at St. Eustatius and conduct during the long-continued sale of his prize-goods. Pleading ill-health, he escaped to England, and in his stead sent Sir Samuel Hood, with fourteen sail of the line, frigates, and a fire-ship, into the Chesapeake, where a junction with Graves would have given the English the supremacy. But Graves, who was of higher rank than Hood, was out of the way on a cruise before Boston, to gain wealth by picking up prizes. Meantime, de Barras, with eight ships of the line, sailed from Newport, convoying ten transports which carried ordnance for the siege of Yorktown.

There was no want of information at New York, yet the British fleet did not leave Sandy Hook until the day after de Grasse had arrived in the Chesapeake. Early on the fifth of September, Graves discovered the French fleet at anchor in the mouth of that bay. De Grasse, though eighteen hundred of his seamen and ninety officers were on duty in James river, ordered his ships to slip their cables, turn out from the anchorage ground, and form the line of battle. The action began at four o'clock in the afternoon, and continued till about sunset. The British sustained so great a loss that, after remaining five days in sight of the French, they returned to New York. On the first day of their return voyage they evacuated and burned The Terrible, a ship of the line, so much had it been damaged in the engagement. De Grasse, now undisturbed master of the Chesapeake, on his way back to his anchoring ground captured two British ships, each of thirty-two guns, and he found de Barras safely at anchor in the bay.

From

Leaving the allied troops to descend by water from Elk river and Baltimore, Washington, with Rochambeau and Chastellux, riding sixty miles a day, on the evening of the ninth reached his "own seat at Mount Vernon." It was the first time in more than six years that he had seen his home. its natural terrace above the Potomac his illustrious guests commanded a noble river, a wide and most pleasing expanse of country, and forest-clad heights, which were soon to become the capital of the united republic.

Two days were given to domestic life. On the fourteenth the party arrived at Williamsburg, where Lafayette, recalling the moment when in France the poor rebels were held in light

esteem, and when he nevertheless came to share with them all their perils, had the pleasure of welcoming Washington as generalissimo of the combined armies of the two nations.

The first act of Washington was to repair to the Ville de Paris to congratulate de Grasse on his victory. The system of co-operation between the land and naval forces was at the same time concerted.

At this moment Gerry wrote from Massachusetts to Jay: "You will soon have the pleasure of hearing of the capture of Lord Cornwallis and his army." "Nothing can save Cornwallis," said Greene, "but a rapid retreat through North Carolina to Charleston." On the seventeenth, Cornwallis reported to Clinton: "This place is in no state of defence. If you cannot relieve me very soon, you must be prepared to hear the worst." On that same day a council of war, held by Clinton at New York, decided that Cornwallis must be relieved; "at all events before the end of October." The next day RearAdmiral Graves answered: "I am very happy to find that Lord Cornwallis is in no immediate danger."

One peril yet menaced Washington. Count de Grasse, hearing of a reinforcement of the fleet at New York, was bent on keeping the sea, leaving only two vessels at the mouth of the York river. Against this Washington, on the twentyfifth, addressed the plainest and most earnest remonstrance: "I should esteem myself deficient in my duty to the common cause of France and America, if I did not persevere in entreating you to resume the plans that have been so happily arranged." The letter was taken by Lafayette, who joined to it his own explanations and reasonings; and de Grasse, though reluctant, was prevailed upon to remain within the capes. Washington wrote in acknowledgment: "A great mind knows how to make personal sacrifices to secure an important general good."

The troops from the North having been safely landed at Williamsburg, on the twenty-eighth the united armies marched for the investiture of Yorktown, drove everything on the British side before them, and lay on their arms during the night.

The fortifications of Yorktown, which were nothing but earthworks freshly thrown up, consisted on the right of re

doubts and batteries, with a line of stockade in the rear, which supported a high parapet. Over a marshy ravine in front of the right a large redoubt was placed. The morass extended along the centre, which was defended by a stockade and batteries. Two small redoubts were advanced before the left. The ground in front of the left was in some parts level with the works, in others cut by ravines; altogether very convenient for the besiegers. The space within the works was exceedingly narrow, and, except under the cliff, was exposed to enfilade.

The twenty-ninth was given to reconnoitring and forming a plan of attack and approach. The French entreated Washington for orders to storm the exterior posts of the British; in the course of the night before the thirtieth, Cornwallis ordered them all to be abandoned, and thus prematurely conceded to the allied armies ground which commanded his line of works in a very near advance, and gave great advantages for opening the trenches.

