ET. 49.]

WASHINGTON AND DE GRASSE.

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fleets were in sight of each other, neither party seeming desirous to renew the combat. De Grasse then sailed into the Chesapeake, where he found De Barras with his squadron. Graves looked in, and seeing the increased strength of his enemy, bore away and returned to New York, for he feared the equinoctial gales, that might be daily expected, more than the guns of the enemy. The French lost two hundred and twenty men in this action, and the English three hundred and thirty. De Barras, at the request of Lafayette, now despatched transports up the Chesapeake to bring down the allied troops from Annapolis and the Head of Elk.

On the evening of the fourteenth, Washington and Rochambeau, with their respective suites, arrived at the quarters of Lafayette, at Williamsburg; and on the seventeenth, the commander-in-chief, accompanied by Rochambeau, Chastellux, Generals Knox and Du Portail, sailed in the Queen Charlotte for the Ville de Paris, the magnificent flag-ship of De Grasse, then lying in Lynn Haven bay. They were received on board at noon the next day, when the admiral, a tall, fine looking man, heartily embraced Washington, with the exclamation in broken English, "My dear little general!" This adjective applied to the stalwart form of Washington, was quite ludicrous, and while the polite Frenchmen concealed their feelings, the fat sides of jolly Knox, it is said, shook with his laughter. Satisfactory arrangements were made for an immediate attack upon Cornwallis, on the arrival of the allied army, and Washington and his companions returned to Williamsburg.

The last division of the allies reached Williamsburg on the twentyfifth, and immediate preparations were made for a siege. Cornwallis, with his main divison, occupied Yorktown, and across Gloucester Point strong intrenchments had been cast up, and some fieldworks had been erected.

On the twenty-eighth the combined armies, about twelve thousand strong, left Williamsburg for Yorktown by different roads. General de Choisé, with the Duke de Lauzun and his legion, the marines from De Barras's fleet, and a brigade of Virginia militia, under General Weedon, proceeded to invest Gloucester, and the

main allied forces moved upon Yorktown. On their approach the British left their field-works, and these were taken possession of by the American light-infantry and a body of French troops, who served as a covering party for the soldiers when engaged in digging the trenches.

On the thirtieth of September, Yorktown was completely invested by the allies. Cornwallis had received notice from Sir Henry Clinton that Admiral Digby had arrived with twenty-three ships, and that relief would be speedily sent. The earl had vauntingly replied: "I have ventured, these last two days, to look General Washington's whole force in the face in the position on the outside of my works, and have the pleasure to assure your excellency that there is but one wish throughout the army, which is, that the enemy would advance. . . . . . I shall retreat this night within the works, and have no doubt, if relief arrives in any reasonable time, York and Gloucester will be both in possession of his majesty's troops." It was on that night that he abandoned his outworks, and drew his troops within the town.

The allies occupied a semi-circular line, at a distance of nearly two miles from the British works, each wing resting upon the York river. The French troops occupied the left, the Americans the right, while Count de Grasse, with his fleet, remained in Lynn Haven bay, below, to beat off any naval force that might come to the aid of Cornwallis. The French artillery, and the quarters of Washington and Rochambeau, occupied the centre. On the right, across a marsh, were the American artillery, under General Knox, assisted by Colonel Lamb and other skilful officers. The Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania troops were under the Baron Steuben; the New York, Rhode Island, and New Jersey troops, with sappers and miners, were under General James Clinton. The light-infantry were commanded by Lafayette, and the Virginia militia by Governor Nelson.

From the first to the sixth of October the besieging armies were employed in bringing up heavy ordnance and making other preparations. On the evening of the sixth, under cover of a very dark

ET. 49.]

SIEGE OF YORKTOWN.

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night, the first parallel was commenced, within six hundred yards. of Cornwallis's works, under the direction of General Lincoln. On the afternoon of the ninth several batteries and redoubts were completed, and a general discharge of eighteen and twenty-four pounders was commenced upon the British works by the Americans. Doctor Thacher, who was present, says, that "General Washington put the match to the first gun." This cannonade was kept up all night, and early the next morning the French opened three batteries upon the enemy. From that time, during a period of eight hours, there was an incessant roar of great guns; and hundreds of bomb-shells and round-shot were hurled upon the British works. The assault was so tremendous, that very soon the cannon of the besieged were almost silenced.

At night red-hot balls were sent by the French on destructive errands to some British vessels in the river. One of the two larger vessels, and three large transports were burned. All night long the allies kept up their cannonade; and the next morning another British vessel was set on fire by a glowing ball, and was consumed.

From the ninth until the sixteenth, the siege went on, and Lafayette, Hamilton, Laurens, Ogden, Gibbs, Stevens, Carrington, and other American officers, distinguished themselves by their bravery, Every day Cornwallis became weaker and weaker. His works were hourly crumbling under the terrible storm that was beating upon them, and he determined to make a desperate effort to escape. His plan was to cross the York river in boats, cut up or disperse the troops of De Choisé at Gloucester, and by rapid marches, without sick or baggage, cross the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, and forcing his way through Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, form a junction with the army in New York.

Preparations for the flight were secretly made, and the embarcation of the troops had commenced. The first body of soldiers had scarcely reached Gloucester, when a storm of wind and rain, as fierce as a summer tornado, made the passage of the river too hazardous to be again attempted. All night that storm raged upon the York, and Cornwallis was compelled to abandon his design.