((short description|British Army officer (1738–1805)))
((Other uses|Charles Cornwallis (disambiguation)))
((pp-vandalism|small=yes))
((redirect-multi|2|Cornwallis|General Cornwallis))
((Use dmy dates|date=October 2022))
((Use British English|date=August 2010))
((Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Most Honourable]]
| name                = The Marquess Cornwallis
| honorific-suffix    = [[Order of the Garter|KG]] [[His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|PC]]
| image               = File:Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) - Charles, Second Earl and First Marquess Cornwallis (1738-1805) - RCIN 400748 - Royal Collection.jpg
| imagesize           =
| alt                 = The Marquess Cornwallis
| caption             = Portrait by [[Thomas Gainsborough]]
| office              = [[Governor-General of India|Governor-General<br />of the Presidency of Fort William]]
| term_start2         = 12 September 1786
| term_end2           = 28 October 1793
| monarch2            = [[George III]]
| primeminister2      = [[William Pitt the Younger]]
| predecessor2        = [[Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet|Sir John Macpherson, Bt]]<br /><small>As Acting Governor-General</small>
| successor2          = [[John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth|Sir John Shore]]
| predecessor1        = [[Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley|The Marquess Wellesley]]
| successor1          = [[Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet|Sir George Barlow, Bt]]<br /><small>As Acting Governor-General</small>
| monarch1            = [[George III]]
| primeminister1      = [[William Pitt the Younger]]
| term_start1         = 30 July 1805
| term_end1           = 5 October 1805
| order3              = [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]]
| term_start3         = 14 June 1798
| term_end3           = 27 April 1801
| monarch3            = [[George III]]
| primeminister3      = [[William Pitt the Younger]]
| predecessor3        = [[John Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden|The Earl Camden]]
| successor3          = [[Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke|The Earl Hardwicke]]
| office4             = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Eye (UK Parliament constituency)|Eye]]
| term_start4         = 1760
| term_end4           = 1762
| predecessor4        = [[Henry Townshend (died 1762)|Henry Townshend]]
| successor4          = [[Richard Burton Phillipson|Richard Burton]]
| birth_date          = ((Birth date|1738|12|31|df=yes))
| birth_place         = [[Mayfair]], London, England
| death_date          = ((Death date and age|1805|10|05|1738|12|31|df=yes))
| death_place         = [[Ghazipur|Gauspur]], [[Benares State|Kingdom of Kashi-Benares]] (present-day in [[Uttar Pradesh]], India)
| birthname           = Charles Edward Cornwallis V
| spouse              = ((marriage|Jemima Tullekin Jones|14 July 1768|14 April 1779|end=died))
| children            = 2, incl. [[Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis|Charles]]
| alma_mater          = ((ubl|[[Eton College]]|[[Clare College, Cambridge]]))
| occupation          = [[Officer (armed forces)|Military officer]], [[official]]
| signature           = Cornwallis Signature.svg
| signature_alt       = Signature of the Marquess Cornwallis
| allegiance          = ((flagcountry|Kingdom of Great Britain))<br />(1757–1801)<br />((flagicon|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland)) [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]<br />(1801–1805)
| branch              = [[British Army]]<br />[[East India Company|British East India Company]]
| serviceyears        = 1757–1805
| rank                = [[General]]
| commands            = [[Commander-in-Chief, India|India]]<br />[[Commander-in-Chief, Ireland|Ireland]]<br />[[Eastern Command (United Kingdom)|South-East England]]
| battles             = ((tree list))
* [[Seven Years' War]]
* [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]]
* [[Third Anglo-Mysore War]]
* [[Irish Rebellion of 1798]]
* [[British anti-invasion preparations of 1803–05|Anti-invasion preparations]]
((Tree list/end))
| awards              = [[Knight#Chivalric orders|Knight Companion]] of [[Order of the Garter|The Most Noble Order of the Garter]]
))

'''Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis''', [[Order of the Garter|KG]], [[Privy Council (United Kingdom)|PC]] (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805) was a [[British Army]] officer, [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] politician and colonial administrator. In the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]], he is best known as one of the leading British [[general officer]]s in the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]]. His surrender in 1781 to a combined American and French force at the [[siege of Yorktown]] ended significant hostilities in North America. Cornwallis later served as a civil and military governor in [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland|Ireland]], where he helped bring about the [[Acts of Union 1800|Act of Union]]; and in [[Company rule in India|India]], where he helped enact the [[Cornwallis Code]] and the [[Permanent Settlement]].

Born into an aristocratic family and educated at [[Eton College|Eton]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]], Cornwallis joined the army in 1757, seeing action in the [[Seven Years' War]]. Upon his father's death in 1762 he succeeded to his peerage and entered the [[House of Lords]]. From 1766 until 1805, he was [[colonel]] of the [[Duke of Wellington's Regiment|33rd Regiment of Foot]].<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.dwr.org.uk/dwr.php?id=308 |title=Colonels of the Regiment |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030302/http://www.dwr.org.uk/dwr.php?id=308 |archive-date=4 March 2016 ))</ref> Cornwallis next saw military action in 1776 in the American War of Independence. Active in the advance forces of many campaigns, in 1780 he inflicted a major defeat on the [[Continental Army]] at the [[Battle of Camden]]. He also commanded British forces in the March 1781 [[Pyrrhic victory]] at [[Battle of Guilford Court House|Guilford Court House]]. Cornwallis surrendered his army at Yorktown in October 1781 after an extended campaign [[Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War|through the Southern colonies]], marked by disagreements between him and his superior, [[Henry Clinton (British Army officer, born 1730)|Sir Henry Clinton]].

Despite this defeat, Cornwallis retained the confidence of successive British governments and continued to enjoy an active career. Knighted in 1786, he was in that year appointed to be [[Governor-General of India|Governor-General]] and commander-in-chief in [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|India]]. There he enacted numerous significant reforms within the [[East India Company]] and its territories, including the Cornwallis Code, part of which implemented important land taxation reforms known as the Permanent Settlement. From 1789 to 1792 he led British and Company forces in the [[Third Anglo-Mysore War]] to defeat the [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysorean]] ruler [[Tipu Sultan]].

Returning to [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]] in 1794, Cornwallis was given the post of [[Master-General of the Ordnance]]. In 1798 he was appointed [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland|Lord Lieutenant]] and Commander-in-chief of [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]], where he oversaw the response to the [[1798 Irish Rebellion]], including a French invasion of Ireland, and was instrumental in bringing about the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. Following his Irish service, Cornwallis was the chief British signatory to the 1802 [[Treaty of Amiens]] and was reappointed to India in 1805. He died in India not long after his arrival.

