarleton make a raid on Charlottesville? 14. How did Washington entrap Cornwallis? 15. Describe the siege of Yorktown. 16. When and where did Cornwallis surrender? 17. Describe the situation of the armies at the time. 18. What did Congress order to be done? 19. What is said of the surrender of Cornwallis? 20. Who was Thomas Neison? 21. In what ways did he show his patriotism? CHAPTER XIX VIRGINIA'S CONQUEST OF HER NORTHWEST TERRITORY British Occupation of the Northwest Territory. The vast domain north of the Ohio River, Virginia claimed belonged to her by the terms of the charter of 1609, in which her territory was said to reach "up into the land from sea to sea." But the British had taken possession of this country, and had captured from the French the military forts at Kaskaskia and Vincennes. Still, in sentiment, the people were anti-English, and were ready to acknowledge the authority of Virginia. The "Hannibal of the West."- Before the Revolution ended this territory was brought under the jurisdiction of the Old Dominion, as the result of a most daring enterprise, which was successfully carried through by a native Virginian, George Rogers Clark, whose exploits gave him the title of the "Hannibal of the West." He had moved to Kentucky, which had been made a county of Virginia, and, finding that the Ohio Indians, instigated as he believed by the British, were invading the country, he conceived the daring project of protecting it by conquering the Northwest Territory for Virginia. So he journeyed back to Virginia, and unfolded his plan to Governor Henry, who enthusiastically indorsed the scheme, and took steps to equip an expedition to carry it out. Clark was commissioned colonel, supplied with money, and authorized to enlist men in any county of the com |