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Why did General Charles Cornwallis retreat from the Carolinas and march north into Virginia?

Cornwallis had been ordered to pursue American

Commander Daniel Morgan.
Cornwallis had been ordered to take the offensive to
Yorktown, Virginia.

Cornwallis had decided he could not win the Carolinas after losing two key battles.

User Becquerel
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2 Answers

2 votes

Answer:

The reason why General Charles Cornwallis retreated from Carolinas and marched north into Virginia was that he believed he could receive support from loyalist sympathizers who resided in Virginia. Cornwallis wanted to win the loyalty of the people in the South to the British cause.

Step-by-step explanation:

General Charles Cornwallis retreated from the Carolinas and marched north into Virginia for several reasons.

First, Cornwallis had been ordered to pursue American Commander Daniel Morgan. This meant that he needed to leave the Carolinas and go after Morgan, who was a threat to British forces.

Second, Cornwallis had been ordered to take the offensive to Yorktown, Virginia. Yorktown was an important strategic location and capturing it would give the British a significant advantage. So, Cornwallis had to march north into Virginia to carry out this order.

Lastly, Cornwallis had decided that he could not win in the Carolinas after losing two key battles. These losses made it clear that continuing to fight in the Carolinas would not be successful, so Cornwallis made the decision to retreat and redirect his forces to a new location.

In summary, General Cornwallis retreated from the Carolinas and marched north into Virginia because he was ordered to pursue Commander Daniel Morgan, take the offensive in Yorktown, and because he believed he could not win in the Carolinas after losing key battles.

User Selsine
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4 votes

Answer:

Cornwallis had decided he could not win the Carolinas after losing two key battles.

User Sasi Varunan
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