The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-10-21
The Surrender of Yorktown.

At noon on the 10Th October we have the
| first act of surrender Yorktown changed
hands. Two redoubts on the left of the enc
mys works were at that hour taken posses
| sion of by detachments from the allied army.
| Colonel Richard Butler commanded the
American and the Marquis Laval the French
party, each one of a hundred men. At two
o'clock we reach the closing scene The
army of CORVALLIS marched out as prison
ers of war, grounded their arms, and then
marched back. Accounts agree in describing
! the display and ceremony on the occasion as
quite imposing. The British appeared in
new uniforms, distributed among them a few
days before, and it only required the flying
of their standards to give their march the eff
feet of Il holiday parade. But their colors
were cased, and they were prohibited from
playing French or American tune. This
was the return of a compliment, piece of
justifiable rs well as poetic retaliation on the
part of the Americans for what the enemy
was pleased to command when General Lin
coin was compelled to surrender at Charles
ton the year before. The matter came up at
the meeting of the commissioners. This is
harsh article" said Ross to Laurens.
(Which article ?" asked the latter
"The troops shall march out with coors
encased, and drums beating British or u
German march,
"1es, sir" returned Laurens, with a touch
of sang ti0id, ut is a harsh article"
"Then," said Ross, "if that is your opinion
why is it here?"
Whereupon Laurens who had been made
prisoner at Charleston with Lincoln's army
proceeded to remind Ross that the Ameri-
cans on that occasion had made q brave de-
fence, but were ungallantly refused any hon
ors of surrender, other than to march out
with colors cased and drums not beating II
British or German march.
But" reioined Ross, "Lord CORVALLIS did
not command at Charleston"
"There sir" said Laurens, "you extort an
other observation. 1t is not the individual
that is here considered; it is the nation
This remains an article or cease to be q
commissioner"
Nothing more was to be said the article
stood and the enemy marched out with col
ors cased, while the tune they choose to fol-
low was an old English march with the quite
appropriate title of "The World Turned Up
side Down"
AS the prisoners moved out of their works
along the Hampton roads, they found the
French and American armies drawn up on
either side of the way, the Americans on their
right, and extending far more than a mile to-
ward the field of surrender The French
troops presented brilliant spectacle in their
white uniforms, with plumed and decorated
officers at their head and gorgeous standards
of white silk, embroidered with golden feurs
de-Hs, floating along the line. The Americans
were less of an attraction in outward APP
pearance, but not the less eagerly eyed by
their late antagonists. Among the war-worn
continentals there was a variety ofdress, poor
at the best distinguishing the men ofthe differ
ent lines but, to compensate for lack ofshow
there was Il soldierly bearing about them
which commanded attention. The militia
formed in their rear presented a less martial
sight, so far as clothing and order were
concerned. But all these men were con-
querors, and their appearance bespoke the
hardships and privations they and their States
had undergone to win the struggle. AT the
head of their respective lines were the COM
handing generals, nobly mounted--Wash-
ngton, Rochambeau, Lafayette Lincoln,
Steuben, Knox and the rest. Leading the
British came General O'Hara instead of Corn
wallis. The latter pleaded illness, but he
sent his sword by O'Hara to be given to
Washington. As O'Iara advanced TO the
chief he was referred to Lincoln, who, upon
receiving the sword returned il to the Brit
ish general whose troops then marched be-
tween the two lines to field on the right
where they grounded their arms.