September, 1906 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



x 73 



his start were received by Robert Morris. Preparations for 

 leaving Philadelphia were in progress, but "much anxiety and 

 speculation" were felt because no news was received concern- 

 ing the French fleet, while it was learned that an English 

 fleet was steering southward. 



On September 5th Washington left Philadelphia, but had 

 only gone a few miles beyond Chester when an express was 

 met, with the news that Admiral de Grasse's fleet had arrived 

 in Chesapeake on August 26th — "news strangely delayed, but 

 welcome." "The General returns to Chester, to rejoice with 

 Count de Rochambeau, who was coming down by water. We 

 communicate the joy to Congress." 



At a banquet given in honor of the visiting officers by the 

 French Minister, the Chevalier de Luzerne, on the same 

 evening the glorious tidings of the arrival of de Grasse 

 and his fleet were announced, and it now seemed as 

 if the last link in the complete chain of events had been 

 successfully forged. When the illustrious party arrived 



one familiar with the impressive appearance of our old-time 

 warships will appreciate what a sight must have greeted the 

 beholder as he stood by the shore of the York River. On 

 the heights above floated the Union Jack and the redoubts 

 of Yorktown and Gloucester were dotted here and there by 

 redcoats. In most of the important events of the war there 

 was an entire absence of dramatic effects. At the affair of 

 Trenton and Princeton there was, on the one hand, a well- 

 equipped army, but their opponents were only some of them in 

 uniforms and most all of them in rags. Not so, however, at 

 the siege of Yorktown. Not only were there three separate 

 armies, but the fleet in the harbor added a luster to the 

 pageant. It must have been an interesting sight to see the 

 three flags of what were to be the three leading powers on 

 earth floating on the breeze over their three encampments: 

 the red banner, which had been for so many years the 

 emblem under which so many of the Continentals themselves 

 had fought in former days and which hail been the flag of 



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NARRATIVE 



O F 



l.IEUTENAN T-G E N F. R A L 



SIR HENRY CLINTON, K. B. 



E.£ L ATI VE TO HIS 



CONDUCT 



DCR1KO 



PART OF HIS COMMAND OF THE KING'S TROOPS 



IN 



NORTH AMERICA; 



Particularly to thit which refpeftj the unfortunate Iflue <rf the 

 Campaign in 1781. 



>*I7M Alt 



APPENDIX, 



CON T AIMS'C 



COPIES ind EXTRACTS of iliof. Piru of bis Cotrtfpri. ■ 



tlcnce wrilli 



LORD GEORGE GERMAIN. 



EARL CORNWALLIS, 



REAR ADMIRAL GRAVES, it. 



Which ue referred to therein. 



SIXTH EDITION. 



LOUDON: 



Printed for J. DEBRETT (SucotlTor to Mr. AlMOV) oppo&n 

 Burlington. houfe, Picnd : lly, t*S,. 





Facsimile of a Page of Manuscript from Washington Irving's 

 " Life of Washington," Describing the Surrender of 

 Yorktown 



in Baltimore there was great rejoicing, 

 followed by illuminations and speeches. 



On September 9th Washington, accom- 

 panied only by Colonel Humphrey, left Baltimore early in the 

 morning and reached Mount Vernon that same evening, hav- 

 ing covered a distance of sixty miles, a long day's ride for any 

 one not of powerful mold, especially when we consider the 

 wretched state of the roads in those days. The Count de Ro- 

 chambeau arrived at Mount Vernon the following evening, 

 and on the 1 ith "General Chastellux arrived with his aides — 

 a numerous family now present, all accommodated, an elegant 

 seat and situation, great appearance of opulence and real 

 exhibition of hospitality and princely entertainment." 



The arrival of the French fleet aroused Cornwallis from 

 his dream of fancied security, and he formed several plans 

 of escape, which circumstances compelled him to abandon, 

 and he was obliged to content himself with urgent despatches 

 to Clinton to send him reinforcements. 



When the officers and troops entered the Harbor of York 

 a view presented itself which probably had not been equaled 

 since the breaking out of the Revolution. The fleet of de 

 Grasse comprised some thirty-two ships of the line, and any 



The Surrender of Cornwallis Led to an Acri- 

 monious War of Words Between Sir Henry 

 Clinton and Lord Cornwallis. This is a Fac- 

 simile of the Title-page, "Clinton's Narrative," 

 and is from Washington's Library. " Corn- 

 wall's Reply " is Bound in the Same Volume 

 and also Bears Washington's Autograph 



A Page From the Diary of Colonel Jonathan Trumbull, 

 Aide-de-Camp to Washington and Brother of Colonel 

 John Trumbull, the Artist 



Washington during the Braddock cam- 

 paign : the newly devised flag of the 

 Colonies, with its thirteen stripes and its 

 circle of thirteen stars, and the magnificent banner of Louis 

 XVI, with its field of blue and its royal arms. 



On arriving at the scene of operations the General and 

 staff were entertained at dinner in turn by the Marquis de 

 St. Simon, in command of the troops landed from the French 

 fleet, by the Marquis de Lafayette and by Baron Steuben. 



Plans were made for visiting the French Admiral on the 

 19th. This important event is described as follows: 



"Got alongside the Admiral about 12 o'clock. Go on 

 board. Received with great ceremony and military naval 

 parade, and most cordially welcomed. The Admiral, a re- 

 markable man for size, appearance and plainness of address. 

 Compliments over, business is proposed and soon despatched 

 to great satisfaction, after which dinner is served, and then 

 we view the ship and see her batteries and accommodations — 

 a noble prospect — the world in miniature." 



As the distinguished visitors leave they are "saluted by 

 the Admiral's guns and the manning of all the ships of 

 the fleet, who, from the yard-tops, etc., give us their 