At Gloucester the enemy was shut in by dragoons under the Duke de Lauzun, Virginia militia under General Weedon, and eight hundred marines. Once, and once only, Tarleton and his legion, who were stationed on the same side of the river, undertook to act offensively; but the Duke de Lauzun and his dragoons, full of gayety and joy at the sight, ran against them and trampled them down. Tarleton barely

escaped; his horse was taken.

In the night before the sixth of October, everything being in readiness, trenches were opened at six hundred yards' distance from the works of Cornwallis-on the right by the Americans, on the left by the French; and the labor was executed in friendly rivalry, with so much secrecy and dispatch that it was first revealed to the enemy by the light of morning. Within three days the first parallel was completed, the redoubts were finished, and batteries were employed in demolishing the embrasures of the enemy's works and their advanced redoubts. On the night before the eleventh the French battery on the left, using red-hot shot, set on fire the frigate Charon, of forty-four guns, and three large transport ships which were entirely consumed.

On the eleventh, at night, the second parallel was begun within three hundred yards of the lines of the besieged. This was undertaken so much sooner than the British expected, that it could be conducted with the same secrecy as before; and they had no suspicion of the working parties till daylight discovered them to their pickets.

All day on the fourteenth the American batteries were directed against the abattis and salient angles of two advanced redoubts of the British, both of which needed to be included in the second parallel; and breaches were made in them sufficient to justify an assault. That on the right near York river was garrisoned by forty-five men, that on the left by thrice as many. The storming of the former fell to the Americans under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Hamilton; that of the latter to the French, of whom four hundred grenadiers and yagers of the regiments of Gatinois and of Deux Ponts, with a large reserve, were intrusted to Count William de Deux Ponts and to Baron de l'Estrade.

At the concerted signal of six shells consecutively discharged, the corps under Hamilton advanced in two columns without firing a gun-the right composed of his own battalion, led by Major Fish, and of another commanded by LieutenantColonel Gimat; the left, of a detachment under LieutenantColonel Laurens, destined to take the enemy of reverse and intercept their retreat. All the movements were executed with exactness, and the redoubt was at the same moment enveloped and carried in every part. Lieutenant Mansfield conducted the vanguard with coolness and punctuality, and was wounded with a bayonet as he entered the work. Captain Olney led the first platoon of Gimat's battalion over the abattis and palisades, and gained the parapet, receiving two bayonet wounds in the thigh and in the body, but not till he had directed his men to form. Laurens was among the foremost to climb into the redoubt, making prisoner of Major Campbell, its commanding officer. Animated by his example, the battalion of Gimat overcame every obstacle by their order and resolution. The battalion under Major Fish advanced with such celerity as to participate in the assault. Incapable of imitating precedents of barbarity, the Americans spared

every man that ceased to resist; so that the killed and wounded of the enemy did not exceed eight. The conduct of the affair brought conspicuous honor to Hamilton.

Precisely as the signal was given, the French on the left, in like manner, began their march in the deepest silence. At one hundred and twenty paces from the redoubt they were challenged by a German sentry from the parapet; they pressed on at a quick time, exposed to the fire of the enemy. The abattis and palisades, at twenty-five paces from the redoubt, being strong and well preserved, stopped them for some minutes and cost them many lives. So soon as the way was cleared by the brave carpenters, the storming party threw themselves into the ditch, broke through the fraises, and mounted the parapet. Foremost was Charles de Lameth, who had volunteered for this attack, and who was wounded in both knees by two different musket-balls. The order being now given, the French leaped into the redoubt and charged the enemy with the bayonet. At this moment the Count de Deux Ponts raised the cry of "Vive le roi," which was repeated by all of his companions who were able to lift their voices. De Sireuil, a very young captain of yagers who had been wounded twice before, was now wounded for the third time and mortally. Within six minutes the redoubt was mastered and manned; but in that short time nearly one hundred of the assailants were killed or wounded.

On that night "victory twined double garlands around the banners" of France and America. Washington acknowledged the emulous courage, intrepidity, coolness, and firmness of the attacking troops. Louis XVI. distinguished the regiment of Gatinois by naming it "the Royal Auvergne."

By the unwearied labor of the French and Americans, both redoubts were included in the second parallel in the night of their capture. Just before the break of day of the sixteenth the British made a sortie upon a part of the second parallel and spiked four French pieces of artillery and two of the Americans; but, on the quick advance of the guards in the trenches, they retreated precipitately. The spikes were easily extracted; and in six hours the cannon again took part in the fire which enfiladed the British works.