Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-08-03

tied the spot after the surrender, thu
French feelingly showed them th'
grave of brave sergeant of the Guard
whom they had buried in the parape
where be fell
CORVALLIS now thoroughly appreci
ated his critical position, but determin
ed to make desperate effort to escape
before surrendering. On the night o
the 10Th be began to transfer his troops
to the opposite side, AT Glouceste
Point, with the design of breaking
through the besiegers there with hi
whole force, and by rapid marche
push northward for New York. 1t ii
scarcely possible that he could have
succeeded; and the elements interposeC
to stop him. At midnight a storm
arose, preventing the crossing of al
the troops. and at dawn those who ha(
already crossed returned to their ole
stations at the works. ....
Finally, on the 18th of October-s
date vividly remembered by our sol
diers as the anniversary of Burgoyne's
surrender-the end came. AT ter
O'Clock that morning a drummer in rec
mounted the enemy's parapet on the
left, and began to beat "parley." As
for being heard, he might have drum
med till doomsday but he could readi
ly be seen, and the cannonading stop
ped. An ensign at the American lines
imagined that he never before heard
music so delightful as the sound Of
that drum. No one could have mis-
understood its meaning. In fact, the
drummer in that particular role was
somewhat of a momentous figure, He
seemed to publicly confess the end Of
British domination in America, and
proclaim the success of the ere bel'
Revolution.
With the drummer appeared an Off
Ger waving white handkerchief He
was met and blindfolded by an Ameri.
can officer, and conducted to the rear OF
our lines. The message Cornwallis
had sent by him to Washington was to
the effect that hostilities be suspended
for twenty-four hours. and joint COM
appointed to determine the
terms of surrender. To this Washing Z.
ton replied that he should prefer, be.
fore the meeting of commissioners, to
have his lordship's proposals submitted
to him in writing, and that for the pur-
pose he would grant suspension OF
hostilities for two hours. Cornwallis
complied, and sent in the terms on
which he proposed to capitulate.
Among his demands he included the
condition that his troops
should be sent to England upon pa
role not to serve against either France
or America during the continuance OF
the war unless regularly exchanged.
Again the flag returned, and this time
with an ultimatum from Washington,
who had good reasons for wasting as
little time as possible in negotiations.
There existed all through the siege the
possibility of the British fleets appear
ance off the Capes, and the breaking
up of De Grasses blockade ofthe York,
which might prove fatal to the success
of the siege operations. Every days
delay increased the danger. The situ-
alton might change any hour. and
CORVALLIS be encouraged to hold out
in the hope of immediate relief. Wash
ington's terms included the surrender
of the British army as prisoners of war,
upon the basis of the Charleston capi-
tulation in 1880, to which CORVALLIS
yielded. This result was effected by
the night of the 18th, and on the 18th
met to digest and en-
body the articles. On the part of the
British appeared Lieutenant Colonel
Dundas and Major Ross, and for the
French and Americans the Viscount de
Noailles and Lieutenant Colonel Lau-
rens. They met at the Moore house,
on the bank of the York (now a rlcke-
ty ruln), short distance in the rear of
the American lines, and drew up
fourteen articles, providing for the sur
render of the garrison, and the dispo-
sition of the ordnance, stores, ships,
and loyalists. On the morning OF the
| 9th these were submitted to Cornwall
lis, accompanied by a note from Wash
ing,on intimating his expectation that
the terms would be signed by eleven
o'clock that morning, and that the
troops would march out to surrender
their arms at two in the afternoon.
At eleven O'Clock the articles were
signed "in the trenches" and Cornwall
lis and his army, which had been the
scourge and danger of the South for
fourteen months, were prisoners of war.
A great result, from every point of
view! Although peace was not to
come for many months, the blow
struck here was felt to be effective and
inal. The British Hannibal had found
4 sort of Zama in Yorktown, and the
new commonwealth, freed of his
dangerous presence, could now conf
lently indulge in visions of unlimited
power and empire.
At noon of the 18th we have the
irst act of surrender. Yorktown chang
I'd hands. Two redoubts on the left of
be enemy's works were at that hour
aiken possession of bv detachments
rom the allied army. Colonel Richard
Butler commanded the American ana
The Marquis Laval the French party,
each of one hundred men. At two
o'clock we reached the closing scene.
The army of CORVALLIS marched out
As prisoners of war, grounded their
arms, and then marched back. Ac-
agree in describing the display
and ceremony on the occasion as quite
The British appeared in
new uniforms, distributed among them
\ few days before, and it only required
he flying of their standards to give
heir march the effect of a holiday pa
'ade. But their colors were cased,
and they were prohibited from playing
either French or an American tune.
This was the return of compliment, a
piece of justifable as well as poetic re-
.aliation on the part of the Americans