The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-10-13
THE YORKTOWN CENTENNIAL.


issued orders TO Lord CORVALLIS, IN COM
mand of corps of the British forces 10 oc-
cupy position in Virginia and ior'liy 1t
well. In obedience to these orders, LORD
CORVALLIS selected Yorktown as the best
strategic point, and at once surrounded 1t
with redoubts and all the accustomed lorti-
fications necessary for the successful dc
Tense of the place. In September, on the
ostb Washington, with the American army
under his immediate command, invested
the place and began its scige. On the 18th
of October, he, with Lafayette, second IN
command, succeeded in forcing CORVALLIS
To copitulatc and on the 10Th, next We'd
nesday, the centennial ceremonies in honor
ofthis great victory, which secured the in
dependence of the original thirteen states
of this union, will begin at Yorktown. The
ceremonies, which last for some time, Will
be grand and imposing in the extreme
Delegations from France, the one European
power that gave aid and countenance TO
the American colonists, and from Great
Britain, then the enemy..of the Americans,
will be present and number Of the de-
scendants of the prominent foreign officers
who held positions in the American army,
LAFAYETTE, Rochambeau, DeGrasse, Baron
Steubcn and others, will be present to give
oclat to the occasion. Referring back tothc
history of the battle of Yorktown, we find
that CORVALLIS had with him 5000 men in
the town, supported by several frigates and
smaller vessels of the British navy, anchored
in the York river. His Notifications con-
sisted of seven redoubts, and six batteries
on the land side connected by a line OF in
trenchmcnts extending all around the town
and line of batteries along the river. Be
sides these there was a series OF outworks,
with redoubts strengthened with abatis,
and field works mounted with cannon, and
across the river Gloucester point was
strongly fortified. The beseiging force under
Washington, consisted of 10000 men,
of whom 900 were under Lafayette, the re-
naming troops being contincntals and mi
litia. On the approach of Washington
command the British abandoned their out
works, concentrating their forces in the inn
mediate ntrenchmcnts about the town, and
on the 30th, the investment of the place was
complete. On the 9th of October Washing
ton had established his first parallel, and
several heavy batteries being in position,
opened on the beleaguered British with
telling effect, dismounting several of their
guns and destroying frigate and three
large transports. The second parallel was
opened on the 18th, but an annoying emf
lade fire from two acknowledgements their cap
ture necessity, and on the night of the
18th this was accomplished by two de
tachments, one American and onC
French under Lafayette, and thes,
two redoubts were included in tn,
parallel These successes rendered Corn
wallis position well nigh hopeless, Us tn,
French feet in Chesapeake bay cut Off rein
forcements from him and prevented his es
cape by sea in the vessels and transports h,
had in York river. Knowing that his for
tiiications could not withstand the fire that
would be concentrated from the sccont
parallel he attempted to regain what ht
had lost by sortie upon the most ad
vancod batteries of the besieging forces hui
this failing disastrously he then attempted
the desperate effort of crossing his avaiabl,
forces over the river to Gloucester pOin
with the view of pushing northward b!
by rapid marches. A violent storm, how
10 10 h., "a, "a.
frustrated this echemc, and TO prevent use
less slaughter, ho capitulOted. On tn
10th the terms were agreed upon, and tn
British forces to the number of som,
1000 surrendered as prisoners of war t
the American forces. This success of tn
American army virtually ended the revolu
tionary war and secured the independents
of the revolutionists. For this reason tn
siege ofYorktown may be classed Ms one {
the decisive battles of the world 1t gave tn
American union, tho United States, one
the most powerful of all the nations, with i,
grand civilization of this day and time,
christendoh. That Yorktown was not
good strategic point, two sieges, that 17S
and that of 1862, attest, CORVALLIS, wit
his plentiful Notifications, and backed wit
English irigates and smaller vessels of wa
could not hold out against n force b,
double his own longer than nineteen day
and the contedoratcs, with the complete,
Notifications and all of the most scientid
and skillnl planning and constructio
could resist force but little greater tina
their own only about u month. The ao
icleratcs could have kept MoClelland o,
of Yorktown forever, had il not have bee
that II became apparent the place could
ilankod by another army and the fore
shut upon 1t have been cut Off from /
base and from the defense of Richmon
That the ceremonies at this centcnni
might be BETTING the occasion, congre
made an ample appropriation and near
every state in the union will take part
some way. There will be state troops fro
almost oil the states, as well as quite
number of the United States soldiers, al
each day of the celebration will be brilliai
in military display. The conversion
of the Yorktown monument wi
be laid by the grand master
tho Masonic grand lodge
Virginia and every Masonic body In u
various states within easy and reasonab
rcnch of the place will be renrosontoa m,