- "This is not a war! This is a rebellion and you will be hanged for treason against King George III."
- —Cornwallis to George Washington[src]
Lieutenant General Cornwallis was a commanding officer of the British Army during the American Revolution. He believed that the war was nothing more than a futile rebellion from the American colonies against King George III. Cornwallis received aid from Rip Hunter, who armed his men with future automatic rifles to turn the tide of the war and even kill George Washington. However, Legends arrived and set history back on its proper course, with Cornwallis ultimately failing and losing the war.
Biography
Eobard Thawne sent Rip Hunter to 1776, where he joined forces with Lieutenant General Cornwallis to turn the tide of the American Revolution to lure out the Legends. Cornwallis' men were supplied by Hunter with automatic weapons which he saw would quickly turn the tide of the war. He made Rip a colonel and was happy to see that he had managed to capture General George Washington, along with Mick Rory.
Cornwallis praised Rip for his work, and even hinted that he knew he was from the future. He then told Washington that he and Rory would be hung in the morning. Washington told Cornwallis that as a high-ranking officer, hanging him would violate the rules of war, but Cornwallis angrily pointed out that this wasn't a war but a rebellion and Washington had committed treason. Washington argued for Rory's life and Cornwallis agreed to spare him in order to spread the news of Washington's death to the American army. Before Washington was to be hung, Cornwallis asked him for his last words. Washington distracted them all which gave Rory the chance to steal a musket and ignite a cache of gunpowder throwing his camp into chaos. Cornwallis went and engaged Washington but received a hard blow to the face before he and Rory escaped his clutches due to the arrival of Nate Heywood and Amaya Jiwe.[1]
Appearances
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 2
- "Turncoat"
Behind the scenes
- In the real world, Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis was one of the leading British generals during the American War for Independence.