Capitulation of Yorktown

Capitulation of Yorktown (1781)

Lauzun is charged to carry to France the news of the capitulation

At once that the capitulation was signed after the Bataille of Yorktown, Mr. of Rochambeau made come near him Mr. from Lauzun and says to him that it intended it to carry this great news in France. Lauzun was defended some and advised to him to preferably send Mr. of Charlus, which would find the occasion there to return in the good graces of the duke of Castries, his/her father. But Mr. de Rochambeau retorted to him that, since it had ordered the first business, it was with him to carry the first the news of success, and that the count Guillaume de Deux-Ponts having taken second action would leave on another frigate to carry the details.

Lauzun embarked the 24, on the frigate Supervising it , and arrived to Brest after twenty-two days of crossing. At the same time, the general Washington dispatched his aide-de-camp, Tightman, with the Congress.

Fill with enthusiasm that the catch of Yorktown spreads in Philadelphia

The news of the catch of York, which was spread at once in Philadelphia, there caused an inexpressible joy.

The Congress gathers. Decisions taken as marks of recognition towards Washington, Rochambeau and of Fatty

The Congress gathered the 29 and took a resolution to make set up a marble column in York, decorated emblems recalling alliance between the the United States and the France with a brief account of the rendering of the army and Lord Cornwallis to the generals Washington, Rochambeau and Of Fatty. It also decided that it would offer two flags to the Washington general and four English parts of gun to the count de Rochambeau and the count de Grasse, with an inscription which marked the recognition of the to them Congrès of the United States for the glorious share that they had taken with this brilliant forwarding.

G. Double-decker leaves for France to carry details on the capitulation

The 26, the count Guillaume de Deux-Ponts, in charge of the details of the seat and the capitulation which had given him in writing Mr. de Rochambeau as well as report/ratio which it had been to seek near the Grasse count on board the Town of Paris , took on board on Andromaque , captain Mr. of Ravenel, with Misters of Damas, Laval and Charlus, which had obtained the authorization to return to France. The winds were contrary until the 27 after midday. Around two hours one installed. Andromaque had passed the benches of Middle-Ground, it was with the height of the Cape Henry, when signals made by the Concorde , in repetition of those of Hermione which crossed between the courses Charles and Henry, announced the presence of an English fleet. It was strong twenty-seven vessels and had on board the prince William-Henry, with a body of troops of six thousand men, come from New York, with the orders of the general Clinton.

Andromaque was obliged to return in the James River and until November 1st to wait, under the protection of the French squadron, until the English fleet had completely disappeared. It could finally leave this same day, around eleven hours, under the protection of Hermione , which escorted it until the night. The November 20th, Andromaque approached with Brest without to have run any serious danger, and, the 24, the count of Deux-Ponts discharged at the court commission with which it was charged.

The death of Maurepas prevents the realization of it

The king accommodated with greatest satisfaction Misters de Lauzun and of Double-decker, and made them the fair promisess for the army expeditionary and themselves; but its Prime Minister Mr. de Maurepas died on these entrefaites, and Misters of Castries and Ségur benefitted from it not to hold the royal promises with regard to Lauzun and not to grant graces neither to itself, nor with the officers of its body who had brilliantly acted. Mr. de Castries removed even with this colonel the four hundred men of his legion who had remained in Brest to send them to the Senegal to hold garrison until the end of the war in a country famous for his insalubrity.

Fall in London of the North ministry

While the news of the capitulation of York was with Versailles the occasion of new festivals, with London it determined the fall of the ministry North. It was felt, as in all Europe, that this failure had decided fate of the quarrel between England and the United States, and it was not any more question since to recognize the independence of the latter under advantageous conditions for Great Britain.

The capitulation of Yorktown decides American independence

The general Washington and Fayette would have liked to benefit from the superiority of the forces of the Count de Grasse to attack Charleston and what remained of English in the States of the South. Fayette was to take its light infantry, the French pomegranates and hunters, as well as the body of Saint-Simon, and to go to unload side of Charleston, to cooperate with the general Green, who held in the Caroline.

But the Grasse count refused obstinately with any new operation on the coasts of septentrional America. He wanted to turn over, as its instructions recommended remainder to him, with the defense of the the Antilles.

Clinton is satisfied to put a weak garrison at Charleston

When the Clinton general had learned the catch from York, it was withdrawn with the fleet, was satisfied to throw three regiments in Charleston and returned to New York.

It returns to New York

But its presence gave place to suspect with Mr. de Rochambeau whom the English could try to unload apart from bay, between the course Henry and the large marsh called Dismal-Swamp, to throw itself in Portsmouth, on the Rivière of Elisabeth. This station, where Arnold had initially taken refuge, had been well cut off, and Lord Cornwallis, which had occupied it before preferring Yorktown to him, had extended and improved the fortifications from them.

Dumas is charged to destroy the cuttings off of Portsmouth

The general adjudant Dumas was charged to destroy these works as soon as possible; one put under his orders, to this end, a battalion of American militia. Dumas found these cuttings off in very a good state. It benefitted from a wind of very violent west to set fire to the fascine works, the palisades and the abatis; but it was obliged to employ then more than eight days, with the assistance of all the militiamans and all the workmen whom it could gather, to complete the complete destruction of it.

Departure of the Fatty one for the Antilles

The Grasse count, at once after the capitulation, had made his starting preparations. During the days of the November 1st and 3rd, it made take on board on its vessels the soldiers of Saint-Simon, took provisioning and the 4 it set sail for the Antilles, leaving in the Baie of Chesapeak only one small squadron made up of the Romulus , with the orders of Mr. of the Villebrune, and of three frigates.

Suspension of hostilities

The same day, the buildings promised to the English to transport them to New York or to England were placed at their disposal. Lord Cornwallis embarked for New York. The first successes of this general had made hope with the English who it was going to become the conqueror of the revolted colonies and their punissor. Itself had counted a long time on success.

During all the countryside of 1781, it did not cease writing with its government which it had definitively conquered Carolines Pourtant Cornwallis did not keep its illusions too a long time. Six month before the fall of York, as the title of marquis had been offered to him

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