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.

MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE. 121
their cables, and leaving their anchorage ground, severally
to form the line as they should come-up. An indecisive engagement took place, and neither admiral could claim the
victory. For five successive days, the hostile fleets continued in view of each other. and as the French generally
maintained the wind, it was in the power of de Grasse at
any time to renew the engagement. But the capture of the
British army in Virginia, was an object of too much importance to be put in hazard by an action, which might have
lost the command of the Chesapeake. He was sensible of
his advantages, and would not refer to the caprices of fortune, the decision of events which he considered himself as
already certain of controlling. He fought for the undisturbed possession of the Chesapeake, and this was yielded
by the enemy's return into port. A chief object, moreover,
was to cover the fleet of count de Barras, expected from
Rhode Island, whom, on his return, he found safely anchored in the Chesapeake, having passed the British squadron
in the night."
In the mean time general Washington prepared to execute
the new plan of operations which he had formed. On the
nineteenth of August, the whole American army was put in
motion, and on the twentieth and twenty-first, the troops
crossed the Hudson, and proceeded by forced marches
through New Jersey, to Trenton upon the Delaware. The
allied army pressed its march with all possible despatch; and
the van division, when it reached Elkton on the northern
extremity of the Chesapeake bay, embarked in transports
collected for its conveyance. The centre division continued
its march to Baltimore, where it also embarked; and the remainder of the troops, and some of the baggage, proceeded
by land through Alexandria and Fredericksburg.
General Washington, attended by the count de Rocham* Botta's American War, Vol. III, Book XIII, p. 382, 3. H. Lee's
Memoirs, Vol. II. Chap. XXXIV. p. 317-320. Marshall's Washington,
Vol. IV. Chap. IX, p. 470-472.
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