Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-28
THE INVASION OF VIRGINIA IN TIE REVo-
LUTYONARY WAR


I THE LSyASIog OF VIRGINIA IN THE RBVo-
| LUTY0NARY WAR.
whist Grant lie investing Petersburg with bis
grand army Of pundersr it mAyintsrest our readers to
read the following sketch OF the invasion Of this Safe
BY the Britsh foeces ia l7sl-eghty three years ago.
Il will be seen that history is sot exvcy repeating itself
in this caupAgn-ihe rebels Of T6 aud 81 having bsen
forced to fall back into the interior Of the State before
the advancing columns of the enemy, whilst the Oou
dsrAes of the present day have been drawn from the
Interior to Underwater by the flank movements of the
invaderL
Il not impossible, however, that the campaign Of
1854 though dfareut in thels rsspec from that Of
1884, may result iagOraby and brilliantly for
sacred cause. At all events, TIE most tind may dtaW
encouragement from the shstOrieal fact that although
Richmond and Petersburg were both occupied by the
enemy, their forces we're after compelled to sur
render 10 the "rsber army at yorktown, and thus
bought about termination of the FIRST for oonst
tutiOnL liberty This sketch is compiled from HoTe's
0ailine Hiaiory Of Virginia.
o. the SOih of December, Brig Gen. Arnold, with
hJ ga Of vessels arrived in the Chesapeake, and
snbarkiDg in lighter vessels, proceeded up James river.
Ga the 4.h Of January Arnold landed his prce, con
sitting Of about nine hHadrSd men, at Wesoter the
seAl Of Mr. Byrd, and marched TO Richmond without
opposition. Thus was ihe metropolis oil Virginia ex'
pOssd to the insult and depreciation Of traitor her
stores and archives pundered and her governor ctm-
psIed to seek security by immediate fight. After two
days spent IN pIlsgiug public and prvAt. property,
Gen. Arnold returned to WestOvsr where he re en-
bGrked his and descended the river arriving nthe
20sh at Portsmouth.
~ IL nr sk in VirOn mia Was
subsequently, committed to Major General Phillips. lie
left one thousand in Portsmouth,, and with 1900
msh proceeded up James river to City Point and di-
reeled bis march to Petersburg.
Virginia at this time in A.Geiencess ct 'ahrr
all the regular force OF TIE Sac was u-ttr 6ieene, III
South CAEOlina and her whole reliance was upon militia,
Of whom about 600 now in the 3D. This force,
half OF which Was'sG4tioned on each side Of James
river, was under the command Of Barren Steuben and
General Nelson. Steusen directed the Southern d.
vision on when the deienos Of Petersburg devolVed,
and from which place he compelled to retreat by
the superior force of Pairs Daring his stay in Pc
tersburg General Philips destroyed the warehouses,
and spread rnd devastation through the town.
LsAIag Petersburg, he crossed the APPomattox into
Chesterfield, and detschiDg Arnold 20 O1SoFne's 10
destroy the tobacco at that pAcs, he proceeded him
self to Chesterfield c. H. where be destroyed the bar
raeEs aud stofes which had been formed there for the
accommodation Of recruits for toe Southern army.
The two divisions of the army uniting again, marched
into Manchester wher, was renewed the scene Of pill
age and devastation transacted in Petersburg. The for
tunAte arrival Of the Marquis De la FAyette at Richmond
wish q body of regular troops, saved the metropolis
from similar fate From Manchester General Philips
4 a, land al nnp
site city Point where his feet remained during his in
eur.ion He re embarked his troops aud fell dOWn the
river but rtanded hi troops the southsds aud re-
taraed to Petersburg. Lfayette posted hins.f few
niles below ROhmsnd. The death Of General Philips,
soon alter his arrival in Petersburg, devOved the COM
nand Of the army again On Gen Arnold.
CoInWllis and his. army enter d Petersburg en- the
sOsh Of Nay In addition to this united force, which
seemed fully sufficient to crush every gem of OppOsi'
ton in Virgil ia General Leslie had again appeared on
the coast with re nioreemels Llfsye.e had force of
about 600 msD, nearly three fOurths of whom were
m isiA
CORVALLIS, sftr resting four days in Petersburg, pEo-
eesded down the south side OF tho Apromatiox and
Jaa 90 rivers to pOlt opposite Wes.over, where he
crossed Lafayette, informed OF the movement, leit
his enesmpment below chmond and retrea.od oe1ild
me ChickahOmDy liver, keeping the direction towards
Fredericksburg. The enemy pursued him across that
stream, but Lafayette escspai by fastening across tie
Pamunkey and MaLtspOny. The British commander
falling in bis pre- OF bringing the Marquis TO battle,
ssnt Smeoe TO Point Of Fork and TaTeton 10 ChAro.tea
vile, where the General Assembly was then convened
Toe members made ,hes escape aad Ne JefsrsoR, the
Governor sougdE al asylum 10 the wild5 o. the noun
tain adjacent 10 his house. After destroying the military
stores, Taileton proceeded down the R1anna towards
ths Point of Rocks near to which CORVALLIS had ar
rived with thsnAn body OF ths armJ. Uaii s with
his army the dffsren. detachmens, the British eOu-
mandsr marched to Richmond, which he enter;d o. the
18th Of June. Meanwhile Lafayette had formed
junction with Wayne, ard watching with cautious
eye the movements Of she foe.
After haltng a few days at Richmond, CORVALLIS re-
sunsd his march towards the coast, and On the 25;h
arrived in Williamsburg Whls the Harqai1, with crce
of between four and i've thousand meu, followed close
on lis rear. After remaining tbOut week in VIII
iamsburg, the Bdtsh Commander prepared to cross
the riVer and elected James City leland as the most
eligible place to effect passage but in obsderce 10 the
command Of Sir II. Clinton, hs concentrated Lila army
in York and Gloucester counties. On tie l4:h
Of September General Washington arrived in Williams
burg uhich uas.Ros .sL~hs-aquarsoss OF Laioyettss
and preceding Hampton the plan of the sie,e vas
concerted win The Count de GEasse. The trenches
we're opened by the combined forces on the 9th of Oc-
tOber Ga the lSh, the posts Of York and Gloucester
were SURF naersd to tse combined fore Of America
and France.
ALL HAVE Trials.
Everybody in times seems to have trials. The