Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-07-29

W1tndraWn Sullenly INTO 1OrKtOWn.
Then in early September momen-
tous message flew from lip to lip.
Washington was coming! The wary
commander in chief, pretending plans
against New York, had led Sir Henry
Clinton to recall part of his force from
the Chesapeake and then, turning front,
had marched with speed for Virginia,
where CORVALLIS lay with all his army
in the elbow of the bay, leisurely forti-
flying
Back Of this swift march of 400 miles
lay vital tidings. A new. French fleet
was on its way to the Chesapeake.
Lafayette drew his troops between the
British and a retreat into the Carolinas.
The patriot army was fastening down
upon them from the north Would
Clinton scent danger and send ships to
snatch CORVALLIS from the closing
jaws, or would the French fleet come
in time to block the sea way out?
But Virginia knew nothing of this at
first She only knew that Washington
was coming
One night Anne was awakened to an
unusual sight Out on the jasper col
ored river came n succession of huge
barges and from them, above the plash
of oars and creak Of cordage rose the
hum of a multitude. She leaned far
from the window to listen. How like
phantom shadows the bristling floats
swept past! what can it beT she
cried.
"'Tis the French, come in the fleet OF
De Grasse,' said Mr. Burwell 1T
must now be at anchor in Hampton
Roads. Thank God! Thank Godv'
There was thrill of rejoicing in his
tone, but Annes heart beat painfully
Hope and help were come to her land
to Virginia the beautiful the tragic, the
tender. The first promise of this help
had come to 1t when strong arm called
! TO counsel and counsel to strong arm
and both feared to answer. And he
who bore that message? Denied by her
lips that called to him, dishonored by
her hand that ached for q touch of him,
what thought now had his heart for
4 herr
The dark shapes passed on to the
notch of jamestown island that night
and disgorged an army. Silently they
filed up Archer's Hope creek and drew
with Lafayette's troops, the fatal Gordon
4 about Yorktown.
The fleet that brought them lay in
I the river mouth below, and when the
4 British ships which CorSwnllis had
a been promised hove to thai same day
I with fourteen hundred guns, De
Grasses watchful frigates battered
them away.
I The would be rescuers sailed back
4 and CORVALLIS woke to find himself
4 entrapped.
On the day Washingtons allied ar
mics marched into Williamsburg AnnC
q stood with Colonel Tillotson on the
D steps of the capitol to see them pass
The Continentals were ragged worI
: with painful marches in heat and rain
with stained rags covering old wounds
but with the unQuenchable resolve IL
their faces. Rochambeau's French wcr,
uniformed in white, with rose coloret
facings, eager, debonair, carrying golC
wrought standards that caught the sun
m Anne watched through smarting eyes
to Somewhere, waiting these, among thOs
u other troops lying painting against tn
b. hills nearer Yorktown, was the on
face which meant the whole war-th
whole world-to her.
IL Steadily, under the enemy's fire, bat
teries rose along the parallels. From
is one to another of these rode Knox
rs placing his gunners his round. jOVia
face creased in smiles, in his elemen
of thnQn
days, from sunrise to sunset, hurle
= iron and flame upon the defenses.
, The inner parallels crept toward tn
river bank tightening the line. Her
III their advance was stayed by redout
m on the high bank, thirty feet above tn
river. 1t had resisted all the force G
the gunners.
IF we take that redoubt," said Wasl
ington to KNOX on the afternoon of III
fifth day Of the bombardment, Corr
wallis must surrender"
Colonel Armand, with a handful {
ed his troopers. reconnoitered that afte
g noon on the right came near the rive
by and in advance Of the foremost Amer
ar can battery. From the redoubts fl
an to the left came q scattering whistle {
10 grape and now and then the grindi1
belch of a carronade. The air was fu
of the heavy, pungent smell Of burnt
Se powder and the reeking scent of fires
o'' turned earth.
His gaze had sought the wide riv'
I'm for moment and turned up Il
ost stream with look that was fixed al
in far away.
in "A prisoner, coming from the tow
To- captured under the river bank, sir"
-. The voice recalled him. Bring hi
here"
The man brought before him look
gu with a start, then smiled with a glea
nd of mockery on his rudy lips. A
mand's face was immovable-
"Still the same, colonel" the me-
conner Haunted, with glance at {