The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-20
THE FRENCH AT YORKTOWN.
Account Of the Surrender OF Lord
CORVALLIS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: Dur
ing Mr.. william ID. Guthrie's interesting
address at the luncheon TO the members
OF the Anglo French Commission, which
was published in THE Sun, he made
the following statement:
The incalculable Importance OF the ser.
vice rendered by the French may be es-
timated by the recollection that two
thirds, and the best equipped. Of the allied
troops at Yorktown were French, and that
/: was to Rochambeau that the English
commander deemed II right to surrender
his sword.
This language is a trific obscure but
II Mr.. Guthrie meant to say that the
commander of the British army at York
town surrendered his sword to the
Count de Rochambeau. he is certainly
mistaken. On October 10. 1871. the day
OF the formal surrender at Yorktown,
Lord CORVALLIS. the commander in
chief of the Kings forces. remained In
his quarters, sending out his sword by
Brigadier-Genera Charles O'Hara, tho
commander OF the Brigade Of Guards.
VINO delivered II to General Lincoln at
the behest Of Washington.
There are several account OF what
occurred at the surrender of Yorktown.
perhaps the best of them being that OF
Henry Lee OF Vlrginia, the famous
Light Horse Harry of the Revolution
and father OF the great Confederate
chieftaln Robert r. Lee. In Volume II.
of his Memoirs. at page 800. Lee gives
the following description OF that memo
rable scene:
At 2 O'Clock in the evening the British
army. led by General o'Hara. marched
out o: its lines with colors cased ana
drums beating a British march. The
au,hor u,s nrgssnt at the ceremony, ana
certainly no spectacle could he more I'M
pressive than the one now exhibited
The road through which they marched
was lined with spectators. French anu
American on one side the commander
In chief. surrounded by his suite and the
American stan, took h!s station on the
other side. opposite 10 him. was the Count
do Rochambeau in like manner attended.
Tho captive army approached. moving
slowly In columns with grace and pre-
ci-ion. Universal silence was observed
amid tho vast concourse, and the utmost
dccency prevailed. Exhibiting In derneanor
an awful sense OF tho viclssI;udes OF hu-
man ffe. mingled with consideration for
the unhappy, The head Of the column
approached the commander In chief;
OHara. mistaklng the circle, turned -
that on MS left for the purpose Of paying
his respects to the commander In chief.
and requesting further orders. When
quickly discovering his error. with much
embarrassment In his countenance ne new
| across the road. and advancing up TO
Washington asked pardon for his mistake.
apologized for the absence OF Lord Corn
wallis. and begged TO know his further
pleasure. The General, feeling his emoar'
rassment. relieved # b. referring him
with much polltcness to Genera! Lincoln
for his government Returning 20 the
head Of the column. II again moved under
the guidance OF Lincoln TO the field s--
lected for tho conclusion OF the ceremony.
II IL perfectly true that In telling of
the surrender in his Memoirs the Count
de Rochambeau claims that General
O'Hara offered him his sword. Bu tn"
evidence points to the truth of General
Lees version. In the negotiations that
took place prior to the surrender LORD
CORVALLIS dealt solely with Washing
! ton, addressing all communications TO
him and when the articles of capi'ula-
ton were finally agreed uron Washing
ton signed first on behalf of the allies.
the Count de Rochambeau second. More
over. in the many letters written by the
British commander about that time I"
Sir Henry Clinton and Washington. and
In his military report of the disaster.
there is no him of any intention ON his
part to surrender his sword to the
Count de fnheau nor does he even
mention that officers name, although
he invariably refers 70 Washington In
terms of the utmost respect,
There does not appear any good rra-
son why Lord CORVALLIS should az"
deemed II right TO surrender his sword
to the Count de RochambeIu instead OF
20 Washington. since he says himself
that tn. Americans We're IN superior
numbers to the French. INT euemy's
army" he writes to Sir Henry clinton
on October 90. 1881. consisted of eight
thousand French, about as many Cont
nentals and five thousand militia"
Mr.. Guthri.'s assertion that French
troops composed two-th.rds ~ the allied
armies at Yorktown r. at variance alsp
with such historians AS l.ecky. Trev"l-
yam and George Bancroft.
CHARLES O'SuuLtvAN.
NEW YORK. October ~.