captured by the British, he would receive the treatment due all prisoners of war; but he might well dread falling into the hands of his outraged countrymen. This horror of becoming a prisoner hampered every enterprise in which he engaged.

Landing at Westover, on the James, Arnold marched at the head of nine hundred men to Richmond. A detachment under Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe was sent to Westham. A vast amount of public and private property was destroyed at both places. Baron Steuben hastily called out the militia, but Arnold was able to reach Portsmouth, where it was his purpose to establish a military post.

Learning of Arnold's invasion of Virginia, Washington sent twelve hundred New England troops, under charge of Lafayette, to the head of Chesapeake Bay, where they were to embark for the southern part of Virginia. The commander-in-chief proposed to Rochambeau that, inasmuch as a storm had scattered the British fleet blockading the French at Newport, the whole French squadron should be sent to the Chesapeake to help Lafayette. As soon as it could be done, three of the ships were dispatched to Portsmouth, but Arnold was found so strongly posted that they did not disturb him. When finally the fleet started, it was attacked by Arbuthnot off the capes of Virginia, and after a sharp fight, compelled to put back to Newport.

Clinton now sent two thousand more troops under General Phillips to Virginia. They continued the ferocious work begun by Arnold, ravaging right and left, and spreading terror on both sides of the James. Phillips died in May, and for a week Arnold had full sway, when Cornwallis arrived and displaced him.

Returning to New York, Arnold was sent by Clinton on another marauding expedition to New London, Connecticut. There was hope of gaining great plunder in that place, for many of the American privateers took their prizes into that port.

On the 6th of September, Arnold landed at the mouth of the Thames, and dividing his force into two columns, marched up both banks of the river. He had personal command of the column on the New London side. The only obstruction was Fort Trumbull, whose garrison was so small that after a single volley, they crossed and joined their friends at Fort Griswold on the Groton side. This gave a defensive force of about a hundred and twenty, under command of Lieutenant-colonel Ledyard. He fought bravely until the British force, which was six times as great as his own, swarmed over the ramparts. Ledyard handed his sword to Major Bromfield in token of his surrender, and was instantly run through, though it is not certain whether it was done by Bromfield or some other officer. But it is a fearful truth that over eighty of the garrison were killed and thirty wounded before the massacre stopped.

Nearly all the town was burned, including the custom-house, the court-house, the Episcopal church, the jail and the market. Sir Henry Clinton expressed his regret over the occurrence, and Arnold explained that it was an accident. Probably he meant that it was an accident that every building in the place was not reduced to ashes. The tradition is that from the belfry of a church Arnold watched the destruction of New London. A musket aimed by a woman at Arnold missed fire, or his career would have ended then and there. This, however, was the last blow he struck at his country.

CHAPTER XIV.

1781. THE LAST CAMPAIGN.

ENERAL GREENE was astonished to learn that Cornwallis had retreated to

Wilmington. He pursued him a short distance, but his own army was so reduced by desertions, and the men were so near starving that he had to give up the chase. It seemed to the American commander that either he must enter South Carolina, and thus relieve North Carolina by drawing Cornwallis after him, or must stay where he was, callin his outposts in the south and help to reconquer South Carolina and Georgia.

The force of each commander was small, being less than two thousand, and neither wanted to fight, so they maneuvered, advancing and retreating, and taking good care to keep clear for a time of each other. Cornwallis, suspecting that Greene meant to cross into South Carolina, sent several messengers to Lord Rawdon, who commanded the British posts in that province, urging him to be ready for danger. The messengers were captured and Rawdon learned nothing of his peril. Cornwallis had been at Wilmington only a short time, when he was told that Greene had begun his march southward.

The danger was so great that Cornwallis had no time to consult Clinton, his commander-in-chief in New York. Instead of going to the relief of Rawdon, Cornwallis marched northward into Virginia and joined the raiding force that was ravaging that part of the country. He made the start on the night of April 25th.

On that very day an important fight took place in South Carolina. Greene had entered the state, and, helped by Marion, had begun a series of scattering attacks, which were very annoying to the English officer. Lord Rawdon had established, by way of Camden and Ninety-six, a line of detached posts from Charleston to Augusta in Georgia. One of these, Fort Watson, was captured on the 23d by Marion and Colonel Lee, sent thither by Greene. The latter hoped to assail and capture Camden, but the country through which he marched was so hostile that he had to move slowly, and the news of his purpose traveled ahead of him. When, on April 20th, he came in sight of Camden, he found Rawdon too well prepared to be attacked. He moved to Hobkirk's Hill, a place strongly protected by swamps, trees, and underwood, and situated a short distance north of Camden, on the road to Waxhaw.

