whom he had trained to his mode of warfare, and he and Colonel Tarleton had been extremely useful to the army, having repeatedly defeated the partizan officers of America, who came out of their swamps like locusts and were very troublesome. Major Ferguson united genius to gallantry, having introduced improvements both in the construction and in the method of using the enemy's own weapon the rifle. His lordship had great confidence in this officer, and employed him in endeavouring to collect body of loyal militia in these settlements, in which he was progressing satisfactorily when intelligence arrived of the failure of an attack on our post at Augusta, by a Colonel Clark, a refugee from Georgia, who had got together about 700 men, and attacked that post in the hope of getting possession of the presents sent by the British Government to the Indians, Augusta being the place in which they were distributed. Major Ferguson, on being apprised of the failure of Clark's attack, formed a plan to intercept him. Unfortunately, several corps of riflemen from Kentucky, the Eastern part of Virginia and South Carolina, had also been assembled by their leaders like Clark's force, with a design on Augusta; these parties fell in with Clark after his defeat, and were persuaded by him to attempt the capture of Major Ferguson's corps. Having united their forces, the whole moved off in their usual rapid manner, being all mounted, and carrying nothing but their ammunition,

rifles, and bags of provisions. Major Ferguson took post on King's mountain, and was there attacked by these people in three columns; their first onset was repulsed in the most gallant manner, but they again assaulted his position en masse, and he himself and many of his men having been killed, and many more wounded, the remainder, after a short resistance, were overpowered and compelled to surrender.

Earl Cornwallis, advancing towards Salisbury, on receiving intelligence of this disaster, took the resolution of retrograding, and accordingly about the 14th of October he left Charlotte, retiring in a southerly direction. The rainy season having set in, the roads were now saturated with water; sickness began to prevail amongst the troops, and his lordship being attacked with the prevailing malady, the command devolved upon Lord Rawdon. The retreat was harassing on account of the water courses, which had been swelled by the rain, while provisions were scarcely to be obtained. However, after fourteen days' marching the army arrived at Winnsborough. There his lordship intended to remain until the arrival of General Leslie from Virginia.

The enemy were not idle; General Gates, after his defeat at Camden, took post at George Town, where he exerted himself to collect his scattered troops, and received reinforcements from the north. Three very active partisans at this time hovered on the frontiers of

South Carolina, Sumpter, Marion, and Pickens. These men, notwithstanding various defeats and attacks from our troops, were very troublesome, retiring when hard pressed into the swamps and morasses, accessible only to themselves and the beasts of the field; and reappearing, when opportunity offered, like locusts, interrupting even the communication betwixt Charlestown and Camden.

His Excellency General Clinton, having appointed General Arnold a brigadier in the British army, with power to raise a regiment of Provincials for his Majesty's service, upon learning that the Honourable General Leslie's troops had been ordered to re-embark and join Lord Cornwallis in South Carolina, directed another embarkation of troops to be sent to Virginia under the orders of Arnold. This force consisted of the 80th Regiment complete (the flank companies having again joined), under Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas, the Queen's Rangers, a corps which had seen much service, under Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, a corps of Provincials, under Lieutenant-Colonel Robertson, some Yagers and Artillery. They were put on board without delay, and sailing up the Chesapeake, landed and destroyed stores and magazines at Richmond, in Virginia; and on the 5th of January 1781 re-embarked and sailed to Portsmouth on the Elizabeth river, where they landed and took post. The Militia having been ordered out by the ruling powers in Virginia, in consequence of this and

the former debarkation, came down to the neighbourhood of the British post in considerable numbers, and frequent skirmishes took place with the foraging parties. General Washington now used all his influence to persuade Count de Ternay to send a fleet with a body of French troops to the Chesapeake, but that foreign officer deemed it prudent first to despatch a ship of war. The ship anchored at the mouth of the Elizabeth river, and sent a summons into Portsmouth in the name of her commander, and that of the officer commanding the Militia, desiring the garrison to surrender. This demand not being complied with, the French ship took her departure, sailing for Rhode island, where the naval officer who had been employed made such a report, that an embarkation of troops immediately took place under the orders of Baron Vismesnil, and part of the fleet was ordered to convoy them; the British fleet, however, being on the watch, this expedition did not venture out. In the meantime, the Commander-in-chief at New York ordered another embarkation of British troops for Virginia, intrusting the command to Major-General Phillips, a most excellent gallant officer, who had served as second in command to General Burgoyne at Saratoga. It consisted of the two battalions of Light Infantry of the Line, under Colonel Robert Abercromby, the elite of the British army, and who had led in almost every action during the war, the 76th Regiment of Highlanders, a

Hessian Regiment (Prince Hereditaire) with detachments of artillery and stores. This reinforcement left New York as soon as it was known that the sea was clear of the enemy, and entered the Chesapeake about the end of March-Admiral Arbuthnot's fleet being then at anchor in Lynnhaven Bay, a little to the south of the entrance to Elizabeth River.

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A number of boats had been constructed, under the superintendence of General Arnold, for the navigation of the rivers, most of them calculated to hold 100 men. Each boat was manned by a few sailors, and was fitted with a sail as well as with oars. Some of them also carried a piece of ordnance in their bows. In these boats the light infantry, and detachments of the 76th and 80th Regiments, with the Queen's Rangers, embarked under the orders of Major-General Phillips and Brigadier-General Arnold, leaving the remainder of the 76th and 80th, with the Hessians, to garrison Portsmouth. The detachment of the 76th which embarked consisted of 1 major, 3 captains, 12 subalterns, and 300 men, commanded by the then Hon. Major Needham, now Earl Kilmorey. The 80th had Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas and Major Gordon, and the Queen's Rangers Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe. The troops proceeded up the James River, a noble stream, and landed in several places, burning and destroying warlike stores and shipping on the stocks, as well as barracks and foundries,