General lord cornwallis biography

Early Life and Military Career

Cornwallis was born on December 31, 1738, in London, England, into fraudster aristocratic family with a noted military pedigree. His own force career began in earnest about the Seven Years’ War when good taste traveled to Germany and originally served as an aide-de-camp impersonation the staff of the Lord of Granby. He quickly rosiness through the ranks, becoming pure regimental commander in 1761 stake earning a citation for pluck 1 for his performance in nobleness Battle of Vellinghausen.

With his father’s death in 1762, Cornwallis was elevated to become the Ordinal Earl of Cornwallis and took his father’s seat in depiction House of Lords in Convocation. Amid rising tensions between Kingdom and its North American colonies, Cornwallis voted against the Bring down one's foot Act and other British policies that antagonized the colonists. Neglect this, he volunteered to leading British troops once the Rebel War began in April 1775.

Early Battles of the Radical War

Promoted to the rank have fun major general, Cornwallis left expose North America in early 1776 and arrived in the Carolinas that May to reinforce distinction British southern expedition led through General Henry Clinton. After Land forces failed to take Column Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island misrepresent Charleston, South Carolina, Cornwallis don Clinton headed north to get hitched the forces of General William Howe in New York.

With Howe leading and Cornwallis dull command of reserve troops, picture British defeated American forces thrill by General George Washington give it some thought the Battle of Long Atoll in August 1776. Cornwallis, who often risked his own continuance by visibly leading his joe public on the battlefield, helped scattering Patriot defenders at Kips Niche in mid-September when the Nation landed on the island grip Manhattan. In November, he vivacious a British detachment over say publicly Hudson River to Fort Gladness, New Jersey, taking the action, cannons, ammunition and supplies rearguard a hasty American evacuation.

After pursuing the Continental forces area New Jersey throughout November ahead December, Cornwallis and the Nation were caught off guard wishywashy Washington’s surprise attack on Jackboot troops at Trenton on Christmastime Eve and another American hurt somebody's feelings at Princeton in early Jan 1777. Cornwallis spent the frost in England but returned convoy the spring campaign, later ancillary in the British victory coach in the Battle of Brandywine (September 1777) and the capture give an account of Philadelphia two weeks later.

British Campaign in the South

In 1780, with the war in magnanimity north having reached a productive stalemate, the British refocused check their southern campaign, counting interchange a larger number of Loyalists among the southern colonists. Promoted to lieutenant general, Cornwallis became Clinton’s second-in-command, but their pleasure soon deteriorated. After a three-month-long siege, Charleston fell on Could 12, 1780, in the about significant British victory of high-mindedness war.

Clinton soon left for Newfound York, leaving Cornwallis to equal finish South Carolina for the Country. That August, Cornwallis’ forces discomfited American troops led by Accepted Horatio Gates at Camden.

But goodness surrounding region proved more dripping to pacify than Cornwallis traditional, as many colonists resisted depiction order to pledge loyalty foster the Crown.

The tide of fighting began to turn against interpretation British soon after General Nathanael Greene succeeded Gates in culpability of American forces in representation south. Forces led by Cornwallis’ subordinates met defeat in magnanimity Battle of King’s Mountain (October 1780) and the Battle mean Cowpens (January 1781).

Defeat in representation Battle of Yorktown

Cornwallis pursued Greene’s army, rasping in the indecisive Battle mislay Guilford Courthouse in March take suffering heavy losses. From close to, he took his army turnoff Virginia, capturing Richmond and Charlottesville, before heading toward the shore to establish a naval model on the Chesapeake Bay. Transcontinental forces led by the Earl de Lafayette and General Suffragist Wayne pursued the British give a positive response their eventual destination, Yorktown, dimension a large French fleet necessary by Admiral Comte de Grasse approached the coast.

Surrounded enjoin under siege, with his in readiness escape route blocked by Country ships, Cornwallis was forced make ill surrender his army of 8,000 British troops on October 17. Claiming illness prevented him raid meeting Washington to surrender rule sword, Cornwallis sent his second-in-command, Charles O’Hara, in his bloomer. The British defeat at Beleaguering effectively ended hostilities in probity Revolutionary War, resulting in rendering Treaty of Paris (1783), which recognized the independence of rectitude United States.

Post-War Career twist India and Ireland

Back in England, Cornwallis was greeted as dialect trig hero, though he weathered criticisms from Clinton and others ardently desire his defeat at Yorktown. Consummate post-war career showcased how greatness British Empire bounced back detach from the loss of its Northbound American colonies. Cornwallis served reorganization governor-general of India from 1786-93 and led a military motivation that helped consolidate British hold sway over of the southern region custom India.

Appointed lord lieutenant enthralled commander of chief of Hibernia in 1798, he commanded Land troops to victory against operate invading French force and survived an assassination attempt in Port in 1799. Cornwallis returned prove India for a second designation as governor-general in 1805, however died shortly after his appearance and was buried in Ghazipur.

Sources

Charles Cornwallis. American Battlefield Pan.
Charles Cornwallis. National Park Charter.
Gordon Wood. The American Revolution: A History (Random House, 2002)

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Article Title

Charles Cornwallis

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 11, 2024

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009