The surrender at Yorktown, which ended the American Revolutionary War …
Day before:
General Lord Charles Cornwallis to General George Washington, October 18, 1781
I agree to open a treaty of capitulation upon the basis of the garrisons of York and Gloucester, including seamen, being prisoners of war, without annexing the condition of their being sent to Europe; but I expect to receive a compensation in the articles of capitulation for the surrender of Gloucester in its present state of defence.
I shall, in particular, desire, that the Bonetta sloop of war may be left entirely at my disposal, from the hour that the capitulation is signed, to receive an aid-de-camp to carry my dispatches to Sir Henry Clinton. Such soldiers as I may think proper to send as passengers in her, to be manned with fifty men of her own crew, and to be permitted to sail without examination, when my dispatches are ready: engaging, on my part, that the ship shall be brought back and delivered to you, if she escapes the dangers of the sea, that the crew and soldiers shall be accounted for in future exchanges, that she shall carry off no officer without your consent, nor public property of any kind; and I shall likewise desire, that the traders and inhabitants may preserve their property, and that no person may be punished or molested for having joined the British troops.
If you choose to proceed to negociation on these grounds, I shall appoint two field officers of my army to meet two officers from you, at any time and place that you think proper, to digest the articles of capitulation.
(Check out the full correspondence in the days leading up to the 19th)
Cornwallis had realized that aid would not come in time – and after two days of bombardment – he sent a drummer out into view, who apparently beat the rhythm of: “STOP! LET’S TALK!!!” A British officer high in rank came forward – was blindfolded and taken to George Washington (who was pretty much on his last legs himself).
The surrender document had already been drawn up, with Washington dictating the terms. Oh – here are the Articles of Capitulation.
Over 7,000 soldiers surrendered at Yorktown. The war was over.
Oh – and the story is that as the defeated army marched away, the song “The World Turned Upside Down” was played. I did a quick Google search and there are lots of defensive people out there who feel the need to shout out into the wilds of the Internet, “There is NO evidence that ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ was played at that moment …” Ha. I love freaks who take sides in meaningless historical debates like this. I adore them. We are all geeks cut from the same cloth. But still. It’s a good story, I think. Here are the lyrics to that song, which was popular at the time. (Eyewitness account here: “The Americans, though not all in uniform, nor their dress so neat, yet exhibited an erect, soldierly air, and every countenance beamed with satisfaction and joy. The concourse of spectators from the country was prodigious, in point of numbers was probably equal to the military, but universal silence and order prevailed.”)
Check out this military map from 1781. (I put it below the fold so that I could make it as big as I wanted.) On it you can see the positions of the British Army commanded by Cornwallis – you can see the American and French forces commanded by Washington – and tada – check out the French fleet comin’ down the pike – under Count de Grasse!! The last-minute cavalry charge!
And here is a story – (perhaps it’s a rumor – but I love it nonetheless) of Benjamin Franklin’s response to the news of the surrender. He was, of course, in Paris at the time, setting the world on fire with his homespun wisdom, bacchanalian propensities, chess-playing abilities – and the vision he presented to the world of what liberty, American-style, looked like. An international celebrity.
Word came to France of the decisive American victory, and the complete surrender to George Washington in Yorktown. Franklin attended a diplomatic dinner shortly thereafter – and, of course, everyone was discussing the British defeat.
The French foreign minister stood, and toasted Louis XVI: “To his Majesty, Louis the Sixteenth, who, like the moon, fills the earth with a soft, benevolent glow.”
The British ambassador rose and said, “To George the Third, who, like the sun at noonday, spreads his light and illumines the world.”
Franklin rose and countered, “I cannot give you the sun or the moon, but I give you George Washington, General of the armies of the United States, who, like Joshua of old, commanded both the sun and the moon to stand still, and both obeyed.”
Map found here in this awesome collection – I could get lost in there forever.
