Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-15

it was too late. The English feet, however,
met the French ships September 9Th. and an
indecisive fight followed, but the English
Admiral found some of his ships badly dam
aged, and withdrew to New York, Leaving
De Grasse master of the Chesapeake. Most
of Wahington's force was met at Annapolis
by ships of De Grasses fleet on the 18th OF
September, and on the Goth, all Of Washing
toms, Rochambeau and Lafayette's forces
were united at williamsburg. 1t was
HAPPY EVENT.
And the patriots and their allies were greatly
rejoiced and made their feelings joyfully
manifest. 1t was the greatest surprise Of all
the revolution. CORVALLIS in Yorktown, shut
off on the sea side by De Grasse, his passage
barred on the land side by the allies,
Clinton at Nsw York, 400 miles away,
and left in the lurch by Washington's
splendid march. The recital of the story
might well be ended here. The result all The
world knows. o. the 2Sth of September the
expectant troops moved forward to the tn
ulnph ready to their hand. Washington or
dered his troops, If the enemy came out to
meet them, to rely principally upon the bay
onet, I" that they may prove the vanity of the
boast which the British make of their peou-
liar proves in deciding battles with that
weapon" But CORVALLIS did not offer to
meet his enemy. He had surrounded his po-
sitien with earthworls. OF the ten redouhts
in the line two covered the right facing the
Williamsburg river road, three stood back of
the town, three on the left looking down the
river, and two to the left. disconnected and
in advance. A projecting redou5t COM
manded the road to Hampton. In the four
teen batteries on the line were 60 guns, none
larger than 1S-pounder CORVALLIS also had
line of outer works consisting of three
rsdoubts in the gorge or throat Of land be-
tween Yorktown ravine and Wormley creek.
Trees were felled, :" heches" thrown up, and
batteries planted. Intrenchments at Moore's
mill, at the head of Wormley creek, and the
" Fusileers' Redoubt," on the bank of the
York, completed the outer defenses. Oppo-
site the last named redoub5 the frigate Quad
aloupe lay. for her guns 10 protect that flank.
Opposite Yorktown, across the river, then a
mile wide, was Gloucester Point, also fortified
by intrenchments and batteries.
THE BRITISH TROOPS
Formed the elite of the Kings army in
America and yielded the palm to none. The
allied forces consisted of Continentals, mi
litia and French auxiliaries. The two former
constituted the right, the latter the left wing.
On the 29bh of September skirmishing De-
gan; on the 305h the enemy abandoned
their outer works and the allies occupied
them. On that day Colonel Scam
NELL, one of the heroes of Saratoga,
fell. The first week in October was
occupied in making gabioEs, fascines,
aud stakes, surveying for nearer approaches,
and the bringing up OF guns. Over l,200
men alone were engaged In gathering wicker
material in the woods. Absolute system was
adopted and enforced. and every regulation
mt md Ia ola Tf, EaY no
discipline was made rigid, the care of the
health Of the men being regarded as prime
object. and orders were made that ever de-
serter found in the British lines, should York
fall, should be instantly hanged; and desertion
ceased. The troops Wed with each other in
performance of duty and love of danger.
Washington did not attempt to reduce Glou-
cester Point, but guarded all approaches aud
cut off all opportunities for escape. October
9th, in front of Yorktown, everything was
ready for opening the regular approaches.
To seige operations
THE coNTINENTALs
Were almost strangers, and to them the &C.
casion was exciting from its novelty. The
final advance upon Yorktown was made by
parallels, and the nature Of the ground con-
tracted the front Of the allies and lessened
their labcis. Ga the evening of the 9Th the
work began of running the parallels. The
enemy neither saw nor heard what was going
on until daylight, when they saw the en-
bankment rising in their front. Fire was
opened, and the allies lost twenty men
killed (French) For ten days now, until the
closing scene, the siege was conducted with
the greatest system and activity. The first
Continental troops to occupy the trenches on
the morning of the 7Uh were LafsYette's light
infantry regiments They went in with col
ors flying and drums beating The enemy
responded with heavy shot. On the 9th the
batteries were mounted. Washington fred
the first shot. When the investment began
AN OLD SCOTCH LIEUTENANT
In the British lines exclaimed " Come on,
Master Washington. I'm unco' glad to see
you. I've been offered money for my com
mission, but could ma think of gangin' home
without sight o ye." Poor fellow 1t is
believed he was the first man who fell before
that shot by Washington. Major Cochrane.
who came from Clinton with dispatches to
CORVALLIS ON the 10Th, fred a cannon on the
18th at the American troops, and while
watching its effect his head was carried away
by ball that narrowly missed CORVALLIS,
who stood at his side On the 10th the
Grand French Battery" opened. Lafay-
cite asked Governor Nelson at what house he
should fire. "There," replied Nelson cat
that house. It is mine, and now that the
Secretary's is nearly knocked to pieces, it is
the best one in town. There you will be al
most certain to find Lord CORVALLIS and the
British headquarters. Fire upon it, my dear
Marquis, and never spare a particle of nay
SO long SIS it affords comfort or
shelter TO the enemies of my country" The
British sunk vessels at the anchorage The
Chsron was fred by French shot on the
LII. i n
the 115h tifty-two pieces played on the town,
and the British haa lost 100 men.
THE FIRST GRAND ASSAULT
Was made on the 14th. It was in redoubs
No T. and it yielded, the Hessians throwing
down their guns, and the French shouting
"Vive lie Roi." Deauxponts led the assault,
Military Order of st. Louis for his gal
lantry. The same hour the Americans car.
ried another redoubt, No. 10, Alexander
Hamilton leading. Washington grew enthu-
siastic over these successes. On the 18Th
CORVALLIS made desperate effort to trans
fer his troops to Gloucester Point, but a
storm interposed and checked him. Further
resistance was useless. On the 18th a drum
mer appeared on the English parapets and
beat parley, and an officer raised white
flag. The officer. as firing ceased, came out
was Dllndfolded and conducted to General
Washington, and stated the desire of Lord
CORVALLIS to surrender. Washington sent
him back to have terms proposed. They were
sent, but Washington declared them unaccept-
able. He had no tims to lose. Any moment
the British feet might return and draw off De
Grasses ships, and then the whole situation
would change. So Washington demanded
the surrender Of the British army as prisoners
of war ON the basis of the Charleston capitu-
lation of 1870. CORVALLIS yielded on the
night of the 18th. On the 18th the Commits
sioners met TO settle the articles of capitula-
ton, Colonel Dundas and Major Ross for the
British, and De Noailles and Lieutenant
Colonel Laurens for the allies They met
at the Moore House, on the banks Of the
York. In that very house the French
visitors at OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the
officers under Rochambeau and Of the La
fayette family, will be quartered. About II
a. NJ, October 10, 1871,
THE ARTICLES WERE SIGNED
" In the trenches" and CORVALLIS and his
army, which had been the scourge of the
South for fourteen months, were prisoners Of
war. At noon Yorktown changed hands.
n'olocl form NO lie ar n nia arrov IA rchsd