Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-10-14

visit Mount Vernon, which its owner had not
seen for six years.
CORVALLIS did not find Yorktown very
strong position. He threw up earthworks,
which were protected on the right by deep
ravine and on the left by Wormsley Greek. It
was on the morning of September % that the
allied French and American army moved for
ward from Williamsburg 10 the investment Of
Yorktown. II was a march of eleven miles,
and was made without any incident worth
noting. AT night the troops encamped with
In mile and half of the enemy's position,
and the following morning they advanced still
nearer, and had several skirmishes. Corn
wallis now evacuated his outworks, Inuch 10
the surprise Of the allies, but, as he claimed,
in consequence of information received from
Sir Henry Clinton that reinforcements would
be sent on October 5-information which de-
termined him to save all his strength until
they arrived.
The allied army now began a regular siege.
The French took possession on the left from
the river and the Americans on the right,
thus forming a semi-circle. The American
wing consisted OF three divisions of two
brigades each Of Continentals-about 5000
men atogether-and of 4, 600 Virginia militia.
The division commanders were Lincoln, la
fayette and Steuben. Lafayette's division
held the extreme right of the line. General
Muhlenberg commanded the First Brigade,
General Hazen the second Steuben's briga-
diers were Wayne and Gist, Lincoln's James
Clinton and Dayton. The French contingent
consisted Of seven regiments called by the
names Of Bourbonnais, Deuxponts, Soissonais,
Saitogne, Agenois, Touraine and Gatenois,
divided into three brigades commanded by
Baron Vomenil, Viscount Viomenil and Mar
qus st. Simon. This, with the artillery
comprised the besieging force, numbering all
N11I ahT and
9, 600 American. The French feet lying in
the harbor numbered thirty-seven sail.
Washington established his headquarters
about the middle of the investing line, two
and half miles back from the entertainments.
The first week OF October was taken up en-
tirely with the making of the necessary APP
pliances used in siege works. On the eve
ming Of the 9th of the month the operations
began in earnest, however. Digging was
kept up all night, and by daylight o good
sized trench had been excavated From this
time ON the life OF the besieged was not a
pleasant one. The fire of the besiegers was
so well directed that by the 18th the British
guns we're nearly all silenced. CORVALLIS
had established his headquarters in the fine
mansion of Mr.. Nelson, formerly Secretary Of
Virginia, but he left it on the 10th, and the
story goes that he sought refuge in what is
still called "Cornwallis's cave" Lafayette's
headquarters were on the left of his line and
not far from the road TO Hampton.
The most heroic fighting of the siege was
seen on the night of October H. There were
two outer redoubts held by the British near
the river, and these il was decided to take by
storm. About 400 men were told of from
Lafayette's division TO take one Of these, and
an equal number from the French regiments
of Gatenois and Deuxponts to take the other.
II was bravely done on both sides in less than
half an hour and now the British position
was practically untenable sortie was made
for the purpose Of destroying some unfnish-
ed batteries, but it failed of its object, and
CORVALLIS realized his extreme danger. He
tried, on the night of the 10th, TO gain the op-
posite side Of the river, but storm which
came on at midnight frustrated his design.
At last, at ten o'clock on the morning of
the 18th, a relocated drummer sounded a
| parley, and an officer who accompanied him
waved a white handkerchief. The officer was
met and bindfolded and conducted to the
rear OF the American lines. His message
| from CORVALLIS was that hostilities be sus-
pended for twenty -four hours, and commits
sioners appointed to arrange the terms Of
surrender. Washington's reply was that he
would rather have the British Commanders
| proposals in writing first and to secure them
agreed to cease firing for two hours. Before
the two hours had expired CORVALLIS had Of
fered to capitulate on condition that his troops
be sent back to England under parole not to
| serve again during the war against either
| France or America, unless they were regular
| ly exchanged. This was rejected at once and
the messenger sent back with Washington's
ultimatum that the British army be surren-
| dered as prisoners of war on the same terms
as the Americans surrendered at Charleston
in the previous year. CORVALLIS acceded to
| o,,l Nbo la,, H. h. .ss
| sioners met to formally ratify the terms. This
meeting was held in the Moore House, on the
bank of the York River, a short distance be-
hind the American lines. The articles of sur
render we're fourteen in number, and were
submitted to CORVALLIS at daylight on the
| 10th, accompanied by a note from Washing
ton, intimating that he expected them TO
| be signed before eleven o'clock, and that
the troops would march out and lay down
their arms at two in the afternoon.
Washington's request was complied with.
At two O'Clock sharp the army Of CORVALLIS
marched out. The march was along the
Hampton road, on the right of which they
found the Americans drawn up in their buf
| and blue uniforms rather the worse for wear,
and on the left were the French in the clean
| white affected by the armies Of the Bourbon
kings. The British had donned their best
scarlet, and their bands played an old march
called ''The World Turned Upside Down"
The next step was the grounding Of arms
| by the surrendered troops. They marched
the entire length of the Franco-American
lines-about a mile-to field on the right,
where asqusdron of French huzzars had form
ed circle into which each regiment marched
and deposited their guns and accoutrements.
In silence they marched back to their own
tents, and American independence had been
achieved.