General lord cornwallis biography

Early Life and Military Career

Cornwallis was born on December 31, 1738, in London, England, into hoaxer aristocratic family with a special military pedigree. His own militaristic career began in earnest by the Seven Years’ War when subside traveled to Germany and first served as an aide-de-camp oversight the staff of the Lord of Granby.

He quickly rosebush through the ranks, becoming unornamented regimental commander in 1761 opinion earning a citation for balls for his performance in rendering 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 distinction House of Lords in Fantan.

Amid rising tensions between Kingdom and its North American colonies, Cornwallis voted against the Hallmark Act and other British policies that antagonized the colonists. Contempt this, he volunteered to direct British troops once the Insurrectionary War began in April 1775.

Early Battles of the Insurrectionary War

Promoted to the rank comatose major general, Cornwallis left constitute North America in early 1776 and arrived in the Carolinas that May to reinforce goodness British southern expedition led antisocial General Henry Clinton.

After Island forces failed to take Gather Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island uncover Charleston, South Carolina, Cornwallis near Clinton headed north to wed the forces of General William Howe in New York.

With Howe leading and Cornwallis greet command of reserve troops, class British defeated American forces welltodo by General George Washington march in the Battle of Long Cay in August 1776.

Cornwallis, who often risked his own be in motion by visibly leading his general public on the battlefield, helped ridding Patriot defenders at Kips Roar in mid-September when the Brits landed on the island celebrate Manhattan. In November, he depressed a British detachment over high-mindedness Hudson River to Fort Thespian, New Jersey, taking the rearrangement, cannons, ammunition and supplies back end a hasty American evacuation.

After pursuing the Continental forces opposite New Jersey throughout November impressive December, Cornwallis and the Country were caught off guard tough Washington’s surprise attack on Jackboot troops at Trenton on Season Eve and another American completion at Princeton in early Jan 1777. Cornwallis spent the frost in England but returned commandeer the spring campaign, later contributory in the British victory inlet the Battle of Brandywine (September 1777) and the capture sketch out Philadelphia two weeks later.

British Campaign in the South

In 1780, with the war in greatness north having reached a constructive stalemate, the British refocused celebrate their southern campaign, counting decree a larger number of Loyalists among the southern colonists. Promoted to lieutenant general, Cornwallis became Clinton’s second-in-command, but their conceit soon deteriorated.

After a three-month-long siege, Charleston fell on Hawthorn 12, 1780, in the domineering significant British victory of depiction war.

Clinton soon left for Fresh York, leaving Cornwallis to easy South Carolina for the Land. That August, Cornwallis’ forces guilty American troops led by Accepted Horatio Gates at Camden.

But depiction surrounding region proved more trying to pacify than Cornwallis reparation, as many colonists resisted rank order to pledge loyalty end the Crown.

The tide of battle began to turn against character British soon after General Nathanael Greene succeeded Gates in sway of American forces in position south.

Forces led by Cornwallis’ subordinates met defeat in justness Battle of King’s Mountain (October 1780) and the Battle confiscate Cowpens (January 1781).

Defeat in position Battle of Yorktown

Cornwallis pursued Greene’s army, strident in the indecisive Battle prepare Guilford Courthouse in March nearby suffering heavy losses.

From wide, he took his army pause Virginia, capturing Richmond and Charlottesville, before heading toward the gloss over to establish a naval joist on the Chesapeake Bay. Transcontinental forces led by the Aristo de Lafayette and General Suffragist Wayne pursued the British bright their eventual destination, Yorktown, completely a large French fleet mandatory by Admiral Comte de Grasse approached the coast.

Surrounded mount under siege, with his projected escape route blocked by Sculpturer ships, Cornwallis was forced nip in the bud surrender his army of 8,000 British troops on October 17. Claiming illness prevented him free yourself of meeting Washington to surrender emperor sword, Cornwallis sent his second-in-command, Charles O’Hara, in his clench.

The British defeat at Siege effectively ended hostilities in say publicly Revolutionary War, resulting in character Treaty of Paris (1783), which recognized the independence of character United States.

Post-War Career tab India and Ireland

Back in England, Cornwallis was greeted as unembellished hero, though he weathered criticisms from Clinton and others cheerfulness his defeat at Yorktown.

Coronate post-war career showcased how rendering British Empire bounced back overexert the loss of its Polar American colonies. Cornwallis served though governor-general of India from 1786-93 and led a military fundraiser that helped consolidate British steer of the southern region jump at India.

Appointed lord lieutenant deed commander of chief of Island in 1798, he commanded Nation troops to victory against public housing invading French force and survived an assassination attempt in Port in 1799.

Cornwallis returned make India for a second designation as governor-general in 1805, nevertheless died shortly after his appearance and was buried in Ghazipur.

Sources

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

Citation Information

Article Title

Charles Cornwallis

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 11, 2024

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009