Charles Cornwallis

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738–1805) was a British military commander and colonial governor. In the United States, he is best remembered as one of the primary British generals in the American Revolutionary War. His 1781 defeat by a combined American-French force at the Siege of Yorktown is generally considered the end of the War.

Despite his final defeat, Cornwallis still had standing with the British government. He served as Governor-General of India, where he secured a military victory that allowed Britain to expand into the southern part of the country. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and was instrumental in putting down the Irish Rebellion of 1798. And in 1802, he signed the Treaty of Amiens with Napoleon.

Charles Cornwallis in Atlantis
Charles Cornwallis was a veteran of the Atlantean theater of the French and Spanish War and later the commander of British forces during the Atlantean War of Independence.

The French and Spanish War
Cornwallis' first command came during the Seven Years' War. Although a mere lt. colonel with minimal experience, found himself in command the first time after Major General Edward Braddock was killed during a French ambush. Unlike many other of his peers, Cornwallis was acutely aware of his inexperience. Thus, he frequently consulted with Major Victor Radcliff, the most experienced Atlantean soldier. When Freetown was threatened, Cornwallis accepted Radcliff's proposed plan to harrass the French, and then ambush them.

Unfortunately, the French did not take the bait, and held back the attack. In response, Radcliff proposed a raid into French Atlantis to distract French forces. Cornwallis agreed, staying in Freetown and holding off the French forces under Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon. When he realized that Radcliff was pressing on into Spanish Atlantis, Cornwallis sent several frigates down the Atlantean coast, rescuing Radcliff's men from the pursing Roland Kersauzon, and bringing them back to the British lines.

Reinforced, Cornwallis proposed that the English now smash Montcalm-Gozon. Radcliff launched a dusk ambush designed to destroy the French supply lines. At the suggestion of a settler named Ned the English ambushed the supplies along the Graveyard Road, cutting off Montcalm-Gozon's supplies. However, word soon arrived that Kersauzon was marching quickly back north. Determined to keep the French from linking back up Radcliff sent a group of skirmishers to meet Kersauzon while the brunt of his forces met and finally destoryed Montcalm-Gozon's forces, with Radcliff himself killing Montcalm-Gozon purely by accident.

In the meantime, Cornwallis found himself the seniormost field officer for a second time. Brigadier Daniel Endicott and his second-in-command, Colonel Harcourt, had been able to keep Freetown out of French hands. Unfortunately, Endicott was killed and Harcourt was injured, and Cornwallis stepped in to command. He and Radcliff, sensing victory, turned their full forces toward Kersauzon who was camped on the banks of Stamford Creek. After some gunfire Kersauzon's men retreated to Nouveau Redon.

Radcliff and Cornwallis began plans for a siege. Cornwallis initially suggested that the Blavet River might be dammed or otherwise cut-off from the fort. Radcliff vetoed this, noting that a spring was inside the fort proper. Cornwallis then turned to ancient history, remembering Caesar's The Gallic War, specifically, the fall of Uxellodunum. Cornwallis proposed to dig beneath the Blavet and detonate sufficient gunpowder to redirect the spring water, cutting it off from the fort.

The plan proved successful--the spring vanished in Nouveau Redon, causing panic. Kersauzon ordered an attack in the hopes of moving his men to another location. Instead, his forces were badly overwhelmed. Radcliff enounceterd Kersauzon personally. Rather than surrender, Kersauzon was determined to die fighting. Radcliff permitted Blaise to shoot Kersauzon dead. With Kersauzon dead, the French forces ceased fighting. Although Cornwallis and Radcliff had differing ideas about the fate of Atlantis and its place in the empire, they parted as friends. When they next met, it was on the battlefield as enemies.