A complete history of the Marquis de Lafayette, major-general in the American army in the war of the revolution. Embracing an account of his tour through the United States, to the time of his departure, September, 1825. By an officer in the late army.

114 HISTORY OF TBIm
dismissed all his militia, to the forks of York river, where it
was permitted to repose itself, all active operations having
ceased. During the action near Jamestown, his person was
greatly exposed, and he had a horse killed under him."
Thus terminated the slimmer campaign of lord Cornwal.
lis, in Virginia. He was at the head of an army completely
fitted for the arduous scenes of war, warmly attached to
their commander, proud in its knowledge of its own ability,
and ready to encounter every difficulty and danger. On
the other hand, the inferiority of Lafayette in numbers, in
quality, in cavalry, in arms and equipment, was very great
and well known.-Although, says Marshall, no brilliant service was achieved by this young nobleman, the campaign in
Virginia enhanced his military reputation, and raised him in
the general esteem. That, with so decided an inferiority of
effective force, and especially of cavalry, he had been able
to keep the field in an open country, and to preserve a great
proportion of his military stores, as well as his army, was
believed to furnish unequivocal evidence of the prudence
and vigour of his conduct.
The omission of lord Cornwallis to compel Lafayette
manoeuvring in his face in an open country, to battle, is inexplicable. Such an event, with his vast superiority of force,
would have proved the ruin of the American army, which
was frequently and unavoidably in situations where no military skill could have prevented a general engagement. The
American general, says an actor in those scenes, had greal
difficulties to surmount, as well as to guard against his formidable foe, pressing him on his retreat. Wayne, directing his
most efficient aid, was far to his right; and the baron Steuben, with the Virginia levies, was as far on his left. The
public stores were deposited in several magazines accessible
to the enemy; and the great body of the inhabitants below
* For accounts of this action, Vide, Marshall's Washington, Vol. IV,
p. 440, 1, 2. Botta's American War,Book XIII. H. Lee's Memoirs, Vol.
I, 222 —1231. Ramsay's Revolution, p. 550. Mem. Histor. sur. M. de
Lafayette, p. 18. Thacher's Journal, p. 530.