Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-10-24
YORKTOWN.

One hundred years ago to-day occur
red an event which decided the fate of
the efforts of Great Britain to subdue
the rebellion of the North American col
onies. From the day when the 'embat-
tied farmers" stood in ranks at Lexing-
ton and "fred the shot that was heard
around the world up to the year 1871
the patriots had experienced great vicis-
STUDIES of fortune. If it could be said
that Great Britain had made no substan-
tial progress toward subduing her rebel
lious colonists and possessing the land,
it was equally true that the patriots
were as far as ever from achieving the
object to which they had pledged "their
fortunes, their lives and their sacred
honor" Bunker Hill had bequeathed
to their cause its legacy of hope and
confidence. Long Islsnd and the dispir-
iting retreat to the Delaware had been
followed by the brilliant achievements
at Trenton and Princeton. Defeat at
the BrandyWine and Germantown was
lighted up by the glory of the success at
Saltwater and Saratoga. The long,
dreary winter of deprivation and hard
ship succeeded. Hope revived among
the patriots with the news of the French
alliance and that armies, fleets and treas
ure were being dispatched from over the
sea to their relief. The high anticipa-
ton of a speedy and favorable end to
the war through the agency of the mill
tary power of France was destined to a
bitter disappointment. From l778 to
1871 the history of the times is illumin-
ed by the brilliant achievements of guer-
lila chiefs, by the fortitude of the patri-
OTIS under sufferings and discourage
ments, by the wisdom and steadfast
purpose of Washington, exercised and
maintained under circumstances that
would have wrecked cause less just
and would have crushed a leader less
patient, less judicious, less heroic. The
bright hopes inspired by the French al
lance had been long deferred, and three
years of unavailing warfare with its raw
ages, suffering, discomfort and treason
had made the brave heart of the grea
commander-in-chief exceedingly sick.
A great and favorable change in tn
fortunes of the patriots came in the fal
of 1871, change due, perhaps, more t
a providential shaping of events than t
the wisdom of the leaders of the revolu
S ton. The transfer of active militar
a operations from the Hudson to the Yor
re river was quite from the original pull
l. pose of Washington, but the skill an
1t celebrity with which he changed hi
8, plans, and adapted them to the unez
If pected opportunity presented for stril
le ing decisive blow in the possible car
n ture of Corvallis dreaded army, wa
t. one of the most brilliant achievement
r. in the history of the war. From tt
a. time when, in August, Washington's a
1t tention was turned aside from his col
Id templated attack on New York, tn;
D, plan becoming henceforth a felnt an
t. Yorktown the actual objective point
r his operations, no event worthy of no
a transpired to impede the harmoniol
IL and rapid execution of the commando
is in-chief's designs. Clinton, in Ne
We York, was hopelessly bafied by Il
lie keenness of the American generals stra
er egy; De Grasse arrived promptly in tt
~ York with strong French feet ar
n maintained against the British nav
force an iron grip on the mouth of th