[Footnote 75:  General Philips died the day on which the army entered Petersburg.  Arnold on succeeding to the command addressed a letter to Lafayette, which the American general refused to receive, informing the officer who brought it, and whom he treated in other respects with great politeness, that he would receive no letter from Arnold.—­Cor. of Lafayette.]

The fine horses found in the stables of private gentlemen, gave to the British general an efficient cavalry; and enabled him to mount so many infantry, as to move large detachments with unusual rapidity.  With these advantages, he was so confident of overtaking and destroying his enemy, as to say exultingly in a letter which was intercepted, “the boy can not escape me.”  His sanguine hopes, however, were disappointed.  Lafayette moved with so much celerity and caution as to convince Cornwallis of the impracticability of overtaking him, or of preventing his junction with Wayne.

After marching some distance up the northern side of Northanora, his lordship relinquished the pursuit, and turned his attention to other objects which were more attainable.

Military stores had been collected in various parts of the middle country, and, among others, at the Point of Fork, a point of land made by the confluence of the Rivanna and Fluvanna, the two branches of James’ River.  Colonel Simcoe was detached with five hundred men against this post, which was protected by between five and six hundred new levies, and a few militia.  Tarlton, with two hundred and fifty cavalry and mounted infantry, was ordered at the same time against Charlottesville, where the general assembly was in session.  So rapid were his movements that a mere accident prevented his entering the town before any notice of his approach was given.  A private gentleman, Mr. Jouiette, who was acquainted with a nearer route than the great road, hastened to Charlottesville on a fleet horse with the interesting intelligence, and entered the town about two hours before the British cavalry.  Nearly all[76] the members of the legislature made their escape, and reassembled at Staunton, on the western side of the Blue Ridge.  Tarlton, after destroying the stores at Charlottesville, proceeded down the Rivanna to the Point of Fork.

[Footnote 76:  Seven fell into the hands of Tarlton.]

The detachment commanded by Simcoe, being composed chiefly of infantry, could not move with equal celerity.  That officer, however, conducted his march with so much secrecy and address, that Steuben seems to have been either unapprized of his approach, or to have had no accurate information of his numbers.  Intelligence of the expedition to Charlottesville had reached him, and he had prudently employed himself in removing his stores from the Point of Fork to the south side of the Fluvanna.

The river was at the time unfordable; and the boats were all secured on the southern bank.  Yet Steuben, suspecting the detachment of Simcoe to be the van of the British army, or apprehending that Tarlton might get into his rear, withdrew precipitately in the night, and marched near thirty miles, leaving behind him such stores as could not be removed.  These were destroyed next morning by a small detachment of men who crossed the river in a few canoes.