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General Charles Cornwallis

            Charles Cornwallis, later accused of "losing America," was born in London on December 31, 1738. He was born into a family that had connections and Cornwallis had everything he ever needed. He took pride in his appearance even though his left eye was at a permanent tilt due to a hit from a hockey stick. He went to school at Elton and he became an ensign in the 1st guards before he was 18. He then went to military academy at Turin and then became a lieutenant colonel while serving in Germany when the Seven Years" War took place. He became the 2nd Earl Cornwallis when his father died in 1763. Cornwallis took the rank of major general in North America although he was opposed to what started the American Revolution. He helped win at the Battle of Long Island. Later in the year he followed Washington's army through New Jersey. After Washington's victory at Trenton, he had not stopped the army. He had a major role in the victory at the Battle of Brandywine. Cornwallis then moved up ranking to a lieutenant general and was second in command to Sir Henry Clinton. He returned to England in 1778 to look over his ill wife. Jemima Jones died in 1779. He returned to help Clinton in August of 1779, and accompanied in him in the siege of Charleston. But when Charleston fell and Clinton went to New York, Cornwallis took control of the southern British forces. When the Americans had victories at King's Mountain and Cowpens and Cornwallis lost his supplies, he moved on to the coast. Cornwallis was surrounded at Yorktown by American and French troops and he surrendered on October 19, 1781, which ended the war. Cornwallis was governor-general of India from 1786 to 1793. He led the campaigns that won British victory in the Third Mysore War and was named Marquess Cornwallis and then in 1793 he moved up to general. He returned to India at the age of 67 as governor-general, but was stricken by fever and died on October 5, 1805 in Ghazipore, India.


Essays Related to General Charles Cornwallis

1. Cornwallis

Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) I"m Charles Cornwallis was born in London on December 31, 1738. ... I volunteered for my first military action in 1776 and sailed to America as a Major General. ... After the war's conclusion, I returned to England where I was appointed Governor General and Commander in Chief in India. I later became the Viceroy of Ireland and was again elected as Governor General of India (Charles 29-30). ... I wanted to establish myself as one of the greatest generals of the time to serve in the British Army. ...

  • Word Count: 584
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Lord Cornwallis

Adrian Payne The Beginning On December 31, 1738, Charles Cornwallis was born the second Earl Cornwallis, since his father, the fifth Baron Cornwallis, had been rewarded as a Viscount and the first Earl Cornwallis. In 1661, Sir Frederick Cornwallis was rewarded a baron try by Charles II for service to the Stuarts. ... The marriage would produce first a daughter, Mary and then a son, Charles. ... Now Major General Charles Cornwallis, he was ordered to sail 7 regiments with 2 companies of artillery from Cork. ... General, and his friend General Clinton, became the Com...

  • Word Count: 2185
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Grade Level: High School

3. The British Southern Strategy

With hopes of breaking this stalemate British General Charles Cornwallis decided to take the battle to Virginia in 1781, this proved to be a fatal mistake. General Charles Cornwallis assumed control of the British forces shortly after the surrender of Charleston. ... While British General Cornwallis was fighting American forces in Virginia, General Washington decided his best option was feigning an attack on the British main base in New York City. ... The British realized too late the American and French strategy, and by the time the British General Cornwallis received word he was surrounded. ...

  • Word Count: 1025
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. The Patriot

They then added elements of the historic figures of Elijah Clarke, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, Andrew Pickens and Thomas Sumter to the character of Benjamin Martin. ... General Charles Cornwallis was an actual historic figure and not merely a character suggested by a historic figure. ... Cornwallis mentored Lt. ... Colonel Tavington also seems to need or desire the approval of General Cornwallis in his activities. It goes beyond that of Cornwallis being his commanding officer. ...

  • Word Count: 882
  • Approx Pages: 4

5. Disease and The American Revolution

British commanders knew that General Washington's army and the French fleet were on the move; they were also acutely aware of the havoc malaria could reek on their armies in the lowlands, especially during autumn. Yet, Cornwallis was ordered to remain in "sickly" Yorktown while General Clinton lingered in New York. ... " After the "lethal" summer of 1780 Cornwallis took his army into the piedmont in hopes of avoiding disease, but was ordered to the Chesapeake by General Clinton. ... " Adams supports his first complaint by outlining General Cornwallis a...

  • Word Count: 2172
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. America's Revolutionary War

Four British leaders figure prominently: Charles, Earl Cornwallis, John Burgoyne, Lord North, and King George III. ... British political leaders had great faith in Charles, Earl Cornwallis. Charles was the eldest son of the first Earl Cornwallis, and heralded from an aristocratic British family. ... At age twenty-three Charles was a lieutenant colonel. ... Cornwallis, promoted to Major General before he left for America in February 1776, had several early successes. ...

  • Word Count: 10342
  • Approx Pages: 41
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Battles of the Revolutionary War

The commander of the British at the time was General John Burgoyne, who was in charge of leading nearly 6,000 regulars and various auxiliaries, in June of 1777, from Canada, to Albany. ... The patriots showed lack of resistance at the beginning of the fighting, but by the time Burgoyne reached Bemis Heights (west of the Hudson), the Americans had been strengthened, and General Horatio Gates, a popular commanding General, was put in charge of them. ... British General Thomas Gage had ordered his men to march to Concord, and take, or destroy the Americans hidden supply of arms and ammunition, ...

  • Word Count: 775
  • Approx Pages: 3

8. George Washington in the Revolutionary War

Discussion of the appropriate general begins. ... He appoints four generals below him. ... Second comes Charles Lee. ... General Cornwallis is besieged in his fort at the shore of Yorktown surrounded by the combined forces of Washington, Jean Rochambeau, and Admiral Comp de Grasse. De Grasse wins the river in a fierce naval battle with Thomas Graves the British Admiral, thus blocking the escape route of Cornwallis and stopping any hope of supplies. ...

  • Word Count: 538
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Movie Review - The Patriot

Martin and his militia successfully hold off General Charles Cornwallis's eight thousand strong troops, from surging further north. The tactics of the militia from 1780 " 1781 force Cornwallis and his troops into Virginia where they would eventually surrender in Yorktown on October 19th, 1781 to George Washington and the Continental Army (Cite: History.com) Over the year or so of battle, Martin is depicted fighting Cornwallis's men and clashing with the cruel British colonel. ... This further enrages Martin and fuels his attack on Cornwallis and leads to the defeat of Cornwal...

  • Word Count: 684
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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