==Early life and family==
((unreferenced section|date=October 2017))
Cornwallis was born in [[Grosvenor Square]] in London, though his family's estates were in [[Kent]]. He was the eldest son of [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis|Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron Cornwallis]]. His mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of [[Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend]], and niece of [[Robert Walpole|Sir Robert Walpole]]. His uncle, [[Frederick Cornwallis|Frederick]], was [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. Frederick's twin brother, [[Edward Cornwallis|Edward]], was a military officer, colonial governor, and founder of [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]. His brother [[William Cornwallis|William]] became an Admiral in the [[Royal Navy]]. His other brother, [[James Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis|James]], eventually inherited the [[Earl Cornwallis|earldom]] from Cornwallis's son, [[Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis|Charles]].((citation needed|date=July 2019))

The family was established at Brome Hall, near [[Eye, Suffolk|Eye]], [[Suffolk]], in the 14th century, and its members would represent the [[Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)|county]] in the [[House of Commons of England|House of Commons]] over the next three hundred years. [[Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis|Frederick Cornwallis]], created a [[Baronet]] in 1627, fought for [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]], and followed [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] into exile. He was made Baron Cornwallis, of Eye in the County of Suffolk, in 1661, and by judicious marriages, his descendants increased the importance of his family.((citation needed|date=July 2019))

==Early military career==
((further|Great Britain in the Seven Years' War))
Cornwallis was educated at [[Eton College]] and [[Clare College, Cambridge]]. While playing [[field hockey|hockey]] at Eton, his eye was injured by an accidental blow from [[Shute Barrington]], later [[Bishop of Durham]].<ref>((acad|id=CNWS755C|name=Cornwallis, Charles, Viscount Brome))</ref> He obtained his first commission as [[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]] in the [[Grenadier Guards|1st Foot Guards]], on 8 December 1757.<ref>Ross, p. 3</ref> He then sought and gained permission to engage in military studies abroad. After travelling on the continent with a [[Prussia]]n officer, Captain de Roguin, he studied at the military academy of [[Turin]].<ref>Ross, p. 4</ref>

Upon completion of his studies in Turin in 1758, he travelled to [[Geneva]], where he learned that British troops were to be sent to North America in the [[Seven Years' War]]. Although he tried to reach his regiment before it sailed from the [[Isle of Wight]], he learnt upon reaching [[Cologne]] that it had already sailed. He managed instead to secure an appointment as a staff officer to [[John Manners, Marquess of Granby|Lord Granby]].<ref>Ross, pp. 6–7</ref>

A year later, he participated in the [[Battle of Minden]], a major battle that prevented a French invasion of [[Electorate of Hanover|Hanover]]. After the battle, he purchased a captaincy in the [[85th Regiment of Foot]]. In 1761, he served with the [[12th (The East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot|12th Foot]] and was promoted to [[brevet (military)|Brevet]] Lieutenant-Colonel. He led his regiment in the [[Battle of Villinghausen]] on 15–16 July 1761, and was noted for his gallantry. In 1762 his regiment was involved in heavy fighting during the [[Battle of Wilhelmsthal]]. A few weeks later they defeated [[Saxony|Saxon]] troops at the [[Battle of Lutterberg (1762)|Battle of Lutterberg]] and ended the year by participating in the [[siege of Cassel]].<ref name=Ross9/>

==Parliament, politics, and marriage==
[[File:James Watson after Sir Joshua Reynolds, Jemima Countess Cornwallis, 1771, NGA 119687.jpg|thumb|Jemima, Countess Cornwallis]]
In January 1760 Cornwallis became a [[Member of Parliament]], entering the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] for the village of Eye in Suffolk. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl Cornwallis in 1762, which resulted in his elevation to the [[House of Lords]].<ref name=Ross9>Ross, p. 9</ref> He became a protege of the leading [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] magnate, and future Prime Minister, [[Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham|Lord Rockingham]].<ref>Bicheno, p. 168</ref>

He was one of five peers who voted against the [[Stamp Act 1765|1765 Stamp Act]] out of sympathy with the colonists.<ref name=Weintraub34/> In the following years, he maintained a strong degree of support for the colonists during the tensions and crisis that led to the [[American War of Independence|War of Independence]].<ref>Ross, p. 11</ref>

On 14 July 1768, he married Jemima Tullekin Jones, daughter of a regimental colonel.<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 39</ref> The union was, by all accounts, happy. They settled in [[Culford|Culford, Suffolk]], where their children, Mary (28 June 1769 – 17 July 1840), and [[Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis]] (19 October 1774 – 9 August 1823) were born. Jemima died on 14 April 1779.<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 40</ref>

==American War of Independence==
((Main|Cornwallis in North America))
During the postwar years, Cornwallis remained active in military matters. He became colonel of the [[33rd Regiment of Foot]] in 1766.<ref name=Weintraub34>Weintraub, p. 34</ref> On 29 September 1775 he was promoted to major general. With the outbreak of the war in North America, Cornwallis put his previous misgivings aside and sought active service; proposing an expedition to the southern colonies.<ref>Wickwire (1970), pp. 79–80</ref>

===Early campaigns===
Promoted to lieutenant general in North America, he began his service in 1776 under General Sir [[Henry Clinton (1730–1795)|Henry Clinton]] with the failed [[Battle of Sullivan's Island|siege of Charleston]]. He and Clinton then sailed for [[New York City]], where they participated in [[William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe|General William Howe's]] [[New York and New Jersey campaign|campaign for New York City]]. Cornwallis was often given a leading role during this campaign; his division was in the lead at the [[Battle of Long Island]], and he chased the retreating [[George Washington]] across [[New Jersey]] after the city fell.((sfnp|Fischer|2004|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Oreq1YztDcQC&pg=PA95 p. 95]))<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 92</ref> Howe recognized the successful close of the campaign "much to the honor of his lordship and the officers and soldiers under his command."<ref name=W95>Wickwire (1970), p. 95</ref>

General Howe granted Cornwallis leave in December 1776; however, it was cancelled after Washington launched his [[Battle of Trenton|surprise attack on Trenton]] on 26 December. Howe ordered Cornwallis to return to New Jersey to deal with Washington.<ref name=W95/> Cornwallis gathered together garrisons scattered across New Jersey and moved them towards Trenton.((sfnp|Fischer|2004|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Oreq1YztDcQC&pg=PA291 p. 291])) On 2 January 1777, as he advanced on Trenton, his forces were engaged in extended skirmishing that delayed the army's arrival at Washington's position on the [[Assunpink Creek]] until late in the day. Cornwallis was unable to dislodge Washington in the [[Battle of the Assunpink Creek]] that followed.<ref name=W96>Wickwire (1970), p. 96</ref>

Cornwallis prepared his troops to continue the assault on Washington's position the next day, but critically failed to send out adequate patrols to monitor the Americans. During the night, Washington's forces slipped around Cornwallis's and attacked the British outpost at [[Battle of Princeton|Princeton]]. Washington's success was aided by a deception: he had men maintain blazing campfires and keep up sounds of camp activity during his movement.<ref name=W97>Wickwire (1970), p. 97</ref> Cornwallis spent the winter in New York and New Jersey, where the forces under his command were engaged in [[Forage War|ongoing skirmishes]] with the Americans.((sfnp|Fischer|2004|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Oreq1YztDcQC&pg=PA343 p. 343]))

