The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-10-08 00:00:00

The Pail Mali Gazette has an article on the Sur-
llnder of York Town, which concludes thus :—" A
rte,rl:l as to the heroes of York Town. Of Washington
la, la needless to speak. Rocloambeau on his return to
-erance was made Governor of Picardy, and in 1788
Veeted to the Second Assembly of Notables. In 1791
e obtained the baton of Marshal, and commanded
the Army of the North from March to June, 1792.
ut his long and brilliant military career was
virtually over. Imprisoned in '93, he managed
to keep his head on his shoulders, and lived to be
rlled a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour by
.i.s.uiapoleon. He died in 1807, in his eighty-second year.
itochambeau's son and heir, who shared in his father's
American triumph, was held to be an officer of merit,
but singularly unlucky, He twice capitulated to the
-11glish—first in 1794, as Governor of the (French)
Windward Isles ; secondly, in 1803, when in coin-
nland of the forces operating against the Haytian in-
surgents. Cornwallis suffered libtle, if any, loss in the
esteem of his countrymen by his failure to hold York
11‘„Own. In 1786 he was selected to succeed Warren
....",xastings as Governor-General of Bengal—Sir John.
ephereon's appointment havinz been. purely pro-
visional. The principal event of his administratiun
Was the reduction of Tippoo Saib to obedience. Corn-
Wallis, it should be added, combined the office of Cora-
lriander-in-Chief with that of Governor-General. In the
Midst of the rebellion of 1798 he was sent to Ireland
all Lord Lieutenant, and remained there till the con-
of the Union. In 1804 he became a second
time Governor-General of Bengal, but only went out
.
die, at Gh,..zipore, October 5, 1805, in his sixty-
"l'venth year. lie was a hardy old soldier, and much
eXercised in his later years by the effeminate use of
lunbrellas, which came into fashion about the time of
the first American war. To a servant who, on a rainy
officiously held one over Cornwallis's head,
stand aside, man!' he angrily exclaimed, I'm not
Iliad° of sugar.' One suspects this may have been
Qlle in more senses than one."

