which they have forded several large rivers and
numberless creeks, many of which would be reckoned large rivers in any
other country in the world, without tents or covering against the
climate, and often without provisions, will sufficiently manifest their
ardent zeal for the honour and interests of their sovereign and their
country."

This engagement was generally considered to be the hottest and
bloodiest, as well as the best fought throughout the war.[15] The army
marched from Guildford the 18th of March for Wilmington, where it
arrived the 7th of April. At this place the officers and soldiers
fortunately were enabled to supply themselves with a small quantity of
wine and spirits, with which they had been without for some months, also
with tea and sugar and some clothing, of which they began to be in the
greatest need, in consequence of having been compelled to destroy the
greatest part of their baggage twice for the good of the service, since
they arrived at Camden in June 1780.

[15] The action of July 1779.

On the 25th of April 1781, he marched from Wilmington, North Carolina,
for Petersburg, Virginia, a distance of 800 miles: here he arrived on
the 20th of May, after undergoing the greatest privations and
hardships, which Lord Cornwallis deplored, and felt the distresses of
his little army so much that he became very ill with a fever, which
prevented the possibility of his lordship's sitting a horse, and made it
indispensably requisite for his being conveyed in a waggon over
mountains, rivers, and creeks.

On the 4th of July the troops marched from Williamsburg, the capital of
Virginia, for James Town, near which place there was a river three miles
wide, which the army had to cross. On the 5th, the baggage of the army
passed over the river, and some of the troops. The day following, Lord
Cornwallis received intelligence that the Marquis De La Fayette with
2000 Americans were within a short distance of the British, with the
intention of destroying the rear guard: upon this, his lordship
prevented the main body of his little corps from embarking, and placed
it in ambush behind a high hill to wait the attack of the enemy. About
four o'clock in the afternoon, the Americans began to attack the
piquets, which had orders to sustain their ground as long as possible;
in consequence, several officers and soldiers were wounded: at length
the main body of the enemy formed in front of the British, when the
latter,