Cornwallis continued to serve under Howe on his [[Philadelphia campaign|campaign]] for control of the rebel capital, [[Philadelphia]]. Cornwallis was again often in an advance role, leading the flanking manoeuvre at the [[Battle of Brandywine]],<ref>Buchanan, p. 238</ref> and playing key roles at [[Battle of Germantown|Germantown]] and [[Fort Mercer]].<ref>Buchanan, p. 280</ref><ref>Ross, p. 30</ref> With the army in winter quarters in Philadelphia, Cornwallis finally returned home for leave.<ref name=W105>Wickwire (1970), p. 105</ref> Upon his return in 1778, Howe had been replaced by Clinton as commander in chief, and Cornwallis was now second in command.<ref name=W107>Wickwire (1970), p. 107</ref>

The entry of [[France in the American Revolutionary War|France into the war]] prompted the British leaders to redeploy their armed forces for a more global war, and Philadelphia was abandoned. Cornwallis commanded the rearguard during the overland withdrawal to New York City and played an important role in the [[Battle of Monmouth]] on 28 June 1778. After a surprise attack on the British rearguard, Cornwallis launched a counter-attack which checked the enemy advance.<ref>Wickwire (1970), pp. 110–112</ref> Even though Clinton praised Cornwallis for his performance at Monmouth, he eventually came to blame him for failing to win the day.<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 112</ref> In November 1778, Cornwallis once more returned to England to be with his ailing wife Jemima, who died in February 1779.<ref>Wickwire (1970), pp. 113–114</ref>

===Southern theatre===
Cornwallis returned to America in July 1779, where he was to play a central role as the lead commander of the British "Southern strategy" (which was to invade the south on the assumption that a significantly more Loyalist population would rise up and assist in putting the rebellion down).<ref name="Wickwire">Wickwire (1970), pp. 135–137</ref> At the end of 1779, Henry Clinton and Cornwallis transported a large force south and initiated the [[Siege of Charleston|second siege of Charleston]] during the spring of 1780, which resulted in the surrender of the Continental forces under [[Benjamin Lincoln]].<ref>Borick (2003) recounts the siege of Charleston in detail</ref> After the siege of Charleston and the destruction of [[Abraham Buford]]'s Virginia regiments at [[Battle of Waxhaws|Waxhaw]], Clinton returned to New York, leaving Cornwallis in command in the south.<ref>Borick (2003), pp. 237–239</ref><ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 133</ref> The relationship between Clinton and Cornwallis had noticeably soured during the Charleston campaign, and they were barely on speaking terms when Clinton left.<ref>Borick (2003), pp. 127–128</ref>

[[Image:SirHenryClinton.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait of [[Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)|Sir Henry Clinton]] by [[John Smart]], ((Circa|1777))]]
The task Clinton left Cornwallis with was to, first and foremost, preserve the gains made by taking Charleston, and only then engage in offensive moves.<ref>Alden, p. 417</ref> Clinton's orders gave Cornwallis wide latitude in how to achieve the goal of pacifying both South and North Carolina, after which Clinton expected Cornwallis to move into [[Virginia]]. Clinton wrote, "I should wish you to assist in operations which will certainly be carried on in the Chesapeake as soon as we are relieve from our apprehension of a superior fleet and the season will admit ..."<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 134</ref>

Clinton provided Cornwallis with a relatively modest force of British, German, and provincial (Loyalist) regiments—about 3,000 men—with which to accomplish all of this.<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 135</ref> The forces he was given to accomplish this were limited by the necessity of keeping a large British force in New York under Clinton to shadow Washington. Cornwallis was expected to recruit more Loyalists, who were believed to be more numerous in the southern colonies.<ref name="Wickwire" />

Cornwallis established a series of outposts in South Carolina, but keeping communication and supply lines open was an ongoing challenge. Supplies not available locally (like uniforms, camp gear, arms, and ammunition) were delivered all too infrequently, supply ships were frequent targets of local [[Privateer#American Revolutionary War|privateers]], and bad weather impeded the work.<ref>Wickwire (1970), pp. 137–139</ref> In order to help provide fresh food and forage for his troops, Cornwallis established two commissioners. The first was responsible for administering goods confiscated from Patriots (he avoided confiscating supplies from Loyalists since he depended on them for manpower and intelligence), and the second for administering land that was confiscated.<ref name="Wickwire 1970, pp. 140–142">Wickwire (1970), pp. 140–142</ref>

A chronic shortage of hard currency (another supply only infrequently delivered to Charleston) made it difficult to purchase supplies from any source, either Patriot or Loyalist.<ref name="Wickwire 1970, pp. 140–142"/> Cornwallis also attempted to reestablish civil authority under British or Loyalist oversight. Although these attempts met with limited success, they were continually undermined by Patriot activity, both political and military, and the indifferent abuses of British and Loyalist forces. Patriot militia companies constantly harassed Loyalists, small British units, and supply and communication lines.<ref>Pancake, pp. 81–83, 91–92</ref><ref>Wickwire (1970), pp. 145–147</ref>

In August 1780 Cornwallis's forces met a larger but relatively untried army under the command of [[Horatio Gates]] at the [[Battle of Camden]], where they inflicted heavy casualties and routed part of the force.<ref>Harvey (2001), pp. 424–427</ref><ref>Alden, p. 420</ref> This served to keep South Carolina clear of Continental forces, and was a blow to rebel morale.<ref>Piecuch, p. 101</ref> The victory added to his reputation, although the rout of the American rebels had as much to do with the failings of Gates (whose rapid departure from the battlefield was widely noted) as it did the skill of Cornwallis.<ref>Piecuch, pp. 102–114</ref><ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 165</ref> In London, Cornwallis was perceived as a hero, and was viewed by many there as the right man to lead the British forces to victory over the rebels.<ref>Alden, p. 422</ref>

As the opposition seemed to melt away, Cornwallis optimistically began to advance north into North Carolina while militia activity continued to harass the troops he left in South Carolina.<ref>Alden, p. 458</ref> Attempts by Cornwallis to rally Loyalist support were dealt significant blows when a large gathering of them was [[Battle of Kings Mountain|defeated at Kings Mountain]],<ref>Pancake, pp. 118–120</ref> only a day's march from Cornwallis and his army,<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 211</ref> and another large detachment of his army was [[Battle of Cowpens|decisively defeated at Cowpens]].<ref>Pancake, pp. 133–138</ref> He then clashed with the rebuilt Continental army under General [[Nathanael Greene]] at [[Battle of Guilford Court House|Guilford Court House]] in North Carolina, winning a Pyrrhic victory with a bayonet charge against a numerically superior enemy.<ref>Pancake, pp. 185–186</ref> In the battle, he controversially ordered [[grape shot]] to be fired into a mass of combat that resulted in friendly casualties but helped break the American line.<ref>Wickwire (1970), pp. 307–308</ref>

