washington and his comrades in arms-第30部分

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m　Camden　into　North　Carolina　he　hoped　to　draw　Greene　into　a　battle　and　to　crush　him　as　he　had　crushed　Gates。　He　sent　Tarleton　with　a　smaller　force　to　strike　a　deadly　blow　at　Morgan　who　was　threatening　the　British　garrisons　at　the　points　in　the　interior　farther　south。　There　was　no　more　capable　leader　than　Tarleton；　he　had　won　many　victories；　but　now　came　his　day　of　defeat。　On　January　17；　1781；　he　met　Morgan　at　the　Cowpens；　about　thirty　miles　west　from　King's　Mountain。　Morgan；　not　quite　sure　of　the　discipline　of　his　men；　stood　with　his　back　to　a　broad　river　so　that　retreat　was　impossible。　Tarleton　had　marched　nearly　all　night　over　bad　roads；　but；　confident　in　the　superiority　of　his　weary　and　hungry　veterans；　he　advanced　to　the　attack　at　daybreak。　The　result　was　a　complete　disaster。　Tarleton　himself　barely　got　away　with　two　hundred　and　seventy　men　and　left　behind　nearly　nine　hundred　casualties　and　prisoners。

Cornwallis　had　lost　one…third　of　his　effective　army。　There　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　to　take　his　loss　and　still　to　press　on　northward　in　the　hope　that　the　more　southerly　inland　posts　could　take　care　of　themselves。　In　the　early　spring　of　1781；　when　heavy　rains　were　making　the　roads　difficult　and　the　rivers　almost　impassable；　Greene　was　luring　Cornwallis　northward　and　Cornwallis　was　chasing　Greene。　At　Hillsborough；　in　the　northwest　corner　of　North　Carolina；　Cornwallis　issued　a　proclamation　saying　that　the　colony　was　once　more　under　the　authority　of　the　King　and　inviting　the　Loyalists；　bullied　and　oppressed　during　nearly　six　years；　to　come　out　openly　on　the　royal　side。　On　the　15th　of　March　Greene　took　a　stand　and　offered　battle　at　Guilford　Court　House。　In　the　early　afternoon；　after　a　march　of　twelve　miles　without　food；　Cornwallis；　with　less　than　two　thousand　men；　attacked　Greene's　force　of　about　four　thousand。　By　evening　the　British　held　the　field　and　had　captured　Greene's　guns。　But　they　had　lost　heavily　and　they　were　two　hundred　miles　from　their　base。　Their　friends　were　timid；　and　in　fact　few；　and　their　numerous　enemies　were　filled　with　passionate　resolution。

Cornwallis　now　wrote　to　urge　Clinton　to　come　to　his　aid。　Abandon　New　York；　he　said；　bring　the　whole　British　force　into　Virginia　and　end　the　war　by　one　smashing　stroke；　that　would　be　better　than　sticking　to　salt　pork　in　New　York　and　sending　only　enough　men　to　Virginia　to　steal　tobacco。　Cornwallis　could　not　remain　where　he　was；　far　from　the　sea。　Go　back　to　Camden　he　would　not　after　a　victory；　and　thus　seem　to　admit　a　defeat。　So　he　decided　to　risk　all　and　go　forward。　By　hard　marching　he　led　his　army　down　the　Cape　Fear　River　to　Wilmington　on　the　sea；　and　there　he　arrived　on　the　9th　of　April。　Greene；　however；　simply　would　not　do　what　Cornwallis　wishedstay　in　the　north　to　be　beaten　by　a　second　smashing　blow。　He　did　what　Cornwallis　would　not　do；　he　marched　back　into　the　South　and　disturbed　the　British　dream　that　now　the　country　was　held　securely。　It　mattered　little　that；　after　this；　the　British　won　minor　victories。　Lord　Rawdon；　still　holding　Camden；　defeated　Greene　on　the　25th　of　April　at　Hobkirk's　Hill。　None　the　less　did　Rawdon　find　his　position　untenable　and　he；　too；　was　forced　to　march　to　the　sea；　which　he　reached　at　a　point　near　Charleston。　Augusta；　the　capital　of　Georgia；　fell　to　the　Americans　on　the　5th　of　June　and　the　operations　of　the　summer　went　decisively　in　their　favor。　The　last　battle　in　the　field　of　the　farther　South　was　fought　on　the　8th　of　September　at　Eutaw　Springs；　about　fifty　miles　northwest　of　Charleston。　The　British　held　their　position　and　thus　could　claim　a　victory。　But　it　was　fruitless。　They　had　been　forced　steadily　to　withdraw。　All　the　boasted　fabric　of　royal　government　in　the　South　had　come　down　with　a　crash　and　the　Tories　who　had　supported　it　were　having　evil　days。

