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I Where Wh ere e World or Id Was as F te l L i j t. t yg tei i IrL K fl ii t. a h. h i i 1 I d r lie 1 of Turned d UPside Upsie Down r Af 7 x f R Jj I W r i i ra j p L t t C a 1 gaff P tiP A p. p S I I I j I A Kj- Kj s x P L Rg i w ti 1 i r nr d Y yv I II iS t I t I 1 11 t w 6 n Ir 4 1 r By ELMO SCOTT WATSON io HEN the British army commanded oah by Lord Cornwallis marched out of ot Yorktown Ya Va on October 19 1781 r to surrender to the combined French FrenchI I c and American forces under h beau and Washington the tune to which they the marched was an old English English Eng Eng- lish Ush song The uThe World Turned Upside Upside Up Up- side Down And In that fact there was more significance than any o of o the participants In that historic of 1 scene could possibly have realized at the time and more significance L than most Americans realize now It Is probable that to the average American Ie today y the phrase surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown means the end of ot the tho Revolution ail He lie has a vague recollection o of a picture o of a aman t Is man on foot Cornwallis handing his sword to toa toa al a man on horseback Washington while two lines of ot mounted officers those in one line wearIng wearing wearing wear- wear Ing looking funny-looking hats those hats those were the French look proudly on Then he be thinks that tt meant the war was over the rest of ot the British In America sailed for England Washington and the his soldiers went home and the United States of ot 1 America went Into operation Immediately as a afree afree free tree and Independent nation e It jt was far from rom being as ns simple as ns all that As a matter o of fact Yorktown Important a be mlle ne ne though it was In the Revolution was iG far tar from being the end of ot the Journey There I could be no doubt that the news of Cornwallis' Cornwallis a surrender would be a crushing blow to British ih hopes bopes o of subduing her rebellious colonies but that did not mean that King Geo George e and his bis ministry would not keep on trying tring The British still held heM New York Charleston and Savannah 1 and no sooner was Washington through at Yorke Yorktown Yorktown York- York e town than he had to march his army back to tore re New York to face Sir Henry Clinton and his 1 army once more True there was no more Important Important ime Im Im- im- im e campaigning after October 1781 but it iti i was not until more than a year rear later November e SO gO 1782 that articles of peace between Great h. h Britain and the United States were signed It d was not until December 23 1782 that Washington Washing Washing- ton resigned his commission as commander In chief It was not until September 3 1783 almost two years after Yorktown that the final treaty of f peace was signed It was not until November 2 25 1783 that the Continentals staged their Victory Victory Victory Vic tory March through New v York and it was not until early In 1784 that all o of them were finally disbanded except for an army of 80 men with officers In proportion I So when the sun went down on the surrender field at Yorktown that October day HO years ago It was far from being the final curtain of a mighty drama What then Is the significance of Yorktown ine in e history 1 Briefly It is this It blazed like a beacon beacon beacon bea bea- con light o of hope to a people who were beginning begin h ning to despair for 1780 and 1781 had been t dark years for the patriots and more than once In those years the Revolution seemed near collapse col col- lapse So the news of Yorktown gave them courage courage cour tour age to struggle on and seemed to promise an nn earlier end to a war which had dragged on for forI I h six eix bc years ears It weakened the power o of the Tories In parliament who had supported the king and his ministers in prosecuting the war and strengthened the hands o of Edmund Burke and the tho Whigs who had been denouncing the attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt to subdue the Americans as a shameful misuse o of ro royal nl power Yorktown was not an ane e end d but It was the beginning of an nn end end the the end of autocratic rule by hereditary monarchs And of a n new era of freedom for mankind began there So the importance o of the sesquicentennial celebration cel which Is to be held at Yorktown on October 10 17 18 13 and 10 of or this year not only to America but to all nations Is one which can enn hardly be overestimated Probably more Americans AmerIcans Americans Amer Amer- are aware that such a celebration is to tobe tobe tobe be held because o of a n controversy over whether or not the actual surrender scene should be reproduced as a n part of ot the Yorktown pageant than they are because of ot an understanding of the significance of the event itself But Dut since It was finally decided that such a surrender scene would not wound British sensibilities and therefore ml might ht properly be Included In the sesquicentennial ses ses- program the ultimate result of the dispute has probably been a hood good one In that It