Cornwallis then moved his forces to [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]] on the coast to resupply. Cornwallis himself had generally been successful in his battles, but the constant marching and the losses incurred had shrunk and tired out his army.<ref>Johnston, p. 25</ref> Greene, whose army was still intact after the loss at Guilford Courthouse, shadowed Cornwallis toward Wilmington, but then crossed into South Carolina, where over the course of several months American forces regained control over most of the state.<ref>Pancake, pp. 187–221</ref>

Cornwallis received dispatches in Wilmington informing him that another [[British Army during the American War of Independence|British army]] under Generals [[William Phillips (British Army officer)|William Phillips]] and [[Benedict Arnold]] had been sent to [[Virginia]]. Believing that North Carolina could not be subdued unless its supply lines from Virginia were cut, he decided to join forces with Phillips.<ref>Johnston, pp. 26–28</ref>

===Virginia campaign===
On arrival in Virginia, Cornwallis took command of Phillips' army. Phillips, a personal friend of Cornwallis, died one week before Cornwallis reached his position at [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]].<ref>Johnston, p. 28</ref> He then sought to fulfill orders Clinton had given to Phillips, and raided the Virginia countryside, destroying American military and economic targets.<ref name="Wickwire 1970, p. 326">Wickwire (1970), p. 326</ref>

[[File:Surrender of Lord Cornwallis.jpg|thumb|240px|''[[Surrender of Lord Cornwallis]]'' by [[John Trumbull]]]]
In March 1781, in response to the threat posed by Arnold and Phillips, General Washington dispatched the [[Marquis de Lafayette]] to defend Virginia.<ref>Carrington, pp. 584–585</ref> The young Frenchman had 3,200 men at his command, but British troops under Cornwallis's command totalled 7,200.<ref name="Wickwire 1970, p. 326"/><ref>Johnston, p. 37</ref> Lafayette skirmished with Cornwallis, avoiding a decisive battle while gathering reinforcements. It was during this period that Cornwallis and Clinton exchanged a series of letters in which Clinton issued a number of confusing, contradictory, and not entirely forceful orders.<ref>Wickwire (1970), pp. 336–349</ref>

Cornwallis eventually received firm orders from Clinton to choose a position on the [[Virginia Peninsula]]—referred to in contemporary letters as the "Williamsburg Neck"—and construct a fortified naval post to shelter [[ship of the line|ships of the line]].<ref>Wickwire (1970), p. 350</ref> In complying with this order, Cornwallis put himself in a position to become trapped in the area of [[Yorktown, Virginia|Yorktown]]. With the arrival of the French fleet under the [[François Joseph Paul de Grasse|Comte de Grasse]] and General Washington's combined French-American army, Cornwallis found himself cut off. After the [[Royal Navy]] fleet under Admiral [[Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves|Thomas Graves]] was defeated by the French at the [[Battle of the Chesapeake]], and the French [[siege train]] arrived from [[Newport, Rhode Island]], his position became untenable.<ref>Pancake, pp. 226–229</ref>

[[File:Surrender-of-cornwallis-at-york-town-va-oct-1781-by-nathaniel-currier.jpg|thumb|''Surrender of Cornwallis. At York-town, VA Oct. 1781'' by [[Nathaniel Currier]] ([[Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts|D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts]])]]
He surrendered after about [[Siege of Yorktown|three weeks' siege]] to General Washington and the French commander, the [[Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau|Comte de Rochambeau]], on 19 October 1781.<ref>Unger, pp. 158–159</ref> Cornwallis, apparently not wanting to face Washington, claimed to be ill on the day of the surrender, and sent Brigadier General [[Charles O'Hara]] in his place to surrender his sword formally. Washington had his second-in-command, Major General [[Benjamin Lincoln]], accept Cornwallis's sword.<ref>Greene, pp. 294, 297</ref>

===Return to Britain===
Cornwallis returned to Britain with [[Benedict Arnold]], and they were cheered when they landed in Britain on 21 January 1782.<ref>Weintraub, p. 315</ref> His surrender did not mark the end of the war, though it ended major fighting in the American theatre. Because he was released on parole, Cornwallis refused to serve again until the war came to an end in 1783. An attempt failed to exchange him for<ref>((Cite journal|last=Middleton|first=Richard|date=2013|title=The Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy and Responsibility for the British Surrender at Yorktown|journal=History |volume=98 |issue=331|pages=370–89|doi=10.1111/1468-229X.12014))</ref> [[Henry Laurens]], an American diplomat who was released from the [[Tower of London]] in anticipation that Cornwallis would be freed from his parole.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 6</ref>

His tactics in America, especially during the southern campaign, were a frequent subject of criticism by his political enemies in London, principally General Clinton, who tried to blame him for the failures of the southern campaign.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 4</ref> This led to an exchange of pamphlets between the two men in which Cornwallis had much the better of the argument.<ref>((Cite journal|last=Middleton|first=Richard|date=2013|title=The Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy and Responsibility for the British Surrender at Yorktown|journal=History |volume=98 |issue=331|pages=371–389<!--Verify page range, could be 370-89-->|doi=10.1111/1468-229X.12014))</ref> Cornwallis also retained the confidence of [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]] and the government of [[William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne|the earl of Shelburne]], but he was placed in a financially precarious state by his inability to be on active duty.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 7–8</ref>

In August 1785 he was sent to [[Prussia]] as an ambassador to the court of [[Frederick the Great]] to sound out a possible alliance.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 16</ref> He attended manoeuvres along with the [[Frederick, Duke of York|Duke of York]] where they encountered his old opponent Lafayette.<ref>Duffy, p. 279–280</ref>

In October 1785, Cornwallis wrote dismissively of Prussian military manoeuvres while in Hanover, writing that: <nowiki>''</nowiki>Their manoeuvres were such as the worst General in England would be hooted at for practising; two lines coming up within six yards of one another, and firing in one another's faces till they had no ammunition left: nothing could be more ridiculous.<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref>((Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wpRbQ9C-ZOMC&pg=PA212|title=Correspondence of Charles, First Marquis Cornwallis|last=Charles Cornwallis|page= 212|isbn=978-1108028226|date= 2011|publisher=Cambridge University Press ))</ref>

==Governor-General of India==
((Main|Cornwallis in India))
[[File:Shield of arms of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, KG, PC.png|thumb|right|Quartered arms of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, KG, PC]]
In 1786, Cornwallis was made a [[Knight#Chivalric orders|Knight Companion]] of the [[Order of the Garter|Most Noble Order of the Garter]].<ref>Ross, p. 16</ref> The same year he accepted appointment as [[Governor-General of India|Governor-General]] and commander in chief in [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|India]]. He had in 1782 been offered the governor-generalship only, but refused the post until he also received military command as well.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 17–18</ref>

===Reforms===
Cornwallis engaged in reforms of all types, that affected many areas of civil, military, and corporate administration. According to historian Jerry Dupont, Cornwallis was responsible for "laying the foundation for British rule throughout India and setting standards for the services, courts and revenue collection that remained remarkably unaltered almost to the end of the British era."<ref>Dupont, p. 483</ref> He also enacted important reforms in the operations of the [[British East India Company]] and, with the notable exception of the [[Kingdom of Mysore]], managed to keep the company out of military conflicts during his tenure.

