when cornwallace went to virginia, it opened the possibility of yorktown conlan and that was something that washington didn't envision so much as the french did. washington, twice, with the french commander in america, met with him in hartford, in september of 1780, and at whethersfield, conn. in may of 1781. in both of those meetings, he asked washington, what do you want to do? both instances, washington said i want to campaign to take new york city. and he argued with washington, we can't succeed, we cannot succeed in an attack on new york city. the british have held it too long. they have had 6 years to prepare their defense, we cannot win. but he had been ordered by louis xvi, they fer to washington, do what he wants. so after that conference, at the weathers field conference, he agreed we will attack new york. washington rode back to west point, thinking that would be the next item on the agenda, but as soon as washington rode back, rode away, wroteshallow root to the admiral of the french fleet in the caribbean asking him to bring his fleet north, not to new york, as washington