While　these　events　were　happening　farther　south；　Cornwallis　himself；　without　waiting　for　word　from　Clinton　in　New　York；　had　adopted　his　own　policy　and　marched　from　Wilmington　northward　into　Virginia。　Benedict　Arnold　was　now　in　Virginia　doing　what　mischief　he　could　to　his　former　friends。　In　January　he　burned　the　little　town　of　Richmond；　destined　in　the　years　to　come　to　be　a　great　center　in　another　civil　war。　Some　twenty　miles　south　from　Richmond　lay　in　a　strong　position　Petersburg；　later　also　to　be　drenched　with　blood　shed　in　civil　strife。　Arnold　was　already　at　Petersburg　when　Cornwallis　arrived　on　the　20th　of　May。　He　was　now　in　high　spirits。　He　did　not　yet　realize　the　extent　of　the　failure　farther　south。　Virginia　he　believed　to　be　half　loyalist　at　heart。　The　negroes　would；　he　thought；　turn　against　their　masters　when　they　knew　that　the　British　were　strong　enough　to　defend　them。　Above　all　he　had　a　finely　disciplined　army　of　five　thousand　men。　Cornwallis　was　the　more　confident　when　he　knew　by　whom　he　was　opposed。　In　April　Washington　had　placed　La　Fayette　in　charge　of　the　defense　of　Virginia；　and　not　only　was　La　Fayette　young　and　untried　in　such　a　command　but　he　had　at　first　only　three　thousand　badly…trained　men　to　confront　the　formidable　British　general。　Cornwallis　said　cheerily　that　〃the　boy〃　was　certainly　now　his　prey　and　began　the　task　of　catching　him。

An　exciting　chase　followed。　La　Fayette　did　some　good　work。　It　was　impossible；　with　his　inferior　force；　to　fight　Cornwallis；　but　he　could　tire　him　out　by　drawing　him　into　long　marches。　When　Cornwallis　advanced　to　attack　La　Fayette　at　Richmond；　La　Fayette　was　not　there　but　had　slipped　away　and　was　able　to　use　rivers　and　mountains　for　his　defense。　Cornwallis　had　more　than　one　string　to　his　bow。　The　legislature　of　Virginia　was　sitting　at　Charlottesville；　lying　in　the　interior　nearly　a　hundred　miles　northwest　from　Richmond；　and　Cornwallis　conceived　the　daring　plan　of　raiding　Charlottesville；　capturing　the　Governor　of　Virginia；　Thomas　Jefferson；　and；　at　one　stroke；　shattering　the　civil　administration。　Tarleton　was　the　man　for　such　an　enterprise　of　hard　riding　and　bold　fighting　and　he　nearly　succeeded。　Jefferson　indeed　escaped　by　rapid　flight　but　Tarleton　took　the　town；　burned　the　public　records；　and　captured　ammunition　and　arms。　But　he　really　effected　little。　La　Fayette　was　still　unconquered。　His　army　was　growing　and　the　British　were　finding　that　Virginia；　like　New　England；　was　definitely　against　them。