Prior to Cornwallis's tenure, company employees were allowed to trade on their own accounts and use company ships to send their own goods back to Europe. This practice was tolerated when the company was profitable, but by the 1780s the company's finances were not in good shape. Cornwallis eliminated the practice, increasing employee salaries in compensation. He also worked to reduce nepotism and political favouritism, instituting the practice of [[meritocracy|merit-based advancement]].<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 37–43</ref>

[[File:Tipu Sultan BL.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Tipu Sultan]], ruler of the [[Kingdom of Mysore]]]]
Criminal and civil justice systems in the company's territories were a confusing overlay of legal systems, jurisdictions, and methods of administration. Cornwallis had the company take over the few remaining judicial powers of the [[Nawab of Bengal]], the titular local ruler of much of the [[Bengal Presidency]], and gave some judicial powers to company employees. In 1790 he introduced [[circuit court]]s with company employees as judges, and set up a court of appeals in [[Calcutta]]. He had the legal frameworks of [[Muslim]] and [[Hindu]] law translated into English, and promulgated administrative regulations and a new civil and criminal code. This work, introduced in 1793, was known as the [[Cornwallis Code]]. One consequence of the code was that it instituted a type of racism, placing the British as an elite class on top of the complex status hierarchy of caste and religion that existed in India at the time.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 90</ref> Cornwallis held racist views, in a manner common at the time; of mixed European-Indians, he wrote, "...as on account of their colour & extraction they are considered in this country as inferior to Europeans, I am of opinion that those of them who possess the best abilities could not command that authority and respect which is necessary in the due discharge of the duty of an officer."<ref name=W89>Wickwire (1980), p. 89</ref>

Cornwallis's attitude toward the lower classes did, however, include a benevolent and somewhat paternalistic desire to improve their condition. He introduced legislation to protect native weavers who were sometimes forced into working at starvation wages by unscrupulous company employees, outlawed child slavery, and established in 1791 a Sanskrit college for Hindus that is now the [[Government Sanskrit College]] in [[Benares]].<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 94</ref> He also established a [[India Government Mint, Kolkata|mint in Calcutta]] that, in addition to benefiting the poor by providing a reliable standard currency, was a forerunner of India's modern currency.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 95</ref>

Part of the Cornwallis Code was an important land taxation reform known in India as the [[Permanent Settlement]]. This reform permanently altered the way the company collected taxes in its territories, by taxing landowners (known as [[zamindar]]s) based on the value of their land and not necessarily the value of its produce. In the minds of Cornwallis and its architects, the reforms would also protect land tenants ([[ryot]]s) from the abusive practices of the zamindars intended to maximize production. Cornwallis, a landed gentleman himself, especially believed that a class of landed gentry would naturally concern themselves with the improvement of the lands, thus also improving the condition of its tenants.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 66–72</ref> Nevertheless, the Permanent Settlement effectively left the peasants at the mercy of the landowners. While the Company fixed the land revenue to be paid by the landowners, the zamindars were left free to extract as much as they could from the peasantry<ref>NCERT, Modern India</ref>

===Diplomacy and war with Mysore===
[[File:Surrender of Tipu Sultan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''General Lord Cornwallis receiving Tipoo Sultan's sons as hostages'', by [[Robert Home]], c. 1793]]
Cornwallis had been sent to India with instructions to avoid conflict with the company's neighbours. Early in his tenure, he abrogated agreements with the [[Maratha Empire]] and the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] that he saw as violating the 1784 [[Treaty of Mangalore]] that ended the [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]]. This ensured the company's non-involvement in the [[Maratha-Mysore War]] (1785–1787).<ref name=Fortescue546>Fortescue, p. 546</ref> He was, however, manoeuvred into the establishment of a new company based at [[Penang]] (in present-day [[Malaysia]]), where conflict was avoided when he agreed to pay a stipend to the local rajah for use of the base. [[Fort Cornwallis]] in Penang is named for Cornwallis.<ref name=Ooi786>Ooi, p. 786</ref>

The King of [[Nepal]] appealed to Cornwallis in 1792 for military assistance. Cornwallis declined the king's request, sending instead Colonel [[William Kirkpatrick (East India Company officer)|William Kirkpatrick]] to mediate the dispute. Kirkpatrick was the first Englishman to see Nepal; by the time he reached [[Kathmandu]] in 1793, the parties had already resolved their dispute.<ref>Whelpton, p. 39</ref><ref name=Wilbur354>Wilbur, p. 354</ref>

((Main|Third Anglo-Mysore War))
The company was unavoidably drawn into war with Mysore in 1790. [[Tipu Sultan]], Mysore's ruler, had expressed contempt for the British not long after signing the 1784 Treaty of Mangalore, and also expressed a desire to renew conflict with them.<ref name=Fortescue546/> In late 1789 he [[Battle of the Nedumkotta|invaded]] the [[Kingdom of Travancore]], a company ally according to that treaty, because of territorial disputes and Travancore's harbouring of refugees from other Mysorean actions. Cornwallis ordered company and Crown troops to [[Third Anglo-Mysore War|mobilize in response]]. The 1790 campaign against Tipu was conducted by General [[William Medows]], and it was a limited success. Medows successfully occupied the [[Coimbatore district]], but Tipu counterattacked and was able to reduce the British position to a small number of strongly held outposts. Tipu then invaded the [[Carnatic region|Carnatic]], where he attempted unsuccessfully to draw the French into the conflict. Because of Medows' weak campaigning, Cornwallis personally took command of the British forces in 1791.<ref>Fortescue, pp. 550–563</ref>

[[File:Gillray - The Coming-on of the monsoons - or - the retreat from Seringapatam.jpg|thumb|A political cartoon by [[James Gillray]] making fun of Cornwallis after his retreat from Seringapatam]]
When the war broke out, Cornwallis negotiated alliances with the Marathas and Hyderabad.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 136–140</ref><ref>Mill, p. 234</ref> Cornwallis ascended the [[Eastern Ghats]] to reach the [[Deccan Plateau]] in February 1791.<ref>Fortescue, pp. 563–564</ref> After successfully [[Siege of Bangalore|besieging Bangalore]], Cornwallis then joined forces with Hyderabadi forces that he described as "extremely defective in almost every point of military discipline", and their presence in the army ultimately presented more difficulties than assistance.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 146</ref> These forces then marched toward the Mysorean capital at [[Seringapatam]], compelling Tipu to retreat into the city at the [[Battle of Arakere]] on 15 May. Dwindling provisions, exacerbated by Tipu's slash-and-burn tactics, forced Cornwallis to abandon the idea of besieging Seringapatam that season, so he retreated to Bangalore.<ref>Fortescue, pp. 570–576</ref><ref>Mill, pp. 271–272</ref>

