New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-19
THE YORKTOWN MONUMENT
~ TILE CORNERSTONE.


nv M ~ o.,,or-stone of the proposed monument
Xa.l.to,rn VIRGINIA. TO commemorate the
surrender of the army of CORVALLIS, was
r,aood in nosition Yesterday by Masonic So
c;eties. President Arthur, members OF DIS
Cabinet, the Governors OF several o'aVes aIu
thousands of soldiers and civilians wiVnesSeu 'lo
ceremony. An address was Delivered ny WV
ernor Holiday, of Virginia. The french anu
German visitors arrived from "asililsVon' O"'
were not present at the ceremony
FROM WASHINGTON TO YORKTOWN.
vovAcE OF THE FOREIGN VISITORS ON THE GALS
KuI-sEcREIARY BLAINEs OTHER DoL'io
BRILLIANT RECEPTION IN YORK RIVER BY
WAN suPs-THE FRENCH VISITORS OFFENDED
by FAvoRs SHOWN THE GERMANS.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
vopxrowN Oct. lS-On Monday morning
feet of white river steamers gatneieu Ai'
the Hudson. and the Chesapeake lay aV
tho rsroIv lonesome wharves of Washing
tom One had been chartered by the State Depart
ment TO convey the foreign guests to Washing
ton Another was to be the home OF the Co"-
oressional Committee and of twenty Governors an"
their wives during the celebration. lheh % .n,io
were two for the general pubhc' pssiu'S ,i.'i0
hIock revenue cutter, which was doubtless waiting
for the Secretary of the Treasury Arouhu III tho
eastern branch at tie Navy Yard, were ho'rea 'no
DISPATCH, upon whiI President Arthur was 10 on
bark in the afternoon the Tallapoosa reserved tor
the Secretary of the avy and his guests, and 'he
,,tta wor Denartme,,t steamer Speedwell. upon
which Secretary LlDcoln and General Shsiihah anu
their families were to embark
The CITY had been gay for two days WIN tue UNI
forms of companies ndregiments 1rohthe No' 'nc'"
States passing through Oh their way 10 'h0 Jo'i,'
eyentin Virginia, and the hospitality oil the ioc' u,'-
;tarv organizations had been put to severe srah 10
breakfast dine or sup many hungry volunteers
OF the steamers bound for Yorktown, the otalo De.
partment boat a handsome craft called the CHS Vi
Catskill well known tOCaskill Mountain tourists got
off first and to it the most interest attached, for she
carried the French counts, marqulses cOlOnels ANU
CAPTAINS without end and all the genial German
Won Stenbens Besides Secretary Blaine had in
yited few American guests, among them Governor
Plaisted of Maine whom only year ago he was
fighting with the sharpest weapons of political war
fare Mr.. Blaine never carries his pohtcai ahtaeon-
ism into official OF social fe and finding Governor
pla,sted with his newly welded wife and his mill
tarv staff without provision to get to Yorktown
with comfort he took them all on board his boat
About noon of as sultry day az this perverse
season has produced, the Catskil put Oft and after
a call at Mt. Vernon hour later went pioddlng
down the Potomac. Summer haze lay on the
mountains the green shores and the gray water
When the company gathered at lunch it was found
that they numbered nearly hundred persons
Among the Americans were Beverly Tucker and
General Wickham, of VIrginia Collector Thomas,
of MARYLAND; ex-senator Ramsay, Of Minnesota;
Agricultural Commissioner LOring and Cyrus W.
Field, of New-York. The dining-room was radiant
with red white and blue decorations. The French-
men filed one Of the tables, with Assistant Seere-
tary Hit for their host. The Germans had part Of
A.a,aF. mt Gusp
tary Walker Blaine, and at the table adjoining
the two was the Secretary, few of the highest
French officials including Minister Outrey ard a
score of Americans. All the arrangements for the
trip and the five days entertainment OF the party
were made by Walker Blaine, and most efficiently
made too must not forget TO mention that among
the guests Archibald FOrbes, the English warcor-
respondent who spoke with every man in his own
tongue and seemed to belong to the wor at large
rather than to any particular nation. The day and
evening passed rapidly, with music by the marine
band, no end of polyglOt chat, two hours dinner
ending with toasts, and at last an hour of singing
familiar songs in which everybody who could make
the slightest pretence to voice joined without much
regard TO time or tune At daybreak we were under
the grizzly walls of Fortress Monroe; a Rainbow
hanging over Hampton Roads and the sun coming
M out of the Atlantic as from q bolt of fire. Just
inside the Rip Raps lay the French frigate Magi-
cienne with her little cOnsort, the ram Dumont DOr-
yille On the Catskill there was half an hour of
brushing of uniforms and general bustle when be-
hold our plain little pepper-and-sali Frenchmen of
the day before emerged from their staterooms re-
spendent in blue and scarlet and gold, and adorned
with astonishing display of lace feathers, glitter
ing orders, ETC. Soon the boats dropped from the
frigate's davits the coxswains whistles piped, the
white oars beat time upon the waves and in a little
while the brilliant group of officers all trans
ferred TO the war ship and welcomed by a sudden
burst of the Marsellaise from her band. "Now we
shall be in France for awhile" said the stately Old
Marquis de Rochambeau as he left the steamer,
pointing to the big tricolOr flag which hung about
the quarterback of the Magicienne THIS descend
ant of the commander of the French land forces at
the seige of Yorktown is not stranger in America.
He visited the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition
in lS76 and meets wherever he goes friends he
made then. =" / am half an American" he says. |
was nourished in my childhood on the memories of
Washingt0 and the American Revolution"
Up anchors and out through the Roads,
Fortress Monroe saluting as the French ships pass
drizzling rain begins to fall when the diminished
company in the State Department boat gather ut
breakfast and dismal prophecies of a three days
northeaster are exchanged 10y the wcatherwise The
rain soon ceased, however, and three hours run
around INTO York River was made under
skies half covered with hoaling clouds and
upon smooth water, beautifully hecked with broad
bands of light and shade. The French ships led
the way with their flags all flying and close after
came the State Department steamer. The German
officers in their blue uniforms with scarlet cuffs and
collars, and their shining black aud gold helmets
made picturesque group on the forward deck. and
above nexi the pilot house, was stationed the scarlet
coated marine band. Toward noon the low green
shores began to close in and to show silver ribbon