The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria

by Edward Farr; E. H. Nolan

SIEGE OF LORD CORNWALLIS IN YORK-TOWN.

By intercepted letters, written by Washington to congress, Sir Henry Clinton discovered that an attack on New York was intended as soon as Count de Grasse, the French admiral, should arrive with a new fleet. Discovering this, great preparations were made to sustain a siege, and it was when they were completed that Sir Henry Clinton countermanded the troops which he had ordered Cornwallis to send him. Cornwallis was in greater need of them than Sir Henry himself; for, although New York was still threatened, it was against him that Washington now resolved to direct his operations. Count de Grasse had avoided Admiral Rodney in his passage, and he arrived in the Chesapeak on the 30th of August, with a French fleet, consisting of twenty-eight sail of the line, and several frigates, and having on board with him 3200 land troops. De Grasse was here, also, joined by Count de Barras, with a French squadron, consisting of eight ships of the line, which had been stationed at Rhode Island. Having failed to intercept or to meet de Grasse in his passage to America, Admiral Rodney despatched Sir Samuel Hood to New York, with fourteen ships of the line, which, with the fleet at New York, it was conceived would be a match for the French fleet. Admiral Graves commanded the fleet at New York, but when Hood arrived he had only seven ships of the line, and five of these only were ready for sea. Nevertheless, as it was ascertained that de Grasse was either in the Chesapeak or making for it, Graves, taking the command as senior officer, on Hood’s arrival set sail in hopes of first cutting off the French Rhode Island squadron, and then beating the larger fleet. Graves found de Grasse, who had landed his troops to join Lafayette, just within the Capes. The French admiral had not been yet joined by de Barras, and, as soon as he found that the ships advancing were British, he issued orders for them to put out to sea in line of battle, in order to protect the squadron which he expected from Rhode Island. Graves gave the signal for battle, and a warm engagement ensued, which was in favour of the British. At night-fall, however, the two fleets separated without any decisive issue on either side; and they remained within sight of each other five days without renewing the engagement. At the end of that period, on the 10th of September, de Grasse returned to his old anchorage within the Capes, where he now found the Rhode Island squadron. In the meantime Washington had put his forces in motion. Leaving General Heath to defend the Hudson, he led his army down the western side of that river, as though New York was still the point of attack. This was fully expected by Sir Henry Clinton, and it was not till Washington had passed the Delaware that his intention was suspected. When he became aware of his real intentions—when he saw that the efforts of the combined forces of the French and Americans were directed against Lord Cornwallis, at York Town, he sought to recall Washington to the north, by an expedition which he sent, under Arnold, into Connecticut. Arnold took and reduced New London to ashes; but Washington’s attention was nevertheless not diverted by this terrible blow, from his main design. He proceeded southward to the Elk River, which falls into the Chesapeak, where transports from the French fleet were waiting to receive his forces; and, having seen them embarked, he and Rochambeau proceeded by land to join Lafayette at Williamsburg. A council of war was immediately held on board Count de Grasse’s ship, wherein it was resolved that so soon as Washington’s and Rochambeau’s forces arrived, their united efforts should be directed against York Town. Lord Cornwallis, aware of his danger, as the hostile fleets and armies were gathering thick around him, fortified his positions as well as he could, hoping that he might be able to hold out till Sir Henry Clinton could send him assistance. His hopes were the more bright because the fleet at New York was about to be re-inforced by six ships of the line, under Admiral Digby. It was on the 28th of September that the combined army of French and Americans appeared in sight of York Town; and at the same time the French fleet advanced to the mouth of York River, so as to prevent Cornwallis from retreating or receiving succours by sea. On the same evening Lord Cornwallis received intelligence from New York, that Admiral Digby had arrived with three instead of six ships of the line, and that Sir Henry Clinton would embark on the 5th of October, with 5000 men for his relief. After receiving this intelligence, Cornwallis, under cover of the night, withdrew his army from the outer works which he had erected on the open grounds round about York Town, and concentrated them within the works close to it. Those which he abandoned were occupied by detachments from the combined army; and 2000 men took up a position in front of the British at Gloucester Point. A part of the latter were commanded by the Duke de Lauzun; against whom Colonel Dundas sallied out as he approached the lines, and killed a great number of his men. Dundas was reinforced by Colonel Tarleton and his legion, but the British then retired within the lines, and the French and Americans gave up all thought of assault and storm, and converted their operations into a blockade. The first parallel was begun within six hundred yards of the British lines, on the 6th of October, and by the 9th their well-garnished batteries were completed; and an incessant cannonade was commenced against the town, while showers of shells, thrown from many mortars, fell among the besieged. More batteries were opened on the following clay, and the shells and the red-hot balls set fire to a British ship of forty-four guns and three transports, which were all destroyed. On the night of the 11th, the combined army, which amounted to 14,000 men, commenced their second parallel within three hundred yards of the British lines. This occupied their attention