Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-08-17
XV.-The Revolution
Yorktown and Victory
BY Albert P.y.on Terhuns

ter state. He had little to fear from
the small patriot forces still left In the
south. Clinton held New York city,
while Just to the north Washington's
troops and their French allies under
ROchambeau were encamped. appar'
emily ready to descend on that city.
The British in New York were re-en-
forced putting a check to the Ameri'
cans plan to attack them. Washing
ton then planned brilliant counter
move Secretly. while still making
Clinton believe him TO be on the point
Of attacking New York. he hurried to
Virginia by forced marches with an
army 1900 strong and appeared be
fore Yorktown on Sept. 70.
Yorktown is on the York river
CORVALLIS was strongly lntrenched
there and was further strengthened by
warships In the harbor. The Ameri'
can and French troops hemmed. him
In by land and the French feet at
tackled by sea A general assault was
made on Oct. 8. several British ships
being set atire by blazing tar balls
hurled into their rigging. CORVALLIS
saw ut last that he could not hold his
own against the terrific onslaught On
the evening of Oct. 10 he tried to slip
away under cover Of darkness. to cross
the York river to Gloucester. force the
French lines there and make his way
,,n,,k D,t vtny,,, Ia chad fhp TORS
so wildly rs to render the crossing
impossible. Cut off, hopeless Of re-
cnforcemeuys or relief. the British gen.
eral on Oct. 10 reluctantly surrendered
his army. his forts. his ships. sailors.
arms. provisions and ammunition to
Washington. 1t was the browning trl
umph Of the war.
The French and American forces
were drawn up on opposite sides OF the
road, stretching away more than u
mile. Washington and Rochambeau
mounted. rode In front Of their re
spe,lnr ranks. Bands played. and
thOusa., Of country folk gathered
about the soldiers to watch the strange
spectacle and &c see the final humtlia.
ton of the man who had burned and
slain wholesale throughout their land
Through the double line Of armed men
the British troops marched cut oi
Yorktown. sullen, keeping no sort OF
martial order and mad with defeat. Al
the order to lay down their arms many
of the captured soldiers hurled theii
muskets to the ground 80 violently as
to break them,
NCr was the rage and dismay con
fined to the surrendering men them
selves. Throughout England 1t aroused
a hurricane of anger against the gov
eminent. I.crd North, the prime min.
lister. on hearing the news groaned:
"All Is lost. It's all over!' Accord
Ing to court chronicler, North stag
gered backward as though he had re-.
ceived bullet In the breast" Clinton
arriving with e-enforcements on the
scene of the surrender two days too
late. was equally chagrlned.
The Yorktown victory marked the
real close OF the war. Minor hostilities
dragged OH for time, but England
saw the hopeessness Of the struggle
and her taxpayers demanded peace.
Negotiations were accordingly begun,
ana on Nov. 80. 1882. preliminary
treaty was signed. On April 10. 1873,
Just eight years to the day after the
battle of Lexington and Concord. form.
al proclamation was made that the
war was ut al end. The last British
troops left in the United States cvacu.
ated New York city Nov. % Of that
year
Manhattan Island itself had suffered
comparatively few Of the war horrors
that had ragged around it, The island