On the day succeeding the surrender,Oct 20, 1781 Washington, in general orders, expressed his great approbation of the conduct of both armies. Among the generals whom the commander-in-chief particularly named were Count De Rochambeau, Du Portail, and other distinguished French officers; and Generals Lincoln, Knox, La Fayette, and Steuben, of the American army. (v) He also spoke warmly of Governor Nelson, and expressed his gratitude to him for his essential aid. Joy pervaded all hearts, and that there might be none
* Dr. Thatcher, who was present, says that he saw many of the soldiers, with sullen countenances, throw down their guns on the pile with violence, as if determined to render them unfit for further service. By order of General Lincoln, this conduct was checked, and they were made to lay them down in an orderly manner.
** The British prisoners were marched, some to Winchester, in Virginia, and some to Fort Frederick, and Fredericktown, in Maryland. The latter portion were guarded by militia, commanded by General Philip Van Cortlandt, and many serious quarrels between them and their custodians occurred. They were finally removed to Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, and guarded by Continental troops. Cornwallis and other British officers went by sea to New York on parole. Arrangements were finally made for the exchange of most of them.
*** An estimate made soon after the surrender, made the total loss of the British eleven thousand eight hundred. In that estimate was included two thousand sailors, one thousand eight hundred negroes, and one thousand five hundred Tories.
**** Ramsay, Gordon, Marshall, Stedman, Robin, Thacher, Botta, Sparks.
* (v) Brigadiers Du Portail and Knox were each promoted to the rank of major general; and Colonel Govion, and Captain Rochefontain, of the corps of engineers, were each advanced a grade, by brevet.
A Jubilee for Prisoners.—Intelligence of the Surrender at Philadelphia.—Proceedings of Congress.—Rochambeau.
excluded from a participation in the general thanksgiving, the commander-in-chief ordered that all those who were under arrest or confinement should be immediately set at liberty and as the next day was the Sabbath, he closed his orders by directing divine service to be performed in the several brigades on the morrow.
The surrender of Cornwallis with so large a portion of the British army in America secured the Independence of the United States.