In January 1792 the army, now well-provisioned, set out for Seringapatam. Arriving before the city on 5 February, Cornwallis quickly eliminated Tipu's defensive positions outside the city, and then [[Siege of Seringapatam (1792)|began siege operations]]. Tipu requested negotiations on 23 February, and [[Treaty of Seringapatam|peace was agreed]] on 18 March. Cornwallis and his allies demanded the cession of half of the Mysorean territory, much of which went to the allies. As a guarantee of Tipu's performance, two of his sons were delivered to Cornwallis as hostages.<ref>Mill, pp. 291–317</ref> Cornwallis and other British commanders, in a move appreciated by their soldiers, donated prize money awarded them to be distributed among the rank and file.<ref>Mill, p. 323</ref>

For his success in conducting the war, Cornwallis was created '''Marquess Cornwallis''' in 1792,<ref>((London Gazette |issue=13450 |date=14 August 1792 |page=635 ))</ref> although he did not learn of it until the following year.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 174</ref> He departed for England in October 1793, and was succeeded by [[John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth|Sir John Shore]].<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 177-78</ref>

==Master of the Ordnance==
Upon his return to Britain in 1794, he found it militarily engaged in the [[French Revolutionary Wars]]. After he was sent on an ultimately fruitless diplomatic mission to stop the fighting, he was appointed [[master of the ordnance]], a post he held until 1798.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 184–222</ref> In this position he was responsible for much of the British Army's military infrastructure, overseeing its storage depots and supply infrastructure, as well as commanding its artillery and engineering forces. He oversaw improvements to Britain's coastal defences, and was able to expand [[Woolwich Academy]]'s artillery training program to address a significant shortage of qualified artillery officers. His attempts to significantly reform the military were hampered by the ongoing war.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 189–207</ref>

==Lord Lieutenant of Ireland==
((Main|Cornwallis in Ireland))
In June 1798 he was appointed [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]] and [[Commander-in-Chief, Ireland]]. His appointment, which had been discussed as early as 1797, was made in response to the outbreak in late May of the [[Irish Rebellion of 1798]].<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 220–222</ref> His appointment was greeted unfavourably by the Irish elite, who preferred his predecessor [[John Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden|Lord Camden]], and suspected he had liberal sympathies with the predominantly Catholic rebels. However, he struck up a good working relationship with [[Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh|Lord Castlereagh]], whom he had appointed as Chief Secretary for Ireland.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 235–237</ref>

In his combined role as both Lord Lieutenant and Commander-in-Chief of the [[Irish Army (Kingdom of Ireland)|Royal Irish Army]] Cornwallis oversaw the defeat of both the Irish rebels and a French invasion force led by General [[Jean Joseph Amable Humbert|Jean Humbert]] that landed in [[Connacht]] in August 1798. Panicked by the landing and the subsequent British defeat at the [[Battle of Castlebar]], Pitt despatched thousands of reinforcements to Ireland, swelling British forces there to 60,000.<ref>Harvey (2007), pp. 224–225</ref> The French invaders were defeated and forced to surrender at the [[Battle of Ballinamuck]], after which Cornwallis ordered the execution by lot of a number of Irish rebels.<ref>Lecky, Vol. 5, p. 63</ref> During the autumn Cornwallis secured government control over most of the island, and organised the suppression of the remaining supporters of the United Irish movement.

Cornwallis was also instrumental in securing passage in 1800 of the [[Act of Union (Ireland) 1800|Act of Union]] by the [[Parliament of Ireland]], a necessary step in the creation of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]].<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 247</ref> The process, which essentially required the buying of Parliamentary votes through patronage and the granting of peerages, was one that Cornwallis found quite distasteful: he wrote "My occupation is now of the most unpleasant nature, negotiating and jobbing with the most corrupt people under heaven. I despise and hate myself every hour for engaging in such dirty work, and am supported only by the reflection that without a Union the British Empire must be dissolved."<ref name=W243>Wickwire (1980), p. 243</ref> Although Cornwallis recognised that the union with Ireland was unlikely to succeed without [[Catholic emancipation]], he and William Pitt were unable to move King George on the subject. Pitt consequently resigned, and Cornwallis also resigned his offices, returning to London in May 1801.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 250–251</ref>

==Treaty of Amiens==
[[File:CharlesCornwallis.jpeg|frame|right|Coin commemorating Cornwallis's role in negotiating the [[Treaty of Amiens]], 1802]]
Expecting an opportunity to relax at home, Cornwallis was instead despatched not long after his return to take command of [[Eastern Command (United Kingdom)|Eastern District]] with orders to lead the defences of eastern Britain against a threatened French invasion.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 252–253</ref> Cornwallis was then sent to France to finalise peace terms with [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Bonaparte]]. The peace negotiations were made possible in Britain by financial pressure brought on by the [[French Revolutionary Wars|ongoing wars]] and by Bonaparte's desire to consolidate his hold on the Continent. Pitt's resignation brought [[Henry Addington]] to power, and he appointed Cornwallis as [[Envoy (title)|plenipotentiary minister]] to France.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 253–256</ref>

The negotiations resulted in the [[Treaty of Amiens]], which Cornwallis signed on behalf of the United Kingdom on 25 March 1802.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 255–260</ref> The treaty ended the [[War of the Second Coalition]], but the peace was short-lived. Actions by Bonaparte over the next year alarmed the other European powers, and the United Kingdom refused to withdraw forces from [[Malta]] as specified in the treaty. By May 1803 [[War of the Third Coalition|war was again declared]]. Cornwallis is often seen as being partially responsible for conceding too much in the negotiations, although much had already been granted to France in the preliminary negotiations.<ref>Wickwire (1980), pp. 260</ref>

==Death and legacy==
[[File:Lord Cornwallis Tomb.jpg|thumb|Cornwallis's Tomb in [[Ghazipur]]]]
[[File:Charles Cornwallis monument, St Paul's Cathedral 02.jpg|thumb|Cornwallis monument, St Paul's Cathedral]]
In 1805 Cornwallis was reappointed Governor-General of India by Pitt (who had again become Prime Minister), this time to curb the expansionist activity of [[Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley|Lord Wellesley]] (older brother of Colonel [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley]], later [[Duke of Wellington]]).<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 263</ref> He arrived in India in July 1805, and died on 5 October of a fever at [[Ghazipur|Gauspur]] in [[Ghazipur District|Ghazipur]], at that time in the [[Varanasi]] kingdom.<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 265</ref> Cornwallis was buried there, overlooking the [[Ganges River]],<ref>Wickwire (1980), p. 267</ref> where his memorial is a protected monument maintained by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref>((cite web|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_tktd_up_lordcornwallis.asp|title=Lord Cornwallis Tomb, Ghazipur|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=26 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114200614/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_tktd_up_lordcornwallis.asp#|archive-date=14 November 2011|url-status=dead))</ref> There is also a memorial to him in [[St Paul's Cathedral]].<ref>"Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral" [[William Sinclair (Archdeacon of London)|Sinclair, W.]] p. 456: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909</ref>

His son Charles became the [[Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis|2nd Marquess]]. Having five daughters but no sons, the marquessate became extinct on his death, but he was succeeded in his remaining titles by his uncle, the brother of the general, the Right Reverend [[James Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis|James Cornwallis]].((citation needed|date=September 2020))

[[File:CornwallisCalcuttaStatue.jpg|thumb|upright|A statue of Cornwallis by [[John Bacon (sculptor, born 1740)|John Bacon]] and [[John Bacon (sculptor, 1777–1859)|John Bacon Jr.]] The statue now stands in the [[Victoria Memorial (India)|Victoria Memorial]] in [[Kolkata]].]]

