The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-31
IRON the Louisville courier-JournaiI
0ue Wan nj Yorktown.

day OF next October, and letniinhies oh '"o
Goth day OF the month.
Lord CORVALLIS Is chiefly known In THIS
cnuntry as the British officer who surren-
iered bis forces to Washln. ton al iork-
town. and he certainly does not stand very
nigh In inc opinion OF The average Ameri-
can. The schooi.boy, I'm fact. grows up
with a very limited knowledge OF the Mar
ouIs. and has an idea that he went nome in
disgrace and died OF a broken heart. ne,
GRO of the Yorktowu.surrender perlod
threw a ludicrous coloring over the mar
ouis's memory when he said lord Corn
wglljsY Why, guess Mars Washington
done shell all de cJrn of III um by dis
time"
The truth is, Lord CORVALLIS has been
somewhat misunderstood. His earlier ca
reer was really a notable one, with the ex-
ception OF the Yorktown episode, when
was attributable as disaster to the arrange
ments OF COrnwaIis's superior officer, Sir
Henry Clinton, aud we believe with justice.
Certainly discipline was very strict ut that
time in the British army, and 1t is Known
that Lord CORVALLIS retained the full
confidence OF his Government, for the
very next year after the yorktown
surrender Lord Shelburn offered him the
Governor Generalship OF Bengal, most
important trust. Burgoyne's surrender at
Saratoga, In l777, was due exclusively to
that generals bad strategy, poor transpor-
tation arrangements, and dilat0ry approach
TO Saltwater. He made all his own ar
rangements, and was terribly whipped.
CORVALLIS. on the contrary, depended on
Clinton for troops, and Clinton tailed MIN
Let us take candid look at CornWailis's
career in this country.
In N
n division. There was no more accom-
plished and efficient officer in the British
army, He entered the army at the age OF
eighteen, in 1856, as ensign Of the Grena'
der Guards. He studied two years at
military academy at Turin, and was a men,
her OF Lord Granby's staff during the
seyen-years' war, and bec1me lieutenant
colonel OF the Twelfth regiment, taking his
seat in the House OF Lords on succeeding to
the earldom on the death OF his father In
1862. Previous TO going TO America he had
been stationed at Gibraltar with his regi-
mept, and altogether be had been IN the
army twenty years, when he was sent TO re-
| canture the southern colonies. No BrltiSh
general was more successful than he. y.
| Watts de Peyster. in his account of "tbe
affair at Kings Mountain" says: "The
defeat OF Camden was a terrible dow 10 the
| Colonies. No disaster was so unexpected.
None was followed by such lasting conse-
ouences. II left CORVALLIS in the centre OF
the new States, the master Of the situation,
and If Clinton bad given him few
more troops, or the British Government
had followed the advice OF every
general Of ability and poured rtinforce-
ments in ut once and at critical points, the
South would have been irretrieyably lost.
The southern States were always the Nul-
nerabIe part of the Union, and it was in this
quarter Washington expected an INVASION
when made Lieutenant-General, and pre-
pairing against hOstiIites on the part OF the
French" There is no excuse for Corn
wallis's wanton destruction OF property
after his victory at Camden, although ne was
not near as brutal as Tecumseh SHERMAN
was in the same part OF the country eighty
four years later. lie undoubtedly would
have carried out his plan OF ending the war
on the Chesapeake had he been supplied
with troops. KIBg's Mountain and Cow
pens weakened him badly, and the rapid
blows OF Greene aud Morgan damaged him,
but be was still strong enough TO deVastate
Virginia, and be had very good prospects
Of holding the State, but he was crippled
by the withdrawal OF troops by Clinton to
i n,
officer who commanded the British fleet.
Washington made his connection with the
French fleet, and the Marquis was bagged.
We referred TO the offer Of the Governor
ship OF Bengal to CORVALLIS after he was
exchanged as a prisoner OF war. a change
OF administration prevented him from TAX
ing the position, but Pitt gave him the Con-
stableship OF the Tower, and offered him
The Governor Generalship Of India. which
CORVALLIS decliHed. In 1856 be went rs
SDecial Commissioner TO Prussia, the only
power on the continent with whom Great
Britain was on friendly terms. When
CORVALLIS returned, in 1856, be accepted
the Governor Generalship Of India, which
had recently been vacated by the Distinguish
ed Hastings, whose place was temporarily
flied by Sir John Mcpherson.
In India CORVALLIS distinguished himself
as a ciyil-servce reiormer. That portion OF
his career Is entitled 20 the respectful con-
sideration Of Americans, certainly. lie
found an immense amount OF stealing 60
ing on by the Fest India Company's SER
wants. lord CORVALLIS was the first Gov
ernor General appointed after the transfer
of the real Government Of India from the
company to the appointees OF the Crown
He abolished perquisites and emolu-
ments, and saved on salt contracts
alone fifty times the amount OF sala-
ries retrenched, and made the sp0ils' hunt
ers tremble. He had habit, however, OF
praising himself vigorously in his commu-
nications to the Government, and he evil
dently wanted TO make every act tell in bis
favor He succeeded in getting TIE title OF
MARQUIS by making a very clever settlement
with Tippoo, who, after fighting two years,
gave up half his territory, released bis prl-
soners, and paid SlS,000,000 indemnity.
| CORVALLIS himself took the field against
| TippOo. After his return from India In
! 1874 be became a member OF the Cabinet,
and in 1898 he became Lord Lieu
tenant and COmmandcr-in.Ch Chief OF Ire
land, uniting in himself civil and
military rule. This was done in con-
sequence OF the FITZGERALD conspiracy and
the usual British dread OF an "lrlsh rebel
lion.O To Lord Cornwalli,'s credit 1t must
be said that be advocated, while holding his
| important position in Ireland, a cOnciliatory
course. lie advised Catholic emancipation
and other reforms, and insisted that some
mode must be adopted to soften the hatred
OF the Catholics 10 our Government" He,
| however, bIackened his own character. after
most honorable career as a soldier and
statesman for fortv-sX years, by becoming
the tool of Lord Casuereagh to buy up the
| Irish Parliament and force the act Of
union against the wishes Of the Irish
people. CORVALLIS himself admits in
his letters to his friends that il was a dirty
business, but he excuses himself on the
ground that IL was better for Ireland and
! better for the whole country to abolish the
Irish Legislature. On August ., 1900, Cas-
tlereagb, through CORVALLIS, had CON-
| nleind the nnrchasn for SG 100 600 and snme