Franco-American Countryside in the United States (at the end of 1781)

The allied troops are prepared to take their winter quarters

See also: Capitulation of Yorktown

The troops dispersed to go to take their winter quarters. The November 6th, the militia of Virginia left its camp to go in the South, under the orders of the general Green. The 6, at the same time as Dumas destroyed the fortifications of Portsmouth, the engineers made destroy the parallels traced by the allies in front of York, and restored defenses external of the place by bringing them closer to its continuous enclosure.

The general George Washington, who had made leave in the South the militia Virginia, still detached from his army the general Fayette with the troops of Maryland and Pennsylvania to also go to reinforce the army of the Green general. He embarked itself in York and brought back all the remainder of the American troops to Head-of-Elk, to move from there towards the river Hudson.

The baron de Vioménil returns to France

The Baron de Vioménil obtained to turn over to France, where personal businesses required its presence. His/her brother, the Viscount of Vioménil, replaced it in his command.

From the 15 to the 18, the French entered their winter quarters and took the following positions: The Legion of Lauzun, ordered by Mr. De Choisy, with. The Regiment of Soissonnais in York, with pomegranates and hunters of Saintonge; the Regiment of Saintonge between York and Hampton, with Half-Way-House; an artillery company and a detachment of fifty men with Glocester; the whole ordered by the Viscount of Vioménil.

The general headquarter of Mr. of Rochambeau, where also Mr. of Chastellux was, was with Williamsbourg. The complete regiment of Bourbonnais and that of Double-decker had there also their quarterings.

Three companies of Double-decker were detached with Jamestown under the orders of a captain, and the artillery of seat was placed at West-Point, to Virginia, under the command of an officer of this weapon.

Rochambeau is placed so as to be able to help the provinces most threatened by the enemy

Of this intermediate position between the army of the North and that of the South, of Rochambeau was able to carry help to the provinces which would be threatened by the enemy. But the decisive blow was struck, since it did not remain any more with the English but the town of New York and the places of Savannah and Charleston.

While Fayette ran to forced marches to join the army of Green, this one, fearing that the reinforcement arrived at Charleston and that of four thousand men that one awaited Ireland there did not put the English in a position to take again the offensive, highly solicited of Rochambeau to send a strong detachment of French troops to him. But the French general, estimating that the Green general let himself influence by the false rumors which the enemy made spread, did not change anything with his provisions. He left his infantry in his winter quarters and restricted himself to extend those of the legion of Lauzun, ordered by Mr. de Choisy, to the borders of the North Carolina. He however charged the general adjudant Dumas with pushing well recognitions with beyond and to prepare openings of walk if circumstances which he did not provide would require that he advance part of his army. Dumas remained occupied of these functions during all the winter, returning in Williamsbourg only seldom, to return account to the general of her operations and to look after her friend Charles de Lameth, always very-suffering of her wounds, and which turned over to France at once that it was in a position to support the sea.

Fayette leaves for France

Fayette also left Boston for France, on Alliance , the December 23rd 1781. It arrived in twenty-three days in its fatherland, where it was still devoted to the service of the cause of the Americans, by employing there the favor which he enjoyed with the court and sympathies that its control had acquired to him in the public opinion.

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