The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-06-30

go oN'''RtA'tDAiP VI N'Nh
other, but the fact is that he did not
and when the allied armies sailed into
the harbor Of York and camped upon
the adjacent hills CORVALLIS was com.
pletely trapped.
The story Of the siege is familiar to
every school boy, or at least it should
be, SO that | Will give only the bare
outlines of it. The active attack upon
the British was begun October 6 by
Genera Lincoln when he opened a
parallel. Five days later Baron Steu-
bens division opened a second par
allel. This brought the lines of thu
b~esiegers to within about 300 yards
If the stronghold.
While the infantry was engaged in
paralleling the artillery was hard at
work and the bombardment was furi-
Gus. Governor Nelson's residence in
the town was thought to be the head.
quarters of CORVALLIS and the doughty
governor, himself leading in the at
tack by the artillery, not only ordered
his men to fire upon his home but
offered a prize of money for every ball
that struck IT,. Whether the house
was too far or whether the marksmen
were bad its not known, but the house
was little damaged M it stands to-
day, a monument among monuments
TO the bravery and devotion of the
American and French armies.
The most dramatic feature OF the
seige was the attempt to carry two
redoubts. The task of carrying the
redoubts was given to Lafayette and
Baron de Niomenil. The "latter's as
sault proved a disastrous one. for the
British put up a stiff fight and though
they We're beaten the attackers LEFT
fully one-third of their number in the
trench. Lafayette was more success
ful and his troops, led by Alexander
Hamilton, who was the first TO scale
the parapet, swept everything before
them. their losses being comparative
ly light.
The carrying of these two redoubts
was the beginning of the end, for Corn
wallis soon found that he could hold
out no longer unless by needlessly sac.
ri1cing his men, 1t was with a heavy
heart indeed hat CORVALLIS ordered
a white flag TO be displayed on Octo
Der / and sent a note TO Washington
asking for terms of surrender.
The articles Of capitulation were
drawn and CORVALLIS was invited to
meet the American officers In the
Moore hous and sign them. This he
did and on October - the British
army, with colors cased and drums
beating, marched ont of Yorktown be
tween two lines comprised of the
American and French soldiers. Wash.
with his staff was at the head
OF his army and R~ochambeau, with
his staff. at the head of his.
CORVALLIS fell in no humor To
meet the victors so he sent his aide
General O.Hara, with his sword and
with The excuse that he was too i'll
70 attend. Washington, too, stood up.
his dignity and instead Of himself
'ecelNing CORVALLIS sword he de.
allied General Lincoln to that duty.
1t appears that when Sir Henry Gin
on nnally became convinced that
otAio was III AidNe DANGER he de
'tded 10 send help and so on October,
9, the very day that CORVALLIS sur
'endered, he seLt an army of 1000
men to him. Tho troops, on 35 ships
lrrived at Yorktown five DAYS late,
tut finding that it was too late Turned
Jack to New York.
Today the visitor to Yorktown may
ee much of interest. The battlefield
as somewhat disappeared and there
) but little trace of the redoubts h,t
line has dealt gently with the ole
OWN. The anne houses that figured
4 the tragic events OF more than
entury ago still stand, while the Mel
house, with a ball in one of the I
alis, gives testimony t o having beer '
There may be seen a cave hat is /.
aid to have been the refuge of Corn
allis during the bombardment while o.
lie beautiful marble shaft erected by Il
le government gives the historical r
TIA concerning that which one sees d.
the neighborhood.