At　New　York；　meanwhile；　Clinton　was　in　a　dilemma。　He　was　dismayed　at　the　news　of　the　march　of　Cornwallis　to　Virginia。　Cornwallis　had　been　so　long　practically　independent　in　the　South　that　he　assumed　not　only　the　right　to　shape　his　own　policy　but　adopted　a　certain　tartness　in　his　despatches　to　Clinton；　his　superior。　When　now；　in　this　tone；　he　urged　Clinton　to　abandon　New　York　and　join　him　Clinton's　answer　on　the　26th　of　June　was　a　definite　order　to　occupy　some　port　in　Virginia　easily　reached　from　the　sea；　to　make　it　secure；　and　to　send　to　New　York　reinforcements。　The　French　army　at　Newport　was　beginning　to　move　towards　New　York　and　Clinton　had　intercepted　letters　from　Washington　to　La　Fayette　revealing　a　serious　design　to　make　an　attack　with　the　aid　of　the　French　fleet。　Such　was　the　game　which　fortune　was　playing　with　the　British　generals。　Each　desired　the　other　to　abandon　his　own　plans　and　to　come　to　his　aid。　They　were　agreed；　however；　that　some　strong　point　must　be　held　in　Virginia　as　a　naval　base；　and　on　the　2d　of　August　Cornwallis　established　this　base　at　Yorktown；　at　the　mouth　of　the　York　River；　a　mile　wide　where　it　flows　into　Chesapeake　Bay。　His　cannon　could　command　the　whole　width　of　the　river　and　keep　in　safety　ships　anchored　above　the　town。　Yorktown　lay　about　half　way　between　New　York　and　Charleston　and　from　here　a　fleet　could　readily　carry　a　military　force　to　any　needed　point　on　the　sea。　La　Fayette　with　a　growing　army　closed　in　on　Yorktown；　and　Cornwallis；　almost　before　he　knew　it；　was　besieged　with　no　hope　of　rescue　except　by　a　fleet。

Then　it　was　that　from　the　sea；　the　restless　and　mysterious　sea；　came　the　final　decision。　Man　seems　so　much　the　sport　of　circumstance　that　apparent　trifles；　remote　from　his　consciousness；　appear　at　times　to　determine　his　fate；　it　is　a　commonplace　of　romance　that　a　pretty　face　or　a　stray　bullet　has　altered　the　destiny　not　merely　of　families　but　of　nations。　And　now；　in　the　American　Revolution；　it　was　not　forts　on　the　Hudson；　nor　maneuvers　in　the　South；　that　were　to　decide　the　issue；　but　the　presence　of　a　few　more　French　warships　than　the　British　could　muster　at　a　given　spot　and　time。　Washington　had　urged　in　January　that　France　should　plan　to　have　at　least　temporary　naval　superiority　in　American　waters；　in　accordance　with　Rochambeau's　principle；　〃Nothing　without　naval　supremacy。〃　Washington　wished　to　concentrate　against　New　York；　but　the　French　were　of　a　different　mind；　believing　that　the　great　effort　should　be　made　in　Chesapeake　Bay。　There　the　British　could　have　no　defenses　like　those　at　New　York；　and　the　French　fleet；　which　was　stationed　in　the　West　Indies；　could　reach　more　readily　than　New　York　a　point　in　the　South。

Early　in　May　Rochambeau　knew　that　a　French　fleet　was　coming　to　his　aid　but　not　yet　did　he　know　where　the　stroke　should　be　made。　It　was　clear；　however；　that　there　was　nothing　for　the　French　to　do　at　Newport；　and；　by　the　beginning　of　June；　Rochambeau　prepared　to　set　his　army　in　motion。　The　first　step　was　to　join　Washington　on　the　Hudson　and　at　any　rate　alarm　Clinton　as　to　an　imminent　attack　on　New　York　and　hold　him　to　that　spot。　After　nearly　a　year　of　idleness　the　French　soldiers　were　delighted　that　now　at　last　there　was　to　be　an　active　movement。　The　long　march　from　Newport　to　New　York　began。　In　glowing　June；　amid　the　beauties　of　nature；　now　overcome　by　intense　heat　and　obliged　to　march　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　now　drenched　by　heavy　rains；　the　French　plodded　on；　and　joined　their　American　comrades　along　the　Hudson　early　in　July。

By　the　14th　of　August　Washington　knew　two　thingsthat　a　great　French　fleet　under　the　Comte　de　Grasse　had　sailed　for　the　Chesapeake　and　that　the　British　army　had　reached　Yorktown。　Soon　the　two　allied　armies；　both　lying　on　the　east　side　of　the　Hudson；　moved　southward。　On　the　20th　of　August　the　Americans　began　to　cross　the　river　at　King's　Ferry；　eight　miles　below　Peekskill。　Washington　had　to　leave　the　greater　part　of　his　army　before　New　York；　and　his　meager　force　of　s