General Nathanael Greene, a very energetic officer, next indeed to Washington himself in general estimation, commanded in the South.

At the Cowpens (January 17, 1781) one of his lieutenants--Morgan, a guerilla leader--killed or captured nearly all of Tarleton's men, who formed a specially crack regiment.

A little later Washington marched southward to Virginia, hoping to cooeperate with the French fleet under Rochambeau and to capture Benedict Arnold, now a British Major-General, who was doing much damage in Virginia.
Arnold was too wary to be caught.

Cornwallis, the second in command of the British forces, pursued Lafayette up and down Virginia.

Clinton, the British Commander-in-Chief, began to feel nervous for the safety of New York and wished to detach some of his forces thither.
Cornwallis led his army into Yorktown and proceeded to fortify it, so that it might resist a siege.