Cornwallis appears in the 1835 novel ''[[Horse-Shoe Robinson]]'' by [[John Pendleton Kennedy]], a historical romance set against the background of the Southern campaigns in the American War of Independence, and interacts with the fictional characters in the book. He is depicted as courtly in manner, but tolerant, or even supportive, of brutal practices against those found deficient among his own forces, and against enemy prisoners. In the 2000 film [[The Patriot (2000 film)|''The Patriot'']] about the events leading up to Yorktown, Cornwallis was portrayed by English actor [[Tom Wilkinson]].<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/|title=The Patriot|publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=21 January 2012))</ref>

In Ireland his legacy also includes the Wicklow Military Road (now the [[R115 road|R115]]) through the [[Wicklow Mountains]].<ref>Fewer, p. 27</ref> Fictional accounts of the rebellion, such as ''The Year of the French'' by [[Thomas Flanagan (writer)|Thomas Flanagan]], feature Cornwallis. In India, he is remembered for his victory against Tipu Sultan in the Mysore war and his promulgation of revenue and judicial acts. [[Fort Cornwallis]], founded in 1786 in [[George Town, Penang|George Town]], [[Penang|Prince of Wales Island]] (now the island part of the [[Malaysia]]n state of [[Penang]]), is named for him.<ref name=Ooi786/> He is remembered for his deeds in England.

The coastal township of [[Cornwallis, New Zealand]] was named after him by his nephew, [[William Cornwallis Symonds]].<ref name="Redman">((Cite journal| volume = 19| issue = 2| pages = 15–18| last = Redman| first = Julie| title = Auckland's first settlement at Cornwallis 1835–1860| journal = New Zealand Legacy| date = 2007))</ref> A building is named after him at the [[University of Kent]], as are boarding houses at [[The Royal Hospital School]] and [[Culford School]] in Suffolk. Statues of Cornwallis can be seen in [[St. Paul's Cathedral]], London, Fort Museum, [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St. George]], Chennai, and in the [[Victoria Memorial (India)|Victoria Memorial]], [[Kolkata]].<ref>Wilbur, p. 367</ref><ref>Rohatgi and Parlett</ref> The public house "The Marquis of Cornwallis" in [[Layham]], Suffolk, was named after him.<ref>((cite web|url=https://pubshistory.com/Suffolk/Layham/MarquisCornwallis.shtml|title=Marquis of Cornwallis, Layham, Ipswich|website=pubshistory.com|access-date=23 November 2017))</ref> Roads named after him include Cornwallis Street in Liverpool, Cornwallis Road in the [[London Borough of Islington]], and Cornwallis Road in Oxford.<ref>((cite web |last1=Wood |first1=Dave |title=A selection of Liverpool street names and their origins |url=https://www.liverpoolpicturebook.com/2013/08/liverpool-street-names.html |website=Liverpool picturebook |access-date=26 June 2022 |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519204808/https://www.liverpoolpicturebook.com/2013/08/liverpool-street-names.html |url-status=dead ))</ref><ref>((cite web |last1=Willats |first1=Eric |title=Streets with a Story: The Book of Islington |url=http://www.islingtonhistory.org.uk/downloads/streets-with-a-story-19-april-2021-2.pdf |website=Islington History |publisher=Islington Heritage Service |access-date=26 June 2022))</ref><ref>((cite web |last1=Jenkins |first1=Stephanie |title=Oxford Inscriptions: Florence Park |url=http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/inscriptions/east/florence_park.html |website=Oxford History |access-date=26 June 2022))</ref>

Cornwallis was the recipient of the first British commemorative statue sent to the Indian subcontinent. On his retirement in 1792, and in celebration of his victory over Tipu Sultan, the British residents of Madras (renamed Chennai in 1996) voted in May that year to commission a portrait in oils, and a statue, for their city.<ref>((Cite book|title=Statues of the Raj|last=Steggles|first=Mary Ann|publisher=BACSA|year=2000|isbn=0-907799-74-4|location=Putney, London|pages=58–60))</ref> A request was sent, through Sir John Call, to the Council of the Royal Academy in London to hold a competition. Only one artist submitted a model, and that was [[Thomas Banks (sculptor)|Thomas Banks]], RA. The statue was unveiled on the Parade Grounds of [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St. George]], Madras, on 15 May 1800, after being exhibited at the Royal Academy. The eight-foot-tall marble with its pedestal base depicts the children of Tipu Sultan being handed over to Cornwallis as part of the treaty to end the war. Cornwallis wears the robes of a Garter Knight.<ref>((Cite book|title=British Sculpture in India: New Views and Old Memories|last1=Steggles|first1=Mary Ann|last2=Barnes|first2=Richard|publisher=Frontier|year=2011|isbn=978-1-872914-41-1|location=Norfolk, UK|pages=43, 165))</ref> After Independence, the statue was moved to the Reading Room of the Connemara Library, Madras, before it was transferred to the entrance of the Fort Museum in 1948.<ref>((Cite book|title=Statues of the Raj|last=Steggles|first=Mary Ann|publisher=BACSA|year=2000|isbn=0-907799-74-4|location=Putney, London|pages=60))</ref>

The first British statue to be erected in Calcutta, the capital of British India, was also to Cornwallis. The marble portrait statue, with figures of ''Fortitude'' and ''Truth'' on each side of the plinth's base, was completed by John Bacon Jr., and was a variant of the statue finished by John Bacon Sr. for [[East India House]] in London. In this work, Cornwallis appears as a hero wearing a Roman kilt and carrying a sheathed short sword. A cornucopia symbolizing the abundance pouring into the coffers of the East India Company (EIC) is behind the left foot.<ref>((Cite book|title=British Sculpture in India: New Views and Old Memories|last1=Steggles|first1=Mary Ann|last2=Barnes|first2=Richard|publisher=Frontier|year=2011|isbn=978-1-872914-41-1|location=Norfolk|pages=99–100))</ref>

