On land armies move slowly and
visibly; but on the sea a great force may pass out of sight and
then suddenly reappear at an unexpected point. This is the
haunting terror of sea power. Already the British had destroyed
Falmouth, now Portland, Maine, and Norfolk, the principal town in
Virginia. Washington had no illusions of security. He was anxious
above all for the safety of New York, commanding the vital artery
of the Hudson, which must at all costs be defended. Accordingly,
in April, he took his army to New York and established there his
own headquarters.
Even before Washington moved to New York, three great British
expeditions were nearing America. One of these we have already
seen at Quebec. Another was bound for Charleston, to land there
an army and to make the place a rallying center for the numerous
but harassed Loyalists of the South. The third and largest of
these expeditions was to strike at New York and, by a show of
strength, bring the colonists to reason and reconciliation. If
mildness failed the British intended to capture New York, sail up
the Hudson and cut off New England from the other colonies.
The squadron destined for Charleston carried an army in command
of a fine soldier, Lord Cornwallis, destined later to be the
defeated leader in the last dramatic scene of the war.
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