Greene had decided on a number of rapid movements, and had sent his artillery and baggage some distance away, that he might maneuver with greater ease. One of his drummer boys deserted to Rawdon and told him that the patriot commander was without his heavy guns and militia. Rawdon stealthily approached Greene's camp on the morning of the 25th and attacked it with great fury. Greene was surprised, but his men fought well, and the assailants were on the point of giving ground, when Colonel Gunby's

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regiment of the Maryland brigade broke in panic. The British pressed them hard and it was impossible to rally the patriots. Greene, therefore, ordered a retreat. The pursuers were closing upon him, when a fierce charge by Colonel Washington and his cavalry checked them. The next day Greene took station at Rugely's Mills, twelve miles to the north of Camden. His loss was two hundred and seventy-one in killed and wounded, that of the enemy being nearly the same.

Lord Rawdon was unable, because of the weakness of his force, to follow up his victory, and Greene, with the help of the partisans, so annoyed him, that he could not stay in Camden. About the middle of May Rawdon withdrew to Monk's Corner, on the Cooper River, in the neighborhood of Charleston. Fort Watson having fallen, Fort Motte, Georgetown, and Fort Granby were speedily taken. These successes sent many wavering persons into the patriot ranks, while others who really believed in the Royalist cause, were repelled by the arrogance and tyranny of the British officers. On the 1st of June the only posts in South Carolina and Georgia still in the possession of the invaders were Ninety-six and Augusta. Five days later, Pickens and Lee captured Augusta,

including three hundred prisoners.

Ninety-six was now so exposed that orders were sent to Colonel Cruger, its commandant, to abandon it. The orders, however, did not reach him, and he hastened to prepare for the attack that was sure to be made. The garrison numbered over five hundred and every one, including the colonel, was a Tory.

On May 22d, at the head of nearly a thousand men, Greene appeared before the fort. Under the direction of Kosciusko, two works were erected within seventy paces of the fortifications; but a sallying party destroyed them and the siege works were then thrown back to a distance of four hundred yards. The second parallel was finished by the 3d of June. One of the attacking works was built near the abatis, and raised to a height of forty feet, so as to command the interior of the town. Riflemen who were posted on top of this, picked off many of the garrison.

On the 8th of June Lee arrived with a re-enforcement from Augusta, and the siege works were extended and increased, but the place still held out. The defenders suffered greatly for water. A small stream ran by the town, but every one who went near it during the day was shot by the American marksmen. So watchful indeed were they, that the white men who stole out at night were nearly always seen and shot. The only thing that could be done was to send down naked negroes in the darkness. They being of the same color as the gloom itself, were able to bring back enough water to save the garrison from perishing.

As the month advanced, the Americans opened their third parallel and carried a mine and two trenches within a few feet of the ditch. Field pieces were mounted on batteries less than a hundred and fifty yards from the fort, and the garrison were forced to consider the question of surrender. They could not hold out much longer.

On the 11th of June, however, Greene was startled by the tidings that Rawdon, who had just received re-enforcements from England, was on his way to the relief of Ninetysix, with two thousand men. The American commander sent orders to Sumter to retard the advance by every means in his power. Rawdon, however, evaded the partisan, and

Greene, feeling that the place must be taken at once or not at all, made the attempt on the 18th to carry it by storm. The resistance was so vigorous, that he saw its capture would involve a greater sacrifice of life than it was worth. He, therefore, ordered a

retreat.

Lord Rawdon arrived on the 21st, and found that the garrison had lost. eighty-five of their number in killed and wounded, while the loss of the Americans was about one hundred and fifty. Rawdon chased the patriots to the river Ennoree, and then, seeing

no chance of overtaking them, went back to Ninety-six. It was clear that the post could not be held, and he therefore ordered the garrison to leave it. Rawdon marched to the Congaree, leaving more than half his force under Cruger to escort the Tories to Charleston. They had good cause to dread the vengeance of their countrymen. Greene pursued them until all were on the south side of the Santee. Then the Americans withdrew to the higher ground.

Rawdon was so broken in health that he secured a leave of absence and started for England. He was captured by a French cruiser, taken back to America, and was present at the final catastrophe in Virginia in the following October.