3 MAY 2003, Page 35

Clinton's failure

From Lord Bray brooke Sir: I was intrigued to read in Taki's High Life (26 April) that my great-great-greatgrandfather, General Cornwallis, 'threw in the towel' at Yorktown in October 1776.

In fact, Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander-in-chief, was dallying in New York with his ravishing American mistress. He refused to sail south to relieve Cornwallis as requested.

In 1977 I was invited to make the annual speech at Yorktown on 19 October. I had taken six books out of Cambridge University library a few weeks before. Most if not all noted Clinton's failure to do his duty. The mistress came first!

Braybrooke Audley End, Essex