The theatre of the war being now (1781) trans ferred to the southern states, where the traitor Ar nold was committing numerous ravages, and where Lord Cornwallis had assumed the command of the Britiih army, the Marquis Lafayette was detached with a strong body to the reinforcement of the southern army, and General \Vayne was ordered to join him with as many Pennsylvanians as he could organize. He effected a junction with the marquis in spite of Cornwallis's strenuous exertions to the contrary, and by their judicious movements, the two generals prevented the destruction of the public magazines which had escaped the grasp of Arnold, and which Cornwallis was anxious to lay waste. The two armies maneuvered for some time in face of each other; that under Cornwallis show ing no particular anxiety for battle; till at length, at Green Spring, General Wayne, w•ho commanded the advanced-guard, and who was pushing forward to carry into effect the marquis's plan of cutting off Cornwallis's rear-guard, found himself suddenly opposed by the whole British army. With his usual gallantry, instead of retreating, he advanced rapidly, and made a bold charge on the English line; a warm action ensued, and by the arrival of Lafayette, the detachment of Wayne was supported. The instant that a check had been given to their op ponents, Wayne. fell back upon the main body, and the British general, supposing their force to be greater than it was, admitted of no pursuit. Gene ral Wayne received compliments from all quarters, on account of his spirited conduct in this affair.
The British commander, Cornwallis, now took up his position at Yorktown, so famous in the history of the American war; and Washington im mediately began his measures to lead Clinton into the supposition that he was to be the object of at tack, and finally to bear down upon and, if possible, capture the devoted Cornwallis. In this plan General Wayne was directed to co-operate. He was to watch the British leader and prevent his re treat into North Carolina.
The details of the maneuvres of the besieging army at Yorktown, and the glorious results, are too well known to require repetition; suffice it to say, that the subject of this notice earned his full share of the glory of the contest. To have borne a part in the events of that ever memorable capture would seem all-sufficient praise. No repose was accorded to the brave Wayne. He was immediately di rected to join the army under General Greene, to whom his presence was highly acceptable. The capture of Cornwallis enabled him to render that assistance to the state of Georgia, of which, at that time, she stood so much in need. Besides the incursions of the enemy, who had ravaged the country almost without opposition, the friends of liberty in that state suffered severely from the deadly hatred entertained towards them by the tories. To compose these differences, and to free the country from the enemy, General Wayne was sent by Greene. On his arrival, he found that, be sides his other duties, it was necessary to compose the differences which had broken out among the officers, and to procure almost every apparatus of war without money. He had but little acquaint ance with the climate and country, and was but slightly known to the officers. The difficulties, then, in his path, were not easily surmountable; by his zeal, enterprize and perseverance, however, he found means to overcome them all.
Near the Ogechee river, he had the opportunity he was anxiously looking for, of meeting the enemy in force; and the result of his attack was their pre cipitate flight and rout. Shortly after, a strong bo dy of the Creeks, the Indian allies of the British, made an attack upon the rear-guard, which was then commanded by Wayne in person, and were com pletely repulsed. This formidable auxiliary force was by this defeat prevented from joining the ene my. Wayne's horse was killed in this conflict, and he had to fight sword in hand with his savage as sailants. He says himself, in a letter to General
Greene, that so determined was the bravery of the Indians, that after he had cut down one of their chiefs, with his latest breath he drew the trigger of his musket, and shot his noble horse dead under him.
The British shortly afterwards evacuated Savan nah, and that city was immediately taken possession of by General Wayne. Previously to the retreat of the enemy, a correspondence was held with him on the subject of the surrender, and he most readily agreed to protect the persons and property of those who chose to remain. He was immediately recalled to co-operate with General Greene in South Caro lina, at a time when he was forming the most enter prising schemes for the annexation of Florida to the United States.
After the two generals had formed a junction they commenced at once a series of operations for the purpose of expelling the enemy from Charleston, but were relieved from the necessity of much active exertion by the offer of General Leslie to abandon the place. This was accordingly done, and on the morning of the 14th of December 1782, General Wayne had the satisfaction of taking peaceable pos session of Charleston. This was his last active and military movement in the revolutionary war, which he had contributed so much by his bravery and good conduct to bring to a successful and glorious issue.
After some necessary arrangements, in the month of July, General Wayne embarked for Philadel phia; he had been previously suffering severely from an attack of fever, and upon his return he had a relapse. After an illness, which nearly brought him to his grave, he recovered; but he had missed the opportunity of being present at the interesting spectacle which took place in New York, subse quently to its evacuation by the British. The great and the good 'Washington bade then an affectionate adieu to his comrades in arms, and Wayne deeply regretted his absence from a scene so touching. He so expressed himself in a letter to the general, who gave him a cordial invitation to pay him a visit at Mount Vernon. On the loth October 1783, for his many and distinguished services, Wayne was brevetted a major-general, in accordance with a resolution of congress. Under the old constitu tion of Pennsylvania, which was ratified on the 28th day of September 1776, there was a provision, that on the second Tuesday of October 1783, and in every seventh year thereafter, there should be cho sen by ballot, two persons in each city and county of the state, who were to constitute the council of censors; and it was their duty to inquire whether the constitution had been preserved inviolate in every part, and whether the legislative and execu tive branches of government had performed their duty as guardians of the people, or had assumed greater powers than were entrusted to them by the charter. They had also power to inquire whether the public taxes had been justly laid and collected; to order impeachments, pass public censures, re commend to the legislature the repeal of such laws as they judged to be contrary to the constitution, and generally to see that the laws had been duly executed. The year in which the council of cen sors was to have its first existence, was also the first year of peace; a remarkable coincidence, which could certainly not have been anticipated when the constitution was created. To this exalted and very responsible situation, the most honorable that then presented itself, General Wayne was appointed by his fellow-citizens; and it appears that he took a very active part in the proceedings of that body. Much good was anticipated from the controlling and supervisory powers of the council; hut as it had a very brief existence, its good or its bad effects are mere matters of speculation, in which no experience is at hand to assist in forming a correct judgment.