Benedict Arnold, the traitor, with 2,500 British troops occupied and fortified Portsmouth
January 2, 1781
“He was reinforced by Gen. Phillips with 2,000 troops, and later by the Army of Lord Cornwallis, who assumed command, and in August evacuated Portsmouth for Yorktown, where he surrendered to American and French forces on October 19th. Arnold was subordinate to Phillips, but when Phillips died at Petersburg Arnold made Portsmouth command headquarters for all British forces in Virginia.
James Armistead was a slave in Arnold’s headquarters and then with Cornwallis. He was a double agent passing information to General Lafayette. He alerted Lafayette to Cornwallis departure from Portsmouth for Yorktown. Lafayette gave him a letter after the war describing his brave work for the new nation. Armistead took it to the General Assembly which granted him his freedom.”
Benedict Arnold, the traitor, with 2,500 British troops occupied and fortified Portsmouth
January 2, 1781
“He was reinforced by Gen. Phillips with 2,000 troops, and later by the Army of Lord Cornwallis, who assumed command, and in August evacuated Portsmouth for Yorktown, where he surrendered to American and French forces on October 19th. Arnold was subordinate to Phillips, but when Phillips died at Petersburg Arnold made Portsmouth command headquarters for all British forces in Virginia.
James Armistead was a slave in Arnold’s headquarters and then with Cornwallis. He was a double agent passing information to General Lafayette. He alerted Lafayette to Cornwallis departure from Portsmouth for Yorktown. Lafayette gave him a letter after the war describing his brave work for the new nation. Armistead took it to the General Assembly which granted him his freedom.”