The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-20
CELEBRATE AT YORKTOWN
ANNIVERSARY or coRNwALLIy
 sURRENDER IS OBSERVED.
Descenaants of sfEners of Declaration of Indepenaence Assemble in Quaint vtrHinla Village
 Gun Boats on Riyer.

Yorktown, Va, Oct. ls.-Quaint old Yorktown. for the second time within the period of its national fame. today commemorated with ntting ceremonies that glorious event in American his- tory with which its name is identified. Here was laid 12s years ago to day. the cornerstone of liberty upon which great nation has been built.
 'Cornwallis is taken" These simple words sent broadcast from here this date. three years more than century and a quarter ago. meant that the bur- densome yoke of British rule had been cast on by the long suffering Ameri- destined to become powerful. had been born
 Yorktown today is a village of less than 100 people. It Is as though the stage setting for that final drama of the revolutionary war had been pre- served as the actors had left 1t. relic of antiquity as we'll as a monument to American patriotism.
 The descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and an ohspring of that organization. the Yorktown Historical Society of the United States, recently decided to hold an annual celebration here this Octo- Der IS, and henceforth on this date. and probably 5000 people responded to their first appeal. When the fact that Yorktown Is still without railroad communication Is taken into consider ation. the attendance was remarkable.
 situated high on hill overlooking the beautiful York River. broad. wind ing ribbon of still blue water, this peaceful village is one of ts most pic turesque spots in America. as well az the most historic. Usually, the bosom Of the river Is as barren of boats as A 6A A. nf t<.x& A~ I.x there rode at anchor thereon the Unit ed States torpedo boats Stringham. Du- pont. Shubriclx and Riddle. and the tor pedo boat Summers, attached to the Maryland Naval Reserves. The lone dock at the foot of the hill swarmed with soldiery, five companies of arti1- lery having been sent up from Fortress Monroe to help do honor to the occa- sfon The narrow streets. ankle deep in sand, and grown up with wire grass. presented an incongruous sight Auto mobiles threaded their way carefully through the crowds. almost forcing pee destrians to the walls of crumbling houses when two of them attempted to pass in the same street.
 Upon every road for miles around were to be seen OK cart and automo- bile. all bound in the same direction and all loaded to capacity.
 To most people present the exercises were the least part of the celebration, although there was parade of mount ed horsemen and horsewomen, led by the Fort Monroe band and the soldiers. sailors. then a parade of the school children, and afterwards public speak ing from grandstand erected in front of the historic old Nelson man sion.
 Although the parade did not start un- til after 1 o'clock this feature was disposed of in time to permit the speaking to begin at o'clock. Earlier there had been business meetings of the two societies. Dr. Heury Morris, of Philadelphia, president of the De- scendants of the Signers. himself a di- rect descendant of Robert Norris de- iivered an historical address after in- vocation by Rev. Donald c. Mcleod. | of Washington. D. c.
 Mayor James c. Riddick of Norfolk, l then spoke briefly on the necessity of preserving American traditions and said that 1t was the duty of every Ameri- can to do so. He commented upon the fact that the Stars and. Bars of the l Confederacy had been forever furled,
 but said that what was known as "Mii- itary district No. l." virginia's recon
 struction title. had become the bright
 est star in the "Star Spangled Ban ! ner."
 The school children Of York coun- 1 ty, who, were grouped before the grand stand, then sang America" af-
 ter which Col Oswald Tilghman of Easton, Md a direct descendant of | Lieutenant-C Colonel Teach Tilghman aide de camp to General Washington, who carried the famous message "Cornwallis is taken" to the cohti- mental congress in Philadelphia, made an address. He also read the corre- spondence between General Washing ton and Lord Cornwallis and the terms l of equalization.
 The last address of the day was by Representative J. Hampton Moore of Philadelphia. president of the Allan tic Deep Waterways Association. who departed from his prepared speech to comment upon Colonel Tilghman's statement that 1t had taken his ances- tor four days to reach Philadelphia by horseback with his message. He used this illustration to enforce his contention that the nation needs bet ter highways and deeper waterways.