ty　and　with　this　renewed　determination。　When　Holland；　long　a　secret　enemy；　became　an　open　one　in　December；　1780；　Admiral　Rodney　descended　on　the　Dutch　island　of　St。　Eustatius；　in　the　West　Indies；　where　the　Americans　were　in　the　habit　of　buying　great　quantities　of　stores　and　on　the　3d　of　February；　1781；　captured　the　place　with　two　hundred　merchant　ships；　half　a　dozen　men…of…war；　and　stores　to　the　value　of　three　million　pounds。　The　capture　cut　off　one　chief　source　of　supply　to　the　United　States。　By　January；　1781；　a　crisis　in　respect　to　money　came　to　a　head。　Fierce　mutinies　broke　out　because　there　was　no　money　to　provide　food；　clothing；　or　pay　for　the　army　and　the　men　were　in　a　destitute　condition。　〃These　people　are　at　the　end　of　their　resources；〃　wrote　Rochambeau　in　March。　Arnold's　treason；　the　halting　voices　in　Congress；　the　disasters　in　the　South；　the　British　success　in　cutting　off　supplies　of　stores　from　St。　Eustatius；　the　sordid　problem　of　moneyall　these　were　well　fitted　to　depress　the　worn　leader　so　anxiously　watching　on　the　Hudson。　It　was　the　dark　hour　before　the　dawn。
  CHAPTER　XI。　YORKTOWN
  The　critical　stroke　of　the　war　was　near。　In　the　South；　after　General　Greene　superseded　Gates　in　the　command；　the　tide　of　war　began　to　turn。　Cornwallis　now　had　to　fight　a　better　general　than　Gates。　Greene　arrived　at　Charlotte；　North　Carolina；　in　December。　He　found　an　army　badly　equipped；　wretchedly　clothed；　and　confronted　by　a　greatly　superior　force。　He　had；　however；　some　excellent　officers；　and　he　did　not　scorn；　as　Gates；　with　the　stiff　military　traditions　of　a　regular　soldier；　had　scorned；　the　aid　of　guerrilla　leaders　like　Marion　and　Sumter。　Serving　with　Greene　was　General　Daniel　Morgan；　the　enterprising　and　resourceful　Virginia　rifleman；　who　had　fought　valorously　at　Quebec；　at　Saratoga；　and　later　in　Virginia。　Steuben　was　busy　in　Virginia　holding　the　British　in　check　and　keeping　open　the　line　of　communication　with　the　North。　The　mobility　and　diversity　of　the　American　forces　puzzled　Cornwallis。　When　he　marched　from　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；　tha