Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-05-02

orous Vegetable growth, consisting of all kinds
OF treee. living and dead, drap+d in wild vines
and moses, wound up towards the front Of
attack. Il WAS made our first parallel The
woods that surrounded it were an admirable
shelter. This arm Of the sea was covered with
bridges; roads were made on the banks,
among the tulip trees, trees of Judas. and
blooming asaleas. Starting from this natural
parallel, others were made by the hand Of man,
and rapidly approached the words. The be.
sieged arsd furiously on the, works which
they saw or expected to exist. Shells wiis.
tied on every side in the tall trees. cut off
branches. and scared horses, but did but little
harm. No one needed them. In the even
ing. when the squads came back in good or
der, their guns on their backs and their shovels
OH their soldiers the enemy's fire increased as
though le had noticed the hour. We used to
60 to this cannonade, as to play; aud when,
on fine evening in spring. the troops came
back gaily to the sound of martial music
through the blooming woods, while the recon.
noitering balloon was in the air, we easily I'M
| agined ourselves at festival, and forgot for q
time the miseries of war.
Meanwhile tho siege advanced. Powerful
artillery had been brought up. not without
difficulty. Rifed cannon of one hundred and
even two hundred pounds caliber, and 13.inch
mortars, were got ready to batter the works.
| Fourteen batteries had been constructed,
armed, and provisioned. If we did not open
| fire, it was because we desired the fire to 10
general, aud therefore waited for the compile
,ion of nll preparations. However. we could
mr. SSt tv,n ~ trv,su th.,
ders. These enormous pieces were managed
load and point them with no more difficulty
than our old 24.pounders. At a distance Of
three miles our fire was admirably accurate.
One day. one Of these large pieces had sort
of duel with rifled piece Of somewhat less
caliber, placed OF one of the bastions of York
town. The curious on our side got upon the
perapet to watch the effect of each shot; then,
while they were exchanging observations,
the sentinel gave warning that the enemy
was firing in hts turn; but tho distance was
SO great that between tho discharge and the
arrival of the projectile every one had time to
get down without hurry and take shelter b..
hind the parapet. Yet such was the accuracy
of the firing that we were sure to see the
enormous prcjectile pass at the very spot
where the group of observers had stood an
instant before then it struck the earth fifty
yards behind, and exploded, throwing up n
mass Of earth as high as the water jet at Saint
Clond.
These new and curious artillery trials were
not the only interesting peculiarity Of this
siege. In 1881, Yorktown had been besieged
by the combined armies of France and Ameri-
cn under Washington and Rochambeau. and
this siege had resulted in the famous captu-
lation which secured tho Independence Of the
United States. At every step we found ira
ces ot this first siege. Here, in this old hovel.
Ia Fayette had his headquarters; there the
French trenches began there tho regiments
of Bourbon and Saintonge were encamped.
In other places the intrenchments thrown up
by the soldiers Of Rochambeau were still Wis.
ible but tho vigorous vegetable growth Of
this almost tropical region has resumed its EN-.
pire over them. Further on was shown the
house inhabited by tho two commanders. 1t
was behind these same Notifications Of
Yorktown that Cornwalis and tho English
had so long resisted the assaults Of the allies.
1t was on these ramparts that an alliance. new
pr vet broken. and to which the United States
owed their prosperity and greatness. Ind been
sealed with the blood Of our soldiers Not to
speak Of the emotion with which regarded
these far.otf momentoes of national glory,
and the interest with which l examined the
traces of the military scenes, some Of the &C.
tors in which had known, asked myself
whether, by strange caprice of destiny,
these same ramparts might not witness the un.
doing Of the work Of 1881, and whether from
tho delays Of tho new siege of Yorktown
might not be destined 10 result the ruin oft
great Republic and the ruptare Of tho Fran
co. American alliance. The fate of the Union
was in the hands of the God Of battles; no
one could foresee his DEGREES but the Franco.
American alliances, hitherto so favorable to all
generous idsas, was moro dependant on hu.
man will. True. the struggle before York
town was civil war, and, though tlAs FEEDER
ais were fighting for the most ], at of causes,
France was under no actual obligation to send
them her soldiers |; but the weight of tf,e
sword Of Fraucs makes itself felt far AZ well
as near. and the Americans Of Of the North
could have wished to see their old allies use
their influence on the side Of justice and lib-
erty. 'i 1e3't'a aat l'"f'@'i. ~ aTA's
1t was plain that, with the powerful rnsans
nt our disposal. the capture Of Yorktown was
but question Of time. Overwhelmed by
the fire about to be opened upon it. without
casemates to shelter the soldiers. with no de-
tense but earthworks and palisades, tina place
had not even chance Of prolonged resis-
tance. Everything was ready for the deci-
sive blow. Not only waa terrible lombard.
ment about to be directed against the city. not
only were picked troops selected to follow the
bombardment with a-grand assault, but
steam transport was only awaiting q signal