They were equal to any situation, these Philadelphia ladies! The first duty of woman, according to them, was to make herself agreeable to the powers that be—the heroes of the hour. Said Washington Irving, "The beauties who had crowned the British Knights in the chivalrous time of the Mischianza, were now ready to bestow wreaths and smiles on their Gallic rivals."
Lord Cornwallis.
Fifteen days after the arrival of the allied forces successful assaults were made upon the enemy's redoubts, Washington putting the match to the first gun; and on Oct. 17, Cornwallis, after having made unsuccessful efforts to relieve his position and to escape by water, proposed a cessation of hostilities and the appointment of commissioners to settle terms of surrender. On Oct. 19, in pursuance of articles of capitulation, drawn by Vicomte de Noualles and Colonel Laurens, representing the allies, and Colonel Dundas and Major Ross, representing the British, Lord Cornwallis surrendered; the English marching out to the tune, "The World's Turned Upside Down,"—a fact which was, no doubt, accepted by the brave Cornwallis as the only solution to the turn events had taken.
"The work is done and well done," said Washington as he heard the long shout of the French and the Americans.
To Maurepas, in France, Lafayette wrote:—
"The play is over, Monsieur le Compte, the fifth act has just come to an end."[24]
"It's all over now," said our old friend Lord North,[25] heartily relieved, we may well believe, to be rid of all the bother.