The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-25
MEMORIES OF YORKTOWN
PULL TEXT or THE ADDRESS DE:
LIVERED BY HON. LYON @. TYLER
Bsfsve A Large Asdisnce at Richmond Col
Isss-The Efysct Of the surrender ~
That Particular Place.

The importance OF the surrender of the
army of Lord CORVALLIS at yorktown
IN 1854 forms a chapter IN every
school history. The imperial MAGNITUDE
of the result as manifested to-day In
this Colossal Union Of States is present
20 everybody IL he thinks at all. IL is
calcuiateu 10 invest iCrnto"h Win al
interest that no other place can pretehu
70 clam. Under this aspect ho"eVeI, ~
A this particular event not fofhtoWn
itself that is the interesting feature III
We visit the place. IL may occur TO US
on a view OF the battered ana shattered
old town that IL was only an acciu.he
that determined the conclusion OIL tne
war al this polnt--that In fact the sur
sender might have occurred with great
deal better grace and effect eisewhe1e.
Put is this last view correct DOes
Yorktown Itself contribute no 25i5 oSV
the grandeur OF the event in llhlE NOW
i am one Of those who think II does !
am mere tonight actually to contemo
that there was PERFORMANCES hIhn
between the place and the event ,o S1i"t "a
fry 10 bring together tonight from a
great many QUITO f-the.way places Soule
Facts that I think will prove the cldl,n'
j shall hazard the statement rlsut ~
that there was no place on ne Aiii,aIiis
could have surrendered his forces VIII
greater credit TO the American arms "
IN greater harmony with the a'te"ua ,,a
rCffr1SfanCeS. Hence IL ~ Nu"N
chosen as my subject not y oIkit'U"ni 1 Ut
the Surrender OF Lord Cornwalis, out
yorktown and its Memories
TrSp.rI's POINT AND CHEEsEoAKE.
One feature Of the locality has peen
often noticed At this point the maJeSt.C
York. whose shores from west foitt "
its mouth are hardly ever less man thi oe
miles apart narrows TO breadtn nl
only three-quarters OF mile Inc ehsIeht
Mace 10 command the river with cahioh
and the most convenient place ~ a
ferry are, therefore, mere A olull thIiiy
or forty feet high on the southern sluS
5or several miles overlooks the river anu
furnishes n position for strategic opera,
lions. Near this bluff sweeps, me c. ,h,ist
ri the point of land that stretches out
from the opposite side. This gives the
vicinity a distinct importance by nature
When IN 1903 Captain Chrislopher New
mort visited Powhatan, at WeroWocomoco,
Ne was accompanied by Robert T1ndaii.
who had been gunner to Henry. Prince
OF Wales Doubtless his military sagaclty
took in the character OF the location az ,1aS A.
by him in 160S-the earliest map or the
country now known TO be in existence
the point now called Gloucester Point
bears the name OF "Tendales POINT. rms
name IL retained for more than century
under the liberal differences OF spelinGs
prevailing in those happy days when
there was no Century Dictionary, to con
S~us. Tindalrs Point. Subsequently when
John Smith came up the river the fol-
lowing year ne found the kiskiack Indians
seated little above the site OF Yorktown
in the field on the south side of the river,
stfH called the "1ndian field where may
yet he seen vast quantities OF oyster
shells and some broken pieces OF pipe
and pottery-relics of the Indian settle
name originally to the river which seems
TO have been first called .Kiskiack, then
Pamunky. then Charles river, and final
" York rivera name which II still re-
tains Kiskiack Is Yariously spelt ks
kiack, Chiskiack, Cheskayek, Chess
koiack. Cheskack. Cheesecake.
STRATEGIC POINT.
In the early history of Virginia, the
all-important question which has long
ceased to trouble us, was the Indian
question. The settlements Of the English
were confined 10 the valley of the James,
and along the York was the chief power
of the savage enemy. AT the present
Puritan Bay--a corruption of POwhatan-
about seven miles from West Point. the
Indians, as appears from the maps re-
Gently published by Alexander Brown
had their chief town, Werowocomoco or
PowhataR. kiskiack. therefore, by its
situation at the narrowest point of the
river and its neighOorhoOd to both par
ties was a critical point in the Indian
wars From their hiding places In the
woods on the Gloucester side n large
time, be concentrated at kiskiack pre-
pared for murder and massacre. 80
acutely was this danger felt that Sir
Thomas Dale wrote % TO the Earl of
Salisbury, recommending that a settlement
be made in the neighbOrhood OF hlS-
kiack describing it as fifteen miles from
Point Comfort. But nothing was done
at that time to carry out the suggeS-
Tin. probably on account of the peace
concluded by Dale two years later. Then
the fierce Chickahominies assumed the
name of Englishmen, and .Pocahontas,
''the nOnpareil OF her race" married a
member OF the Virginia Council of State
called John Rolfe, distinguished in add
ton as the first man in Virginia 10 plant
tobacco.
INDIAN MASSACRE.
Kiskiack attracted attention again
after the appalling massacre of
1622, when out of i.0SI inhabitants Sif were
cut of in one day. AS might be expected,
The loss fell heaviest upon the people
at Martins Hundred, settlement on the
James river within six miles OF Kiskiack
on the York. OF the settlers there
seventy-three were slain. and the plan
tation was so alarmed and weakened
that it was temporarily abandoned. In
al brief time. however, the colonists TOOK
courage and Martins Hundred was re-
established. and on May the II, 1926 Sir
Francis Watt, the Governor, proposed go
10 the Council in England that a pals
ade be built, with houses at intervals
-
which would thereby effectualy secure
from Indian assault three hundred th0us-
and acres tD of land an area as large as
Kent county in England. And on the
18th OF January. following the Council at
James City, further alarmed by the
war between England and Spain rem
dering the colony liable to sudden at
tacks from the Spanish shipping, enter
ed this order 30 among others: The court
hath though nit with ye first means for
many considerations TO seat a sufficient
barty at Kiskyack both in regard of We
opportunity, We shall thereby have to
annoy the Indians and as a good retreat
and release when we may have been
overlooked by TOO powerful foreign
enemy"
KfsKIACK SETTLED.
The first act go OF the Assembly which
met at jamestown in October, 1929, pro-
n0ur ced II "a business Of great benefit
and good consequence 10 send and main
tain a company of men TO plant corn
at kiskiack to be seated there by the
l5t1 of November next" and Governor
Watt offered 10 furnish three men. Col
onel Samuel Matthews, two men and 9TH
er leading settlers similar numbers. in
all twenty-seven men for that purpose.
IL does not seem however that any set
Element was effected under either of
these orders. But on October S, 1880, the
Governor and council took final action,
In the quaint language OF the land pat
ents, Tor secureing taking in of a
tract OF land called ye forest bordering
upon ye cheife residence OF we Pa
mlnky King the most dangerous head
Of the Indyan ration" by assigning "sev-
erall proportions of land for such COM
manders and fifty acres per pole for all
other persons who the first K five 4
twenty acres for all such who the sec
ond years should adventure or be ad-
ventured 30 seat and inhabit on the
southern side of Pamunkey river and
then known by the Indian name of CHS
keak, as "A reward and encouragement
for such their undertaking"