1

t
I CRNTENARY Of the SURRENDER of
YORKTOWN.
tou e Philadelphia Correspondent of The Times gives the
Tving description of the preparatbus for the forthcoming
tr.„.eiyathm of the centehaky of the surrender of Lord Corn-
'was et Yorktown :--
Tll, Itiiieriean people for six years past have had a
h "ea of centenary celebrations, marking the one-
-I,lndredth anniversary of each of the principal events
il3: the War of the Revolution. The series, which
egiaon with the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington,
and the celebrations at Philadelphia, culmi-
r-"ng on July 4, 1876, is now about to close with the
iversary of the Yorktown surrender. For this
, roerktown celebration elaborate preparations are being
vitcle, and in order to explain them English readers
Will Pardon the repetition of a memorable chapter in
€.-merican revolutionary history. Yorktown stands
eZ, the York River, in South-Eastern Virginia. In
th'gasl, 1781, Lord Cornwallis established himself
arere
ba a strong defensible position, with his whole
a„, Y of 8,000 men, supported by several frigates
;'`' smaller vessels anchored in York River. He
li;r9ngly fortified the place, and also Gloucester
'alter' on the opposite side of the river. In the
-r Part of September the combined American
kand French forces, under Washington and Lafayette,
a,,arched from Williamsburg to besiege Yorktown.
rasY numbered 16,000 men, of whom 7,000 were
thrench- On their approach the British abandoned
k e outworks, and on September 30 the investment of
se town was complete. The first parallel was begun
d doter, and as established October 9, and next
134 T 'Leavy batteries opened with effect upon the
trritish works and vessels, a frigate and several
I,rlBPortB being destroyed on the night of the 10th.
tsf;4e second parallel was opened on the 11th, and on ,
!? 14th the besiegers attacked and captured two
;„eaoubts, which were included in the parallel. A
±glench fleet of 37 vessels, under Comte de Grasse, cut
r all chance of reinforcement by sea, and Cornwallis's
iP2tion became critical. He made a sortie on the
vint,n, which was a failure, and on the 17th he sent
i." a flag of truce, proposing capitulation. The terms
se
re::;ndg arranged, Cornwallis on October 19, 1781, aw-
are ered his entire force of 7,247 regulars, 840 sailors,
1°6,, guns. The British loss during the siege was
Ts, • "14 40- The surrender decided the revolutionary
ar and the independence of the United States.
;
to - •naPortant event the country is now preparing
.rocelebrate by a series of entertainments at and near
ourktown, continuing from October 5 to October 20.
tile the 6th the anniversary of the beginning work on
..e first parallel, many of the dignitaries who are to
„ 7
o,ticlkate will be at Yorktown, and will be wel-
led by Governor Halliday, of Virginia. To this
Welco
Senator Hawley, of Connecticut, President
Ofei has me United States Centennial Commission, is to
Vond. Commissioners appointed by the several
tates and the General Government, with French
r,Fpresentatives, will be in attendance. On the 7th
t:;7:0 anniversary of the entrance of the besiegers
tie the parallel will be celebrated by the recep-
wa of delegates from the various railway, steam-
lY anna, d other transportatoin companies, General
pI ckha
, of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad,
148id,mg. On the Bth the Universities, colleges,
c'cas, and other institutions of learning will
their celebration President John Elliot, of
Zarvard -university, ' the oldest college in the
wil7
making an address. The 9th (Sunday)
01,135 Marked by religious services, Bishop Keane,
O u Roman Catholic Church in Virginia officiating.
iso the 10th, the anniversary of opening fire, when, it
tivaaid* Washington fired the first gun the representa-
d
n_es of the various cities and of gun,
Chambers of
rieree, Boards of Trade, and other commercial
es will be received. Samuel D. Babcock, Presi-
of the New York Chamber of Commerce, will
ri;eB4l6- In the evening, to commemorate the burn-
ofg °f the British vessels, there will be a display
'lfireworks. On the 11th, the anniversary of
3taing the second parallel, which was done by
bra? de Steuben, the Germans will have a cele-
will I`),a, and the industrial and art societies' delegates
oe received, Alexander H. Rice, of Massa-
fer•
Zetts, presiding. The 12th will be assigned to the
WiriPrs and planters the Secretary of the Treasury,
ediftb Windom, Making an address. The 13th
tat;„,7 assigned to the banks and financial insti-
_elei."l to commemorate Robert Morris, the finan-
p Pt the Continental Congress. Joseph Patterson,
dZaLide, nt of the Western National Bank of Phila.
"e
Of "14; will preside. On the 14th, the anniversary
the' will
and capture of the two redoubts,
f, Society of the Cincinnati, the orginization
trwed bY the officers of the Revolution and their
oreendants, will have a celebration, Hamilton Fish,
New York, formerly Secretary of State, presid-
T 5), assisted by Alexander Hamilton. MM. de
ryaYette, De Rochambeau, and the other representa-
th" of the French Society of the Cincinnati will
i„,en be received, and there will be a ball in the even-
ois;,_ The 15th will be celebrated by the descendants
s 'us officers and soldiers of the Revolution, John A.
4t.rens, of New York, making an address, and Mrs..
alaardin Walworth, granddaughter of Lieutenant
theruin, of the Riflemen, receiving the ladies. On
cos 16th (Sunday) there will be religious exercises
17/I,clacted by the Rev. Dr. Storrs, of Brooklyn. The
t•,.r'
2u, the anniversary of the sendin,, out of the flag if
sic°, will be celebrated by the Freemasons, Odd
IDoe'fc'ssw,sl and other societies of similar character.
""ls day the control of the grounds at York-
o„-"„ Will be handed over to a committee of
--g*resa in anticipation of the subsequent
itilational ceremonies. These began on the next
isaYi the 18th, when the building of a monument
p_to be begun under the auspices of the Yorktown
Ytntennial Association. After prayer and musical
softh
ereiBes
Senator Johnston, of Virginia, the chairman •
e Co' mmittee of Congress, will open the exercises,
krernor Halliday will make an address of welcome,
tlao4r,the corner-stone of the monument will be laid by
b rand Master of Freemasons for Virginia, assisted
reenlasons from the several States. On the 19th,
th,enilaY of the capitulation, these ceremonies will cots-
an oration being delivered by Robert C. Win-
of \pi of Massachusetts, a poem by James B. Hope,
et%,. Itgibia, and an ode by Paul Hayne, of South
ina. It is also the intention, if possible, to have
2-40V-ddress by the President of the United States. The
Irrs4,_ will witness a military review on the field at
a "rgtown ; and on the 21st the celebration closes by
naval review in Hampton Roads.
Ns.lll a elaborate series of celebrations will occupy two
,„
bLe;4B, and to witness and participate in them a
rf"`"al invitation has been sent to Europe to the
sta-ace,ndants of Lafayette, De Rochambeau, and
th7,4°e, n, and other foreign officers who took part in
lege. Congress has voted 20,000 dols. towards the
14'eases and there are also private subscriptions,
• FAnce is sending a fleet to be present in York
which will rendezvous at New York, October 1,
ft-Z.le escorted to Chesapeake Bay by the American
The monument to be erected will stand on a
overlooking the river, at a point where there is
4.▪ tMobstructed view down to the Capes at the
ratice of Chesapeake Bay, twenty-eight miles away.
acres of ground lying within the British lines have
21
411 bought by the Government for the monument
th".„ The corner stone is of Richmond granite, and
fi,l loundation for the base of the monument is already
Zlahed. About a mile from the site is the en-
Qtas Merit ground, where about 1,500 large tents
i.0*7,4 shelter the National and State troops attend-
and also the Freemasons. There will be pro-
V.`47 25,000 troops and 5,000 Masons, &c., at
°rlctown. Temporary buildings are being put up
o„c'r the official visitors and the Congress Com-
Cottee will have their head quarters in the Moore-
-use, on Temple farm, the buildings in which the
~aDittilation was arranged. Officials and troops in
en'tqcqta__parts of the country are already preparing to
'° Yorktown, and several (State Governors will be
to add interest to the proceedings. The chief
—§.,,`‘ of the celebration, however, will probably be
L'neentrated in the closing days when the national
""reenonies take place. The York peninsula is not
t:rY thickly inhabited, and visitors can hardly afford
sPend two weeks there, so that probably the
• ier days will not be marked by the crowded
74ereblages that will come later. Most of the Go-
-0111, ors and State military organizations are arranging
dre. migrations so as to be present only at the
▪ hile this will be the closing of the centennial
• and the celebration of the final revolutionary
eare is being taken to eliminate everything
cluensive to England. It is quite probable in the
Reaeral flag display that the English colours will be
conspicuous as any other, for such has been the
'*tom at all these celebrations, and the people who
go there will also probably be as friendly to England
4.11,11 their present sentiments as they are in France.
century has brought around wonderful changes.
e ties of England and America are to-day the
irongest of any international bonds in the world, for
,)"s Anglo-Saxon race has come to feel in these later
"It.Ys more and more the truth of the adage that
‘ltlood is thicker than water."

SATURDAY, OCT. 8, 1881.