General Charles Cornwallis
Lord General Charles Cornwallis was born on New Year's Eve 1738, the eldest son to the first Earl Cornwallis. He went to school at Eton and in 1756 Charles purchased an Ensign's commission in the British Army. With the beginning of the Seven Years War, Cornwallis decided to serve in the war, first as a staff officer and later as a Lt. Colonel of the 12th Regiment.
Cornwallis was forced to return home due to the death of his father in 1762. Cornwallis inherited everything, including the title as Earl Cornwallis and a seat in the House of Lords. During this time, Cornwallis fell in love and married Jemima Jones. He also became friends with King George III, though the two often disagreed over the situation with the American colonies. Lord Cornwallis was sympathetic to the colonies and was one of the few Lords who often voted against the heavy taxes, including the Stamp Act.
Still, when the first shots were fired in the American War of Independence, Cornwallis accepted a commission as a Major General in the British Army. Most of his early action occurred in the north, helping achieve victories at the battles of Long Island, Brandywine, and Monmouth. He returned to England in 1779, only to find his wife deathly ill. When she passed away a short-time later, Cornwallis decided to return to the war in America.
When Charleston fell to the British in May 1780, General Cornwallis was given command of all British forces in the American south. Soon, he started on an ambitious campaign to take South and North Carolina and eventually attack the Continental forces in Virginia. The campaign began with a British victory at the battle of Camden, but later on everything changed. Cornwallis marched his army onward, attacking the Colonial forces wherever he could find them.
He fought a series of battles against General Nathaniel Greene as he pushed on through North Carolina. Although he emerged victorious, his army was so tired from the constant battles that he decided it was too dangerous to return to Charleston and made for the port at Yorktown, Virginia hoping to be welcomed with re- enforcements by sea. Unfortunately, the navy that appeared on the coast belonged to the French, and Cornwallis found himself trapped between the French at Sea and the Colonial Army under George Washington on land. On October 17, Cornwallis surrendered and ended the war.
Lord Cornwallis returned to England, and like so many generals, became accused over the responsibility for the defeat. Eventually, his reputation recovered and he was appointed the Governor General to India in 1786. In 1798 he was sent to Ireland where he successfully ended a rebellion. Later on he was sent back to India, but died shortly after his arrival on October 5, 1805.