New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-18
THE SIEGE OF YORKTOWN

TIoN OF WASHINGTON on observation-disclosures
spONDENCE-COBNWALLlS AZ Ao"Ni''-
TIE SIEGE oPERATIONs-THE sCRhfHDIN. -.
poeoro considering the gallant and Ioitu'"'o
onorot,ons bich concluded the American al v
Indepeudcnce a glance at the previous a.,
situatior may be desirable. Up 10 inns P'''o'' 49,;
o,aas,os If fine British arms and the occupation
OF several Of its principal ClNes' IA" uo"o nv,
,,,tI;,g for the subugation of The country Inc
.o"+ r,ooad AGAINST the Northern colonies had
Sonod If ,ts dsinite purposes and nothing remained
- % try fine experiment of carrying on the war AT
+ho south Savannah had been captured IN l''o'
aud Georyia overruu. Charleston was taken III
1880 when Lord CORVALLIS assumed the com-
mand After the battle of Guiiford Court House
CORVALLIS retired to Wilmington, North Carolina
He had done the best which he could ana hchoW "o-
termincd to march upon Virginia. lie was lhuoeu'
in n desperate situation especially as crucls was
bnSy with his military reputation IN the H"use y,
Commons From the report OF Oorh"ai'''
said Fox, there is the most conclusive cNluenoo
d., the war is ut once impracticable IN its object
and ruinous in its progress" Fox ended by moving
the Uouse 10 recommend to Ministers every possible
measure for concluding peace, while the younger
pitt with the old fire of his father, declared the
,ror AGAINST the colonists be wicked. barDarous
cruel and unnatural" Nor was CORVALLIS iortu-
nate enough to secure the hearty cooperation OF
Clinton. who disapproved the Virginia expedition
He thought and aiterward contended that OoIh-
wallis unable to remain in North Carolina instead
of moym. North, should have returned to South
Carolina.
OPERATIONS OF LAFAYETTE.
Clinton had sent Arnold and Phillips early III
,71l into Virqlnia. and to oppose them Washington
had sent Lafayette with 1900 troops mostly
from New England, while at WaShingtons earnest
Yeopcst the whole French feet sailed from Newport
with a bod, of French troops on board. The fol-
1o,vipo letter from Lafayette to Governor
Lee. of Maryland has never before been published
II is from the tine MS collection Of Mr.. Gordon
Ford, of Brooklyn: ~, ,,auorc 10,
SIR: The detachment under my command Is TO
o,,iorl tL,s morning and if the armed vessels have
Joined ms from Baltimore, hope We may proceed
with safety as far IS Annapolis l peg leaIe llost
earnestly 10 entTeat your EXCellency thaJ every
armed vessel in the bay may he Sent Iol our pro
lection Orders lately received from the com
mgudcr-ii-chef render this precautlOn Oh the
From a srarc V of shipping our detachment will
bc much crowded May ! question whether there
viii I've room, for the totality OF the men ! Many
stores are left behind and your ENcellehcy KNOWS
that a corps of pennsylvania troops may no SUN
cXppcted This cvinces the necessity OF sending mere
every vessel that may he collected. lhey ought 10
apply for orders TO Mr.. Yates, Deputy Iiarooi
From The intelligence | have received ! think
that the state of Maryland may save themselves lne
expense OF collecting any militia Tor the opeIl.i o;
shnull be sorry that any opinion ~ mime Drought
,nDnn tLcuI any unnecessary trouble. / think the
number OF men collected about Portsmouth VIII be
sufficient But | most earnestly request that one
months nrnvis.on for the troops and more # pos
sible be sent to us, and that every NcSSe ana nay
craft higher up than POtomacH be sent 10 ts pace,
and that every armed ana sea Nee'ci III 'H"u ll''I
with the hishest respect. have the honor to he
AO'' -''' Most ob't and hole sery't,
The Young Marquis was regarded by Lord Corn
wallis with considerable contempt and he is said to
have exclaimed: The boy cannot escape me-" HIS
Iordsbip proceeded from Petersburg to James River,
with n view Of dislodging Lafayette at Richmond.
He fouud that place evacuated, and then marched
through Hanover County, crossing the South Anna
River The eye of Lafayette was upon him. but
the MARQUIS followed at prudent distance. When
Cornwals was encamped at jamestown, in Viz
cinia. Lafayette sent General Wayne, with the
pennsylvania line. to take their station within a
small distance of the British army, and watch their
nations WAYNE deputed 800 ritlemen TO annoy
the encfny's camp, which they did to such purpose
that q small party of British sent out to dis
LODGE them. Each side continued to reinforce until
the whole Of Wayne's division was engaged They
drove the advance division back to their Ines and
without stopping there attacked the whole British
army drawn I p in order of battle. There was Tor
little time onic a spirited action but It was great
piece of imprudcnce on the part of the Americans
and LAFAYETTE arrived in time to bring of the
Pennsylvania troops before they were surrounded.
IL is said that CORVALLIS was much chagrined at
this spirited attack and at the British loss in Icpuls
ing it. By the 26th Of July, the British commander
had discovered that the conquest Of Virginia was
not such an easy matter He had had indeed rather
a hard time of it. He had marched some loo
miles. with continual fighting, and he had really
accomplished nothing. Lafayette had proved a
true prophet lie had compared the British In
Virginia to the French occupation of Hanover IN
the Seven Years War, and predicted Ike results
PLANS or CORVALLIS.
All the plans of CORVALLIS proved futile. He had
disnatc5cl Tarleton to capture jefferson, who was
then M Charlottesville with the Assembly, but the
brilliant officer had come back without his pris
oner Jefferson had escaped to the mountains on
horseback. CORVALLIS in his treatment Of the
patriotic people was merciloss. IL is comp1tcd that
in his midsummer marchiugs" up and down Viz
ginia, he had destroyed property to the value Of
three millions of POUNDS sterling. But he made
nothing by his crdol operations. The want of CO
operation on the part of Clinton continually an
moved and discouraged him. Letters came from
New. York in June asking him to send back three
thousand men, Clinton did not think that there
was mich chance Of restoring order in Virginia. and
expected 10 be attacked IN New-York by torlnd-
able force He advised CORVALLIS to take some
healthy defensive situation, and suggested Will
iamsburg OF Yorktown. CORVALLIS, who hated
Clinton, nevertheless felt himself obliged to obey
the orders OF lis superior lie began his march for
Portsmouth, Lafayette following him at distance
with fifteen hundred regular troops and many
MARYLAND and Virginia volunteers. The gallant
young FIenchnau never before showed TO such
advantage. 10 begged Washington to march to
Virginia in force. He felt sure that with the CO.
operaton of the French fleet in Hampton Roads the
English army must surrender. 1t is ito wonder that
CORVALLIS was anxious to be out of the whole
business to transfer his command 10 General Leslie
II 4. an l,.ck "a Charlestau All this while tLp