three days, during which time they suffered severe loss from an incessant fire kept up upon them from York Town. They particularly suffered from two advanced redoubts; and it became necessary either to storm these or to abandon the approach. Accordingly a body of Americans were employed against one of these redoubts, under Lafayette, and a body of French against the other, under the Baron de Viominil. There were only forty-five men in the redoubt, against which Lafayette led his strong American column; yet before he could carry it, more than forty of the assailants were either killed or wounded. The other redoubt had more defenders, and caused greater mischief to the enemy; but it was carried, and then both of them were included in the second parallel of the besiegers, and the artillery that was taken in them was directed against the town. The situation of Lord Cornwallis was now becoming critical, for his works were sinking and crumbling, and nearly all his guns were silenced. To retard the completion of the second parallel, therefore, Cornwallis directed a sortie, under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Abercrombie, against two of the enemy’s batteries that were guarded by veteran French troops. The assault was made on the 16th of October, and the French were driven from both batteries, with the loss of more than one hundred in killed and wounded; and having spiked the gnus, Abercrombie returned within the lines. The spiked cannons, however, were soon made again fit for use, and the batteries opened upon the town. Lord Cornwallis had reason to expect that before this time Sir Henry Clinton would have arrived with his promised relief. Still, though he was disappointed, he did not despair. He saw, indeed, that he could not defend the town, but he I still hoped to save at least a part of his army by a bold manouvre and a rapid movement. The French blockading force, on the Gloucester side, was now commanded by de Choisi; and Cornwallis conceived the idea of attacking them, by night, and after dispersing this force, to mount his infantry on the horses of the enemy’s cavalry, and then, by a rapid march, to gain the fords of the great rivers, and force his way through Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Jersey to New York. To this end the greater part of the guards and part of the twenty-third regiment were embarked in boats, and transported to Gloucester-point without being discovered; but they were scarcely landed when a violent storm arose, which prevented the return of the boats, and the whole scheme was frustrated. The troops transported to Gloucester-point returned in the morning without great loss, although the passage of the river was now exposed to the fire of the enemy. All hope was now lost, for by this time the British works were so demolished by the incessant fire of the enemy, that not a gun could be fired from them; and when the bombs were counted, they were found not to exceed one hundred. Under these circumstances, Lord Cornwallis proposed a cessation of hostilities for twenty-four hours, to settle terms for capitulation. Washington replied, that it was his wish to save the effusion of blood, and to accept such terms as were admissible; and a negociation commenced, which ended in a treaty, by which, on the 19th of October, York Town and Gloucester-point were given up; the troops and stores being surrendered to Washington, and the ships and seamen to Count de Grasse. As Lincoln had been refused the honour of marching out of Charlestown with flying colours, this honour was refused, by way of retaliation, to Lord Cornwallis; and Lincoln was also appointed to receive the submission of the royal army in the same manner as his own had been conducted. When the British surrendered, they amounted to 5950 men, but of these only 4017 were fit for duty. On the other hand, at the termination of the siege, the French and Americans, owing to the constant arrival of recruits, volunteers, and militiamen, had 18,000 men under arms. On both sides about five hundred were killed and wounded during the siege. During the negociations Lord Cornwallis endeavoured to obtain an indemnity for those of the inhabitants who had joined his ranks; but he was obliged to consent that they should be given up to the unconditional mercy of their countrymen: Washington affirming that the matter of their forgiveness or punishment belonged to the civil power. As, however, his lordship obtained permission for the Bonetta sloop of war to pass unexamined to New York, he embarked as many as he could on board that vessel, in order to screen them from the vengeance of their countrymen. On the whole the terms of capitulation were easier than might have been expected, considering what a scourge Lord Cornwallis had been to the Americans. The whole of the south had smarted from his operations, and it was calculated that in Virginia alone 30,000 slaves were taken from their masters; and property to the value of £3,000,000 sterling was destroyed during this summer. But Washington felt that there was no time for driving a hard bargain, for he expected that the British fleet and the land force from New York would arrive on the scene of action, and he could not tell how soon they might appear. Had Sir Henry Clinton sailed on the day he mentioned, indeed, Lord Cornwallis would have been spared the anguish of a surrender; but, unfortunately, he did not leave Sandy Hook till the very day when the terms were signed, and it was the 24th before he reached the Capes of Virginia. On arriving here, Clinton received some vague accounts of the sad truth, and Admiral Graves did not venture up the Chesapeak to attack the French fleet, but lay off’ the mouth five days, and then he and Clinton agreed to return to New York. Such were the events of the war in America during this campaign. It commenced with bright hopes of success on the side of the British; it closed by those hopes being dashed to the ground. The fall of York Town was but a prelude to the emancipation of North America.

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