Montgomery County sentinel., 1881-05-13
THE YORKTOWN CENTENNIAL.

AA a lOlth L " W Az NA1At L LSAf
On the 18th of October, 1881, Cornwallis
surrendered the British army Of Virginia and
the South to Gen. Washington at Yorktown,
on the peninsuar made doubly famous by
the march of McClellan's Union army up
ward toward Richmond in the summer of
1862. And, though it was not until March
1888, that the preiminaries of a peace treaty
were signed between the Colonies and Eng
down the military power of the British in
the American revolution. All through the
spring and summer of 1881 the traitor,
Benedict Arnold, and the implacable Eng
lish General Phillips, had been sorely har-
assing that part of Virginia, and all through
that terrible season the Baron Steuben, an
old Prussian officer educated under the eye
of Frederick the Great in the Silesian cam
paigns, had, by his discipline, his valor, his
enthusiasm in the good cause, upheld the
spirit of the good people and such an army
of militia as he could collect, arm and Or
ganize. Most Of these raw troops were kept
on and about the pennsular All the regu-
lars that could be spared were sent into the
Carolinas to reinforce Gen. Green against
Cornwallis. In the months of May and
June came Lafayette with two thousand
Frenchmen and Destouche with French
fleet. There was a naval fight in the Chesa-
peake between the French and a British
fleet under Arbuthnot, the French being
driven north. Later in the summer Corn
wallis finding Green too much for him in
the Carolinas marched his army north and
ntrenched himself at Yorktown. In the
meantime, through the energy of the Baron
Steuben, the Virginia troops were marched
in numbers and converted from militia into
soldiers, and Laiayette's contingent was also
increased. 1t was at this juncture that Gen
Washington resolved 10 make an attempt to
shut Cornwallis close up in his fortified
camp ard capture him and the entire Brit
ish army south of the Chesapeake. The
attempt was completely successful, and on
the 18th OF October 1881; the best of all
the British armies and Generals in America
capitulated. In these events Lafayette and
Baron Steuben were next to Washington,
most conspicuous on the American side,
though Steuben represented no country
nothing but his own high and soldierly
spirit, while Latayette's name carried with
it all the moral force of an alliance with the
French monarchy We do not know that
the illustrious old Prussian has any kith or
kin left in the world but if he has, the com
mttee having in charge the arrangements
for the celebration to take place at York
town next October should hunt them up
and see that they or their chosen represen-
tatives have free transport to and from it.
The invitation officially presented in the
name Of the American Congress to the
President and people of France has been
very courteously accepted by President
Grevy. 1t is not, however, to be inferred
from his letter of acceptance that he intends
10 be present in person. Doubtless France
will be numerousIy represented, but it should
be borne III mind that the fame of Laiay-
cite, which suffered from the events of the
Revolution of 1790'94, is not now as dear
to the French Republicans Of an advanced
type as it was in 1881 and has ever since
been To the people of the United States, for
whose cause he gave his wealth, his mill
tary services and the best efforts of a high
and noble nature as free as water.