The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-10-20

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strategic point md ft once surrounded u
with rodottids and ~ tlie accustomed loftl-
Rcatons necessary for the successful de.
rnso NJ tho place. IN soptembor on The
2stb. Washington. with the American army
under his immediate command, invested
the place and began It's scigo. On the l0th
of October, hc, with Lafayette, second IN
command. succeeded In forcing CORVALLIS
10 capitulate, and on the 10th next wed
nesday, the centennial ceremonies in honor
of this great victory, which secured the IN
dependence of the original thirteen states
of this union, will begin at Yorktown. Inc
ceremonies, which last for some time, VIII
be grand and imposing in the extreme
Delegations from France, the one European
power that gave aid and countenance 10
the American colonists, and from treat
Britain, then the enemy OF the Americans
will bo present and number OF the ue-
scendants of the prominent foreign officers
who held positions in the American army
LAFAYETTE, Rochambeau, DeGrasse, Baron
Steuben and Others, will be present to give
eclat TO the occasion. Referring back tothe
history of the battle of Yorktown, we find
that CORVALLIS had with him 5000 men in
the town, supported by several frigates and
smaller vessels of the British navy, anchored
in the York river. His Notifications con-
sisted of seven redoubts, and six batteries
on the land side connected by line OF in
trenchments extending all around the town
and line of batteries along the river. be-
sides these there was series OF outworks,
with redoubts strengthened with abatls,
and field works mounted with cannon, and
across the river Gloucester point was
strongly fortified. The beseiging force under
Washington, consisted of 5000 men,
of whom 1000 were under Lafayette, the re-
naming troops being continentals ana mi,
litia. On the approach of Washington
command the British abandoned their out
works, concentrating their forces III the I'M
mediate intrenchments about the town, ana
on the 3Oth, the investment of the place was
COMPLETE. On the 9th Of October Washing
ton had established his first parallel, and
several heavy batteries being IN position,
opened on the belaaguered British with
telling effect, dismounting several OF their
guns and destroying frigate ana three
large transports. The second parallel was
opened on the 18th, but an annoying emil
lade fire from two redoubts. their cap
ture necessity, and on the night OF the
18th this was accomplished by two de-
tacbments, one American and one
French, under Lafayette, and these
two redoubts were included IN the
parallel. These successes rendered Corn
wallis position well nigh hopeless, as the
French fleet in Chesapeake bay cut OFF rein
forcements from him and prevented his es-
cape by sea in the vessels and transports he
had in York river. Knowing that his for
tifcations could not withstand the fire that
would be concentrated from the second
parallel, he attempted to regain what he
had lost by q sortie upon the most adj
yanced batteries of the besieging forces, but
this failing disastrously he then attempted
the desperate effort of crossing his available
forces over the river to Gloucester point
with the view of pushing northward by
by rapid marches. A violent storm, how
ever, drove his vessels down the river, and
frustrated this echeme, and to prevent use
less slaughter, he capitulated. On the
10Th the terms were agreed upon, and the
British forces to the number OF some
1000 surrendered as prisoners OF war to
the American forces. This success of the
American army virtually ended the revolu-
tionary war and secured the independence
of the revolutionists. For this reason the
siege of Yorktown may be classed as one OF
the decisive battles of the world. 1t gave the
American union, the United States, one OF
the most powerful of all the nations, with its
grand civilization Of this day and time, to
christendom. That Yorktown was not a
good strategic point, two sieges, that l7Sl
and that of 1862, attest. CORVALLIS, with
his plentiful Notifications, and backed with
English frigates and smaller vessels of war,
could not hold out against force but
double his own longer than nineteen days,
and the confederates, with the completest
Notifications and all of the most scientific
and skillful planning and construction
could resist force but little greater than
their own only about a month. The son-
e lerates could have kept McClelland out
of Yor ktown forever, had it not have been
that it became apparent the place could be
fianked by another army and the forces
shut upon it have been cut off from its
base and from the defense of Richmond.
That the ceremonies at this centennial
might be BETTING the occasion, congress
made an ample appropriation and nearly
every state in the union will take part in
some way. There will be state troops from
almost all the states, as well as quite a
number of the United States soldiers, and
each day Of the celebration will be brilliant
in military display, The cornerstone
of the yorktown monument will
be laid by the grand master Of
the Masonic grand lodge OF
Virginia and every Masonic body in the
various states within easy and reasonable
reach of the place will be represented and
take part in the Masonic ceremonials.
There is of course poem to be read, and
orations delivered almost ad libitum. This
l. ali oh