Huntsville gazette., 1881-07-30
The Surrender OF Yorktown.

At noon Of the 10Th TOctoberl we
have the first act of surrender. York
town changed hands. Two redoubts on
the left of the enemy's works were at
that hour taken possession of by detach-
ments from the allied army. Colonel
Richard Butler commanded the Amer
lean and the Marquis Laval the French
party, each of one hundred men. At
two O'Clock we reach the closing scene.
The army of Cornwallis marched out as
prisoners of war, grounded their arms,
and then marched back. Accounts agree
inzS'escribing the display and ceremony
on the occasion as quite imposing. The
British appeared in new uniforms, dis
tributed among them q few days before,
and it only required the flying of their
standards to give their march the effect
of holiday parade. But their colors
were cased, and they were prohibited
from playing either a French or an
American tune. This was the return of
compliment, piece of justifiable as
well as poetic retaliation on the part of
the Americans for what the enemy were
pleased to command when General
Lincoln was compelled to surrender at
Charleston the year before. The matter
came up at the meeting of the Commits
sioners. "This is harsh article" said
Ross to Laurens.
(which article?" answered the latter.
"The troops shall march out aCith
colors cased, and drums beating q British
or O. German march,"
Yes, SIR" returned Laurens, with a
touch of sang ,froid, 6 it is harsh arti-
cle.''
"Then," said Ross, ssif that is your
opinion, why is it herep"
Whereupon Laurens, who had been
made prisoner at Charleston with Lin
coins army, proceeded to remind Ross
that the Americans on that occasion had
made brave defense, but were ungal-
lantly refused any honors of surrender,
other than to march out with colors cased
and drums not beating British or a
German march.
"But,'' reioined Ross, "my Lord
Cornwallis did not command at Charles
TOM
There, sir,'' said Laurens, "you
extort another observation. 1t is not
the individual that is here considered; ;
it is the Nation. This remains an article,
or I cease to be a Commissioner.
Nothing more was to be said; the ar
ticle stood, and the4enemy marched out
with colors cased, while the tune they
chose to follow was an old British march
with the quite appropriate title of "The
World Turned Upside Down"
AS the prisoners moved out of their
works along the Hampton road, they
found the French and American armies
drawn up on either side of the way, the
Americans on their right, and extending
for. more than mile toward the field of
surrender. The French troops present.
ed brilliant spectacle in their white
uniforms, with plumed and decorated
officers at their head, and gorgeous
standards of white silk, embroidered
with golden fears-de-ls, floating along
the line. The Americans were less of
an attraction in outward appearance,
but not less eagerly eyed by their late
antagonists. Among the war-worn
Continentals there was variety of dress,
poor at the best, distinguishing the men
of the different lines; but, to compen-
safe for lack of show, there was a sol
dierly bearing about them which COM
manded 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
conquerors, and their very appearance
bespoke the hardships and privation
they and their States had undergone to
win in the struggle. At the head of the
respective lines were the commanding
Generals, nobly mounted w Washington,
Rochambeau, La Fayette, Lincoln, Steu-
ben, Knox, and the rest. Leading the
British came General O'Hara instead of
CORVALLIS. The latter pleaded illness,
but he sent his sword by O'Hara to be
given up to Washington. AS O'Hara
advanced to the Chief, he was referred
to Lincoln, who, upon receiving the
sword as token of the enemy's submis-
sion, Immediately returned it to the
British General, whose troops then
marched between the two lines to field
on the right, where they grounded their
arms.-H. P. Johnston, IN Hagper's Mag.
Musical Ants.