has focused the attention of the whole country country country coun coun- try on this celebration more than any other sesquicentennial event yet et held Since so BO much has been made of ot this surrender surrender sur Bur render scene It should be of ot Interest to recall Just what actually took place then and there But Bet first a brief review o of the events leading leading- up to Yorktown After Atter Cornwallis' Cornwallis unsatisfactory campaign in the Carolinas he lie retired to Yorktown Yorktown York York- town where he awaited reinforcements from Sir Henry Clinton Cllnton the British commander In New York But there was a n up mL In the BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish plans and a lack of ot ordination co-ordination which were to prove fatal to the British leader in Vir VIr- ginia Continental forces under Lafayette Wayne and Steuben Invested Yorktown by land and a French fleet under do Grasse and de Bar Bar- r I I ras bottled It up from the sea Then Washington Washing Washing- ton having deceived Clinton as to his real purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose made a rapid march south to Join In the Ule siege The actual Investment o of Yorktown to began on September 28 8 S. S On October 6 G the Americans and French advanced their trenches to within GOO yards o of the British lines and three days later opened fire on the town On October 14 two outlying British redoubts were captured one by bythe bythe bythe the French and one by a party of ot Americans brilliantly led by Capt Alexander Hamilton later destined for tor fame as ns Washington's secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary of ot the treasury By this time Cornwallis realized that he was In a tight place On October October October Octo Octo- ber 16 he be made a n desperate attempt to cut his way through the lines and falling failing In this he knew that the game was up The bombardment of ot the allies aUles had been so fierce that his defenses were crumbling about him and he lie realized that he could not hope to hold out against a determined assault Under all nIl these circumstances I thought It would have ve been wanton and Inhuman to the last degree to sacrifice the lives of ot this small body of ot gallant soldiers who had ever behaved with so much fidelity and courage by exposing them to an assault which from the numbers and precautions precautions precautions of ot the enemy enem could not fall fail to succeed he wrote afterwards So on October 17 Cornwallis beat a parley and proposed a cessation o of hostilities for 24 hours so that terms of ot surrender might be dis dis- cussed To this Washington agreed and appointed appoint appoint- ed Colonel Laurens and Viscount Noailles to meet two British officers at the Moore house bouse to discuss the proposal Through Colonel Dundas and Major Ross floss who met Laurens and Noailles on the Cornwallis tried to make snake the best bargain possible He lie asked that his British and German soldiers both privates and officers be allowed to return to their homes and that no punishment be meted out to the Tories who had taken refuge In his lines Finally he asked to tobe tobe tobe be allowed to march out with all honors of war The latter request Washington Washing was not disposed disposed disposed dis dis- posed to grant When the British captured Charleston they had denied such honors of war warto warto warto to General Lincoln who was compelled to march out not with colors flying but with his flags nags furled So Washington laid down these terms The rhe garrison of ot York will march out outto outto outto to a place to be appointed in front o of the posts at 2 o'clock precisely with shouldered arms colors cased cosed drums beating beating- a British or German German German Ger Ger- man march They are then to ground their arms and return to their encampments where they will remain until they are to the places of ot their destination The works on the Gloucester side will be delivered at 1 o'clock to toa toa toa a detachment of ot French and American troops appointed to possess them The garrison g will march out at 3 oclo o'clock k In the afternoon the cavalry with their swords drawn trumpets sounding and the Infantry In the manner prescrIbed prescribed pre pro proscribed scribed for the garrison of York They are likewise likewise like like- wise to return to their encampments until they can be finally marched off ort The rho surrender took place on October 19 and several e witness eyewitness accounts of ot It have havo been preserved One o of them theta Is by the famous Light Horse Barr Harry Lee father of ot the general who was to participate In another famous surrender some 8 1 years later not many miles from this spot Lee writes The road through which they marched was lined with spectators French and American side the On one Commander in Chief Chiet surrounded by his suit sic and the American staff took his Ws stat station n on the other side opposite him was the Count de Rochambeau beau in like Uke manner attended The head of ot the column approached tho the Comman Com- Com man mander ln In er mistaking