 Cornwallis began to slowly move east toward Williamsburg , practically ignoring Lafayette . He periodically detached Simcoe or Tarleton on foraging and raiding expeditions as he went , and his main army reached Williamsburg on June 25 . Lafayette , buoyed by his reinforcements , followed the earl , and began sending out detachments of his own light troops to bring at least part of the British army to battle . Learning that Simcoe was foraging behind the main army , Lafayette sent out 600 men to track him down before he could rejoin Cornwallis . These two forces clashed on June 26 not far from Williamsburg , and Cornwallis escorted out reinforcements to cover Simcoe 's retreat . 
