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Copy.- Earl Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton, K. B. dated Calhoun, July 8, 1781. SIR, I WAS this morning honoured with your dispatch of the 28th ult. The troops are perfectly ready, and will proceed to Portsmouth to wait the arrival (f.) of the transports. I will give immediate orders about the artillery, stores, &c. The transports now at Portsmouth are sufficient to carry the light infantry; I had prepared them to receive that corps, and should have sent them to you in a few days, if your last order had not arrived. In your cyphered dispatch, the 2d battalion of light infantry only is mentioned; but I conclude that to be a mistake, and shall keep both ready to embark. I take for granted that General Robertson will come with the transports to take the command of the expedition. General Leslie is still here; but as it was not my intention to have sent him with the troops to New York, and as he will be the properest person to command here, in case you should approve of my returning to Charles town, I shall not send him on the expedition, unless it shall then appear to be your excellency's desire that he should accompany General Robertson. I must again take the liberty of calling your excellency's serious attention to the question of the utility of a defensive post in this country, which cannot have the smallest influence on the war in Carolina, and which only gives us some acres of an unhealthy swamp, and is for ever liable to become a prey to a foreign enemy, with a temporary superiority at sea. Desultory expeditions in the Chesapeak may be undertaken from New York with as much ease and more safety, whenever there is reason to suppose that our naval force is likely to be superior for two or three months. The boats and naval assistance having been sent to me by Captain Hudson, I marched on the (a.) 4th from Williamsburgh to a camp which covered a ford into the island of James town. The Queen's rangers passed the river that evening. On the 5th, I sent over all the wheel carriages, and on the 6th, the bat horses, and baggage of every kind, intending to pass (b.) with the army on the 7th. About noon, on the 6th, information was brought me of the approach of the enemy, and about four in the afternoon a large nobody attacked our out posts. Concluding that the enemy would not bring a considerable force within our reach, unless they supposed that nothing was left but a rear guard, I took every means to convince them of my weakness, and suffered my pickets to be insulted and driven back; nothing, however, appeared near us but riflemen and militia till near (c.) sunset, when a body of continentals, with artillery, began to form in the front of our camp. I then put the troops under arms, and ordered the army to advance in two lines. The attack was began by the first line with great spirit. There being noting but militia opposed to the light infantry, the action was soon over on the right: But Lieutenant-colonel Dundas' (d.) brigade, consisting of the 43d, 76th, and 80th regiments, which formed the left win, meeting the Pennsylvania line, and a detachment of the Marquis de la Fayette's continentals, with two six-pounders, a smart action ensued for some minutes, when the enemy gave way and abandoned their cannon. The cavalry were perfectly ready to pursue; but the darkness of the evening prevented my being able to make use of them. I cannot sufficiently commend the spirit and good behaviour of the officers and soldiers of the whole army; but the 76th and 80th regiments, on whom the brunt of the action fell, had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves particularly, and Lieutenant colonel Dundas' conduct and gallantry deserve the highest praise. The force of the enemy in the field was about two thousand, and their loss, I believe, between two and three hundred. Half an hour more of daylight would have probably given us the greatest part of the corps. I have enclosed a list of our killed and wounded. We finished our passage yesterday, which has been on operation of great labour and difficulty, as the river is three miles wide at this place. I have great obligations to Captain Aplin and the officers of the navy and seamen for their great exertions and attentions on this occasion. I have not received the letters your excellency alludes to, of the 29th of May, or 8th and 19th of June. I have the honour to be, &c. CORNWALLIS (From A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Province of North America?, by Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton, pp399-402.) Tarleton, Ch 6., [D], p. 399 7/8/1781 |
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