<P> Cornwallis began to slowly move east toward Williamsburg, practically ignoring Lafayette . He periodically detached Simcoe or Tarleton on foraging and raiding expeditions as he went, and his main army reached Williamsburg on June 25 . Lafayette, buoyed by his reinforcements, followed the earl, and began sending out detachments of his own light troops to bring at least part of the British army to battle . Learning that Simcoe was foraging behind the main army, Lafayette sent out 600 men to track him down before he could rejoin Cornwallis . These two forces clashed on June 26 not far from Williamsburg, and Cornwallis escorted out reinforcements to cover Simcoe's retreat . </P> <P> At Williamsburg, Cornwallis received several letters from Clinton . Clinton was upset that Cornwallis had moved into Virginia, and ordered him to establish a suitable fortified point . He also ordered him to return any troops he could spare to New York . (This request, written in mid-June, reflected concern over the movements of the French army from Newport, Rhode Island to White Plains, New York, and intelligence that General Washington was considering an attack on New York City .) Cornwallis reconnoitered Yorktown, and found it to be inadequate . He informed Clinton that he would move to Portsmouth, embark troops there for Clinton's use, and assess whether Portsmouth was a more suitable location for a naval station . </P> <P> Cornwallis accordingly began moving his army toward Portsmouth . This necessitated crossing the wide James River at Jamestown, a move the earl realized would give Lafayette an opportunity to attack . He decided to lay a trap for the marquis, who had come to the same conclusion when he noticed Cornwallis heading for the ferry . Lafayette's advance force, led by General Wayne, walked into the trap, and only just escaped it, suffering 150 casualties . </P> <P> On July 8 Cornwallis received orders from Clinton directing the troops he was planning to embark for a potential operation against Philadelphia . Upon his arrival at Suffolk he received further dispatches from Clinton, including some that predated others he had already received . Cornwallis decided to proceed with the embarkation of troops for Philadelphia . By July 20, some of these troops had boarded their transports when fresh orders arrived countermanding those for the Philadelphia expedition . He was now ordered to, if possible, recall any embarked troops, and instead do nothing beyond establishing a fortified naval station . He was "at full liberty to detain all the Troops now in Chesapeake" for the purpose . It proved a fateful decision on Clinton's part, since the need to build and protect the new anchorage robbed Cornwallis of any freedom of manoeuvre . This was doubly unfortunate for as Cornwallis pointed out to his superior, the open bays and rivers of the Chesapeake, meant that any base there would "always be exposed to sudden French attack ." Nevertheless, Cornwallis, after analysing Portsmouth and several other options, dutifully chose Yorktown and Gloucester Point (across the York River from Yorktown) as the best of the choices for the station . On August 2, he disembarked his army at Yorktown, and began fortifying the area . </P>

Cornwallis lost the loyalty of many carolinians by failing to do which of the following