A third statue, for Bombay, was commissioned from the studios of John Bacon Jr. Bacon was paid £5250 for the standing figure, which portrayed Cornwallis wearing an officer's tailcoat, breeches, brocade and an immense cloak. The statue was covered by a protective cupola on Elphinstone Circle, before it was damaged in August 1965 and removed to the grounds of the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla, Bombay.<ref>((Cite book|title=British Sculpture in India: New Views and Old Memories|last1=Steggles|first1=Mary Ann|last2=Barnes|first2=Richard|publisher=Frontier|year=2011|isbn=978-1-872914-41-1|location=Norfolk, UK|pages=193))</ref>

The last memorial erected to Cornwallis in British India was his [[mausoleum]] at Ghazipur, completed in 1824 and funded by a public subscription raised by the people of Bengal. Designed by Thomas Fraser, the free-standing marble cenotaph, topped by a funerary urn, was created by [[John Flaxman]], RA. It was commissioned by the Court of Directors of the East India Company at a General Meeting held in February 1822. Flaxman completed the work in March 1824 and it was shipped to India in April. Flaxman received £525 for his portrait medallion of Cornwallis, carved in relief for two of the four panels. The two others have a figure of a Hindu and Muslim, heads bowed in mourning (a typical motif for Flaxman). The reverse has a figure of a British soldier and an Indian sepoy, also in mourning.<ref>((Cite book|title=Statues of the Raj|last=Steggles|first=Mary|publisher=BACSA|year=2000|isbn=0-907799-74-4|location=Putney, London|pages=64))</ref>

==Dates of rank==
{| class="wikitable" style="background:white;float:center"
|-
| &nbsp;[[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]], [[British Army]]
| 1756
|-
| &nbsp;[[Captain (land)|Captain]], [[British Army]]
| 1759
|-
| &nbsp;[[Lieutenant-Colonel]], [[British Army]]
| 1761
|-
| &nbsp;[[Colonel]], [[British Army]]
| 1766
|-
| &nbsp;[[Major-General (United Kingdom)|Major-General]], [[British Army]]
| 1775
|-
| &nbsp;[[Lieutenant-General (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]], [[British Army]]
| 1777
|-
| &nbsp;[[General (United Kingdom)|General]], [[British Army]]
| 1793
|}

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((Reflist))

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* ((cite book|title=The Battle of Camden: a Documentary History|last=Piecuch|first=Jim|publisher=The History Press|year=2006|isbn=978-1-59629-144-7|location=Charleston, SC|oclc=70219827))
* ((cite web |url=http://www.illwa.org/chapter_2.htm |title=Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists: Beginnings&nbsp;– The English East India Company |last1=Rohatgi |first1=Pauline |last2=Parlett |first2=Graham |year=2009 |publisher=Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya |access-date=23 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629020108/http://illwa.org/chapter_2.htm |archive-date=29 June 2010 ))
* ((cite book|title=Correspondence of Charles, First Marquis Cornwallis |volume=1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Jk9AAAAcAAJ|editor-last=Ross|editor-first=Charles |last1=Cornwallis|first1= Charles|publisher=J. Murray|year=1859|location=London|oclc=1163639))
* ((cite book|title=Anglo–Maratha Relations, 1785–96|last=Sen|first=Sailendra Nath|publisher=Popular Prakashan|year=1994|location=Delhi|oclc=1406688))
* ((cite book|title=Lafayette|last=Unger|first=H.G|date=2002|place=New York))
* ((cite book|title=War of the Revolution|url=https://archive.org/details/warofrevolution00ward|url-access=registration|last=Ward|first=Christopher|publisher=Macmillan|year=1952|location=New York|oclc=214962727))
* ((cite book|title=Iron Tears, Rebellion in America 1775–1783|last=Weintraub|first=Stanley|year=2005|isbn=978-0-7432-2687-5|location=London|url=https://archive.org/details/irontearsamerica00wein|publisher=Free Press))
* ((cite book|title=Cornwallis: The American Adventure|url=https://archive.org/details/cornwallisameric00wick|url-access=registration|last=Wickwire|first=Franklin and Mary|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|year=1970|location=Boston|oclc=62690))
* ((cite book|title=Cornwallis: The Imperial Years|url=https://archive.org/details/cornwallisimperi0000wick|url-access=registration|last=Wickwire|first=Franklin and Mary|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|year=1980|isbn=0-8078-1387-7|location=Chapel Hill))
* ((cite book|title=The East India Company and the British Empire in the Far East|last=Wilbur|first=Marguerite Eyer|publisher=R. Smith|year=1945|location=New York|oclc=186486927|ref=Wilbur))
* ((cite book|title=A history of Nepal|last=Whelpton|first=John|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0-521-80470-7|location=Cambridge, UK|oclc=55502658|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofnepal00whel))
((Refend))

==Further reading==
((Div col|colwidth=22em))
* ((cite journal|last=Adams|first=R|date=October 1931|title=A View of Cornwallis's Surrender at Yorktown|journal=American Historical Review|volume=37|issue=1|pages=25–49|doi=10.2307/1842255|jstor=1842255))
* ((cite journal|last=Clement|first=R|date=January–March 1979|title=The World Turned Upside down At the Surrender of Yorktown|journal=Journal of American Folklore|volume=92|pages=66–67|number=363|doi=10.2307/538844|jstor=538844))
* ((Cite Appletons'|wstitle=Cornwallis, Charles, Earl|year=1900|author=[[John Fiske (philosopher)|Fiske, John]]|notaref=x|short=x))
* ((cite book|title=Rebels and Redcoats: The American Revolution Through British Eyes|last=Hibbert|first=Christopher|date=2001|place=London))
* ((cite book|title=The War for America|last=Mackesy|first=Piers|date=1964|place=London))
* ((cite book |last1=Middleton |first1=Richard |title=Cornwallis: Soldier and Statesman in a Revolutionary World |date=2022 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-26550-7 |language=en))
* ((cite book|title=The Year of Liberty : the History of the Great Irish Rebellion of 1798|last=Pakenham|first=Thomas|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=1969|location=Englewood Cliffs, NJ|oclc=229133087))
* ((cite book|title=The War for Independence, A Military History|last=Peckham|first=H|date=1967|place=Chicago))
* ((cite book|url=http://www.naval-military-press.com/cornwallis_papers-the-campaigns-of-1780-and-1781-in-the-southern-theatre-of-the-american-revolutionary-war.html|title=The Cornwallis Papers: The Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Theatre of the American Revolutionary War|editor-last=Saberton|editor-first=Ian |date=2010|publisher=The Naval & Military Press Ltd|volume=6|access-date=29 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527132059/http://www.naval-military-press.com/cornwallis_papers-the-campaigns-of-1780-and-1781-in-the-southern-theatre-of-the-american-revolutionary-war.html#|archive-date=27 May 2012|url-status=dead))
* ((Cite DNB|wstitle=Cornwallis, Charles (1738–1805)|volume=12|author=[[H. Morse Stephens|Stephens, H. Morse]] |short=x))
((div col end))

==External links==
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* ((UK National Archives ID|id=F62314))
* ((NPG name|id=01033))
* ((Internet Archive author|sname=Charles Cornwallis))

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