The Battle of Newport

A storm blew through new england in January 17 81. The french fleet was now free to manoeuvre and the french army, under rochambeau, was free to start making plans for a joint operation with washington. A few weeks earlier henry clinton had decided to put benedict arnold to good use by putting him in charge of about 15 hundred men. In late december 17 80, arnold led these forces down on a ray to virginia,. surprising the local militias, destroying the infa structure and temporarily capturing richmond, the capital. But he didn't have the man power to hold it, so arnold withdrew to the coastal city