- Call Number:
- HIL-MICL FC LMR .C6C4P3
- Category:
- Military
- Creator:
- Cornwallis, Charles, 1st Marquis Cornwallis, 1738-1805.
- Material Description:
- 20 microfilm textual records 35 mm
- Background:
Charles Cornwallis was born in London, the seventh child and first son of the 1st Earl Cornwallis and his wife, Elizabeth Townsend, a daughter of the 2nd Marquis of Townsend. The Cornwallis family had been established at Brome Hall, near Eye, in Suffolk since the fourteenth century. Charles attended Eaton, and in 1756 at the age of eighteen years, he was commissioned an ensign in the Grenadier Guards. He attended the military academy at Turin, and by 1761 had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the 85th regiment. At his father's death in 1762, he became the 2nd Earl Cornwallis and took his seat in the House of Lords, later becoming aide-de-camp to the king in 1765 and a major general in 1775.
Cornwallis consistently opposed the British government's measures which eventually provoked the American Revolution. He voted against the Stamp Act and the Declaratory Act, and sided with the colonies on most issues. However, in 1776 he accepted as his duty a command in North America. In 1779 he participated in the siege of Charleston, South Carolina, and when the city fell and General Clinton returned to New York, he took command of the British forces in the South. In the battle of Camden, 16 August 1780, Cornwallis routed General Horatio Gates, but defeats at King's Mountain and Cowpens greatly reduced his forces. At Clinton's order he moved his army to Yorktown, Virginia. Here, he became surrounded by the Americans and the French, and surrendered his army on 19 October 1781, effectively ending the war.
In later years, Cornwallis was envoy to the court of Frederick of Prussia and Governor-General of India from 1786 to 1793. Honours followed in the form of his promotion to general and an appointment to the cabinet. In 1792 he was created Marquis Cornwallis for his services in India. From 1798 until 1801 he served as Viceroy of Ireland, and in 1805 was reappointed Governor General of India where he died shortly after his arrival.
- Contents:
The Papers of Lord Cornwallis include personal and semi-official papers of the Cornwallis family, but the major portion of the collection is comprised of correspondence and documents relating to the service of Charles, First Marquis Cornwallis, in America and in India. Only the American papers have been acquired on microfilm for inclusion in the Loyalist Collection. The first 7 pieces contain official and private documents as well as official correspondence and papers, all relating to the American colonies. Much of the documents pertain to the American Revolution as it relates to the southern military theatre.
Arrangement and detailed contents:
Packet 1. Dec. 26, 1741-1779. American documents begin July 12, 1778, and consist of letters to Cornwallis from various subordinates , with many tables, copies of letters, proclamations, and other official rules and regulations. Amongst the documents in 1779 is a book entitled "Description de la riviere de Susquehanna, et du pays qui la borde depuis Harris's Ferry jusqua l'embouchure".
Packet 2. Jan. 22, 1779-JuLY 31, 1780. American papers, chiefly letters to Cornwallis from military, naval, and civil officers in America. Many letters from Sir Henry Clinton, with returns, tables, extracts of letters, reports, letters from commissioned officers in the South, Lord Rawdon, Maj. Ferguson, Col. Balfour, etc.
Packet 3. August 1-October 31, 1780. American papers similar to those in 2, relating to movements in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and containing many enclosures.
Packet 4. November 2-December 31, 1780. American papers similar to those above, consisting of letters to Cornwallis from his officers, from Sir Henry Clinton, Maj. Tarleton, Lord Rawdon, Col. Balfour, and others from southern camps.
Packet 5. January 8-April 12, 1781. American papers, consisting warrants, recommendations, queries, estimates of damages, petitions, and of letters from the officers named above. Among the papers are a few letters from Governor Wright of Georgia and copies of letters from Cornwallis to Lord George Germain.
Packet 6. May-December 5, 1781. American papers, similar to those above, bearing specially upon the Yorktown campaign.
Packet 7. August 15, 1782-1785. American papers in part, relating to the winding up of Cornwallis's affairs in America. Greater part of the documents relate to the East Indies.
Packet 58. Concerns the capitulation of the garrisons at York and Gloucester in Virginia, including communications with General Washington concerning the terms of surrender.
Packet 60-Packet 100 Contain correspondence between Cornwallis and Lord George Germain, Sir Henry Clinton, Lt. Colonel Balfour, Lord Rawdon, Major General Leslie, Lord Amherst, Admiral Arbuthnot, Banastre Tarleton, and numerous other commanders and officers.
Packet 101-Packet 110 Contain a variety of documents including: proclamations and warrants issued by Cornwallis concerning recruiting; returns of troops; casualties and stores; militia; intelligence and intercepted letters; letters and other papers concerning American troops from their commanders to the American General William Davidson; a Declaration of Allegiance to the king signed near Charlestown by 1500 persons; a table showing the depreciation of paper currency from 1777-1780; a letter book of despatches from Lt. Colonel Balfour at Charlestown to Sir Henry Clinton, Lord George Germain and other commanders; a journal of a police council concerning John Cruden; and accounts for sequestered estates.
Packet 70, 275 and 277 Contain some official and private letters, including letters to Earl Cornwallis from his brothers, William, Admiral Cornwallis; and James, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry; and from his son Charles, Lord Brome.
- Originals:
The original records are held by the British Public Record Office.
- Archival Ref. No.:
PRO 30/11/1-7, 58, 60-100, 101-110, 270, 275, 277.
- Finding Aids:
- A calendar of the American papers of Lord Cornwallis was published for the Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission in 1970. The full bibliographic citation is: Reese, George H. comp. The Cornwallis Papers: Abstracts of Americana. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1970. (HIL-MICGDL E267 .c675).
- The entire collection of the Cornwallis Papers is calendared in, List and Index Society. Gifts and Deposits, Part I, Volume 10. London: HMSO, 1966 and is shelved with the Reference oversized volumes.
- Online: A database index with document descriptions for the Papers is available through The National Archives (UK).
- A microfilm shelf list is available in print and as a PDF.
- PDF Finding Aid:
- Cornwallis, Charles, Papers Shelf List.pdf