The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-10-23

EYE.WITSESS-LAFAYE VISIT TO
YORKTOWN IN 1s24-PRoGEAMME FOR
! To.DAY-THE RICHMOND DMTL1TARY-PER-
| soNAL.
The preliminary celebration will take
! place at Yorktown to-day. 1t 10 intended
| to arouse attention to the centennial anni-
yersary OF the surrender OF Corvallis
October 10. 1881. By that time, it is hoped,
Congress will fulfil its promise, and have Il
marble column erected on the field OF VIC
tory, aud when all the States may unite and
with beitting pomp celebrate an event
which reflected signal lustre upon our arms
and secured for the colonies peace and in
dependence.
Yorktown was occupied by the British in
September, 1881. CORVALLIS had about 800
troops (Erglish and Hessians), composed Of
his own victorious army, lately from the
Carolinas, and most OF the troops that had
been ravaging Virginia under Benedict Ar
mold and General Phillips.
! YORKTOWN WAS SELECTED
aa good point from which to continue the
harassng warfare upon Virginia and Mary
land, or 10 move to New York. as necessity
might require. The troops which cooped
CornuaIis up at Yorktown and Gloucester
Point were Lafayette's little srmy, which
had been contending with tie British ma
rsuders around Richmond; Washington
and Rochambeau's army, which had besn
menacipg New York, and by admirable
strategy had kept Clinton in alarm about
himself unit! Iairiy on the way 10 Virginia;
the Virginia militia. under the patriot Gov
ornor Nelson; several French brigades
landed from the French fleet, together with
~ irh
On the 2Sth Oi September the allied ar
mics left Williamsburg for Yorktown. The
French feet blockaded the mouth OF York
river. BY the 9th Of october the allies
were ready to open the bombardment in
earnest. They did ii with such SUCCESS as
to make Yorktown very uncomfortable
place. Two redoubts were wrested from
| the British by asSauIt-ope by the Amerl-
cans under Lafayette and Hamilton; the
other by the French under Baron de Flo-
mcuil Four or five OF tue British vessels
were fired by red.hot shot and destroyed.
UNABLE TO STAND TIE BoNBARDMEET,
having found a sortie useless, ioiled in an
attempt TO escape across the river, and de-
spairing OF relief from Clinton at New
York, whose promises OF succor were over
! due, CORVALLIS, on the 10th October, sur
rendered the garrisons at Yorktown and
Gloucester Point to the Americans: his
fleet to the French.
The loss OF the British was 156 killed,
326 wounded, and 70 missing. The whole
number surrendered by capitulatlon vas
little more than 1000. The allied army en-
ployed consisted Of about 1000 regular
American troops, more than 5000 French,
and 1000 nllitia-total, 10000. There
were surrendered rs brass and 1863 iron
| - y ,toi. - a
ards 10 English and Is Hessian), ordnance,
quartermaster and other stores, Sc.
THE POINTS OF GREATEST INTEREST AT YORK
| TOWN
are The Field Of Surrender, on the Hamp-
ton road, a short distance from the town
and near the present National Cemetery ;
the so-csled "Cornwalis Cave" on the
river bank; the remnants OF the British
karthwcrks, generally intermingIed with
works OF the lpte war, but quite distinct in
one or two places, and the Nelson Mansion,
formerly the residence OF Governor Nelson,
and occupied by Cornwallis when the can
nonade began. [GoYernor Nelson, who
was in command OF our militia, directed 2
heavy artillery 1ro upon his own house.
The Moore House, where the commissioners
met TO arrange the terms OF capitulation, is
some distance below the town, and the
house where Washington had his headquar-
ters about three miles off.
Many Of our Richmond companies served
at Yorktown and Gloucester Point Gust
: across the river) in 1861 and 1862, and they
especially will be interested in reyisiting
those localities.
Yorktown is twenty-eight miles from
West Point, twelve from Williamsburg, and
about twenty-five from Old Point.
CoRNwALLIs'S PAROLE
the original paper-the body written out by
a clcrkly hand and then signed by Corn
wallis himself, is in the State Library. II
was discovered by the late Thomas Il.
Wrnne at an auction sale in New York,
and purchased by him for the State at S1O0.
1t reads as follows:
Charles Earl CORVALLIS, Lieutenant.
General Britannica MaieSty's forces
DO hereby acknowledge myself Prisoner
Of War to the United States OF America,
and having permission from his Exceliency
General Washington, agreeable to Capltu'
lation, to proceed to New York and Charles
town, or either, and to Europe,
Do pledge my Faith and Word OF Honor
that I will not do or say anything I'M urlous
to the said United States or Armies thefeol,
or their Allies, until duly exchanged; | do
further promise that whenever required by
the Comuander-in-C Chief OF the American
ARMY, or the Commisssry OF Prisoners 1of
the same, will repair to such Ilace OF
Places as they or either OF them may re-
quire- ao.,,
GIVEN under my Hand at York Town 2Sth
day of October, 17SI. CORVALLIS
Account of the Surrender by an Eye
Witness.
The original of the following letter from
Colonel William Fontaine, OF Hanover
county. giving an account of the surrender
OF Cornwalis, is in the possession OF the
Virginia Historical Society:
RICHMOND, October 26, 1881.
"Dear Sir.-Maior Penn gives me an OPP
portunity, the first / have met with since
the glorious event, OF congratulating you
on the surrender Of York, which l do with
all imaginable cordiallity. l had the happi-
ness to see that British army which so lately
spred dismay and deSolation thro all our
country, march forth on the Goth instant at
3 O'Clock thro our whole army drawn up IN
two lines at about twenty yards distance,
and return diyested OF all their terrour, so
humbed and SO struck at the appearance
! of our troops that their knees seemed 10
trembIe, and YOU could not see platoon
that marched in any order. Such nope
figure did our army make that scarce kno
which drew my attention most. You could
not have beard la] whisper or seen the
least motion throughout our whole lines.
Every couptanance was erect and eX-
messed a serene cheerfulneSS.