the circle turned to that on his left for tor the purpose o of pa paying his respects to the Commander In and r requesting further orders when quickly discovering his error and with much embarrassment embarrassment embarrass embarrass- ment in his countenance he flew across the tho road and und advanced up to Washington on asked pardon for tor his mistake apologized for tor the absence of Lord Cornwallis and begged to know his further further further fur fur- ther pleasure The General feeling his embarrassment embarrassment embar embar- relieved It by referring him to General General General Gen Gen- eral Lincoln for his leis government Returning to the head hend of the column It again moved under the guidance of Lincoln to the field Held selected for forthe forthe forthe the conclusion of the ceremony Every eye oye was turned In search o of the British Commander In 5 rS d dI I s R tai v kt 3 l raRD r T Tr Chief anxious to look at that man heretofore so much the object o of their dread All were disappointed Another account differs sH slightly hUy from rom this According to It Comte du Dumas the French general adjutant-general rode out to meet OHara O'Hara to lead lend the British to their place Where is General Rochambeau asked OHara On our left lett responded Dumas at lOat the head bead of ot the French line OHara O'Hara then started toward Rochambeau but Dumas galloped ahead and placing himself In front of ot the British general pointed to Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington sitting on his horse opposite sald You deceive yourself the commander chief of ot our army is to your right So with Dumas leading the way OHara O'Hara rode up to Washington and offered his sword But Washington checked him saying Never from such a good hand Then he motioned him toward General Lincoln who took the sword held It for tor a n moment and then handed It back to OHara O'Hara Immediately So the picture which i lingers vaguely In most Americans' Americans minds Is far from the actual occurrence Cornwallis was not noton noton noton on the tho surrender field and did not hand his sword to Washington Subordinates of ot both generals generals generals gen gen- were the actors In this historic scene Not only Is Yorktown symbolical of ot an event of ot world wide historic significance but the story of ot It adds further to the greatness that was George Ills was the master stroke o of strategy which deceived Sir Henry Clinton Into believing believing- that an attack on New York was Imminent Then he literally hurled his hits army southward to aid In crushing Cornwallis before Clinton could discover his real purpose and go goto goto I Ito to the aid of ot that hapless commander It was Washington's graciousness and tact which led him to write to de Grasse the admiral of ot the I II I French rench fleet thus I should be anxious to have havethe havethe havethe the honor of ot your our Excellency's participation In Inthe Inthe inthe the treaty which will according to present appearance appearance appearance ap ap- shortly take place I need not add how happy it will mal make e me to welcome your Excellency Excellency Excellency Excel Excel- lency In the name o of America on this shore and embrace you ou upon an occasion so advantageous to the Interests of ot the common c cause use and on which It Is so much Indebted to you Should naval na reasons deprive me of this happiness by requiring your our Excellency's presence on board hoard I entreat that you will be pleased to appoint an oO officer to represent you and take charge of ot the Ule capitulation to be signed by your our Excellency And If It he could be thus unselfish in sharing with an ally the honor of ot a great reut moment he could also make nuke another supremely graceful gesture gesture gesture ture In behalf of ofa a subordinate Yorktown was one of ot the greatest moments In his life coming as It did after years of ot bitter struggle through endless disappointments and quite as many failures failures fail fall ures tires as ns successes How sweet then the taste of victory In his mouth But nut In the tho words of or Rupert Hughes Hug his biographer he wa was unwilling unwilling ing to claim the center of ot the tho stage stag or to strut or even eren take his manifest rights So he waved aside the British sword of or surrender In order that General Lincoln who had surrendered his sword to the British might take it If It there Is further need o of evidence o of the tho simple greatness of the victor at Yorktown ItIs It ItIs Itla Is la to be found in the entry In his diary on tho the day of or the surrender It reads as follows In the Morning e early I 1 had bad them the articles o of surrender copied and sent word to Lord Corn Corn- walks that I expected to have them signed at 11 II o'clock and that the Garrison would March out at nt two o'clock both of ot which were accordingly accord done Here he stood at the peak of ot his military career Here was an event which was to chan change e the cOU course o of ot history And o of it George Washington ton wrote both of ot which were accordingly done I t Q f by western Union |