Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-08-13
T CENTENNIAL.

the broad Chesapeake bay, upon I
peninsula bounded on the south by thu
Potomac, and surrounded BY such OLE
English names as Gloucester, Norfolk
Isle of Wight. Lancaster, Northumber
land. Essex, Kent, Surry, Sussex ant
Hampton, lies the old and dilapidated cit,
OF Yorktown. It's soon to be honored witt
a centennial celebration. because it wa
there that the decisive battle OF the rev
olution was fought. Virginia. the CRANE
old commonwealth that had lent sucl
names to the opening of the revolution
airy era as Henry, Jefferson. Madison
Lee and Wythe, was honored by tn
fortunes of war with the surrender o
the best general OF the enemy to hel
illustrlous son, Geo. Washington. HeI
brains and patriotism largely helped t.
lnaugurate the war and to fight its bat
ties. and it was a sort of poetic recon-
pense tor true hearts on the forum ane
the battle field, that their beloved state
should witness the humiliation and dis
comfture of their proud and naughty
foe.
Lord CORVALLIS was no holiday sol
der. He was a marcher and q f lighter,
and up to the time of his defeat had beer
very successful in inflictlng severe blows
upon the patriot cause in the southern
states. Washington, who was in doubt
whether to attack Clinton at New
York. or CORVALLIS In Virginia, was
finally decided by Information from the
French Admiral. DeGrasse. that he
would not be able to 60 further north
than Chesapeake bay.
Immediately upon the receipt Of this
Intelligence, Washington began what
was probably the only mastery military
maneuver of the war. Other battles
may have been stubbornly and well
fought. Shrewd advantage was often
taken of the enemy's poor knowledge Of
the country, and of rough-and-tumble
backwoods fighting, but here Washing.
ton. seconded by his able lieutenant,
Lafayette, and the French naval COM
mander, evinced the genius of war in a
mastery combination, which seemed to
be favored of Providence 8 o unfailingly
were all the details carried out to a 10.
cessful issue. Leaving q small force to
make a feint on Clinton, Washington
hurried through Philadelphia and Bal
dmore, took transports on the James
and loon was confronting CORVALLIS in
his q f.chosen, strongly fortified posi-
ton. The English army was about
5000 strong. The Americans and
French numbered 10000, 1000 being
French. The officers next to Washing.
ton were. division commanders, Gems.
Lincoln, Lafayette and iSteuben bri.
gade commanders, Gems. Muhlenberg,
Hazen, Wayne, Gist. Clinton. Baron
Viomenil, Viscount Viomenll and the
Marquis st. Simon. Gen. Knox com
manded the artillery.
The seige began regularly on the
night OF October 6. by the digging Of
parallel lines Of intrenchments. 1t was
pushed vigorously. and CALAMITY resist
ed. Two brilliant assaults were made
by the patriot army. n Of French
troops led by Col. William Deuxponts,
and the other OF Americans, led by
Alexander Hamilton. Both we're sue
c%essful, and they gained advantages
which made the English position I'M
tenable. There was one sortie by the
English. It failed.
Washington from his central position
overlooked everything and did not neg
lect a necessary detail.
In the bay. preventing any relief from
that direction, and keeping under sur.
veillance the British force at Gloucester,
on the point opposite Yorktown, was
DeGrasse, with his 81 French men-oi.
war.
The allies pressed closer and closer upon
their enemy until on the 18th of October
Lord CORVALLIS surrendered. When he
lowered his standard British dominion
over the United Colonies met Its death.
blow. 1t Is this battle, and this fact,
that are 10 be commemorated on the
site OF the occurrence on its centennial
anniversary.
Yorktown during the revolution was
a place OF some note. 1t has grown
little since, being overshadowed by
Norfolk and other surrounding cities.
1t has some of the landmarks of the Bat.
tie we speak of still left. despite the
fact that 1t was the scene of another
serge in 1862.
The celebration will begin on the 9th
of October next, and last until the 2Ist,
congress having provided for the erec-
ton oil a monument to commemorate
the event. and funds to detraY the OK
penses. The address of welcome will
be delivered by Gov. Halliday. OF Vir-
ginia, and the reply by Senator Hawley,
of Connecticut. Speeches, orations,
sermons and prayers will be offered.
Social entertainments will be given.
The national ceremonies will commence
on October 10, when Mr.. Peyton Coles,
grandmother of masons in Virginia,
| will lay the corner stone of the monu.
ment. The closing ceremonies will be
a grand military and naval review. The
president was to make an address on
the 10th, but this will hardly be posi-.
BILE. The Messrs. De Lafayette and
DeRochambeau of to-day have prom
ised to grace the occasion with their
presence.
So America proposes to bear testlmo-
ny to her earnest gratitude to the brave
hearts who fought to give her liberty,
that she might, with open and extended
arms, say to the oppressed Of every
land, "Come ; come with your
wife and children. to enjoy the greatest
liberty ofperson and OF conscience that
is consistent with the rights aud liberty
of your neighbor."
The St. LOUIS Republican Says
"The new armory which the munificence
and liberality of the st. Louis merchants
are about to provide for our voluntee,
soldiery will be a credit to the citizens