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Charles Cornwallis Biography

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CORNWALLIS, Charles, first Marquis and second Earl (1738–1805). An English general and statesman. The son of the first Earl Cornwallis, he was born in London, Dec. 31, 1738. After an education at Eton and Cambridge he entered the army and served as aid-de-camp to the Marquis of Granby in the Seven Years' War. In 1760 he was elected member of Parliament for Eye, in 1766 received his promotion as colonel, in 1770 was made governor of the Tower of London, and in 1775 became major general. Though personally opposed to the war with America, he went with his regiment thither, and the first successes of the British arms were, in the main, due to him. After the battle of Long Island, in which he took a prominent part, he pursued Washington through New Jersey. A detachment of his army, consisting of Hessians, was captured by Washington at Trenton, Dec. 26, 1776, and part of his forces suffered a defeat at Princeton, Jan. 3, 1777. He had the principal share in the victory of the Brandy-wine, Sept. 11, 1777, after which he secured for the British the command of the Delaware River. In disgust at Howe's failure to grasp the critical situation of affairs and to attempt operations on a large scale, Cornwallis sent in his resignation, which the King refused to accept. He served under Clinton at the reduction of Charleston in 1780, achieved a great victory over Gates at Camden, S. C., on August 16 of that year, and defeated Greene at Guilford Court House, N. C., March 15, 1781. He was in the end outgeneraled by Greene and withdrew into Virginia, where he carried on a vigorous campaign against Lafayette, but without avail. Finally he was shut up in Yorktown by Washington and Rochambeau, aided by a French fleet under De Grasse, and was compelled to surrender on Oct. 19, 1781. With the surrender of Cornwallis the triumph of the American cause was virtually achieved. Although the disaster resulted in the resignation of the British ministry, Cornwallis escaped censure owing to royal favor. In 1786 he was appointed Governor-General of India and commander in chief and distinguished himself by his victories over Tippu Sahib and by his indefatigable efforts to promote the welfare of the natives. He returned from India in 1793, when he was raised to the rank of Marquis. Appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, he succeeded in quelling the rebellion of 1798 and established order in a manner that gained him the good will of the Irish people. As Plenipotentiary to France he negotiated the Peace of Amiens. Reappointed Governor-General of India in 1804, he died at Ghazipur, in the Province of Benares, Oct. 5, 1805, on his way to assume the command of the army in the upper provinces.

Consult: Marshall, Memoir (Gateshead, 1806); Lord Cornwallis’ Correspondence, ed. by Ross (London, 1859) ; Seton-Karr, "The Marquess Cornwallis," in Rulers of India (Oxford, 1890).