e--Cornwallis retires--Followed by
La Fayette--Skirmish at Spencer's Plantation--Action near
Jamestown--La Fayette.

CORNWALLIS marched[726:A] from Wilmington for Petersburg. To facilitate
the passage of the rivers, two boats, mounted on carriages, accompanied
the army. Tarleton led the advance. While the army was yet on the left
bank of the Roanoke, Cornwallis, who had passed it, upon overtaking
Tarleton's detachment, ordered them to be dismounted and formed in line
for the inspection of the inhabitants, to enable them to discover the
men who had committed certain horrid outrages on the preceding evening.
A sergeant and a dragoon being pointed out as the offenders, were
remanded to Halifax, condemned by a court-martial, and executed. His
lordship was prompted to such acts of discipline not only by his
moderation and humanity, but also by a desire to avoid any new
exasperation of the people, and by a hope of alluring the loyalists to
his standard. On the 19th of May, 1781, he reached Petersburg, and with
the remnant of his Carolina army he now united the troops under Arnold,
consisting of a detachment of royal artillery, two battalions of light
infantry, the 76th and 80th British regiments, the Hessian regiment of
the Prince Hereditaire, Simcoe's corps of cavalry and infantry, called
the "Queen's Rangers," chiefly tories, one hundred yagers, and Arnold's
American legion, likewise tories, the whole amounting to about two
thousand five hundred men, which, together with the Carolina army, made
his lordship's aggregate force at Petersburg about four thousand five
hundred. The entire field force now under his command in Virginia was
not less than seven thousand three hundred, including four hundred
dragoons and seven or eight hundred mounted infantry. He received
intelligence from Lord Rawdon of his having defeated Greene, at
Hobkirk's Hill. Cornwallis remained three or four days at Petersburg.
Light troops and spies being despatched to discover La Fayette's
position, he was found posted near Wilton, on the James River, a few
miles below Richmond, with a thousand regulars and three thousand
militia, the main body of them under command of General Nelson. La
Fayette was expecting re-enforcements of militia and Wayne's
Pennsylvania Brigade. In compliance with the orders of Governor
Jefferson, continental officers were substituted in the higher commands
of the militia. Three corps of light infantry, of two hundred an