USA > New York > A history of the state of New York, from the first discovery of the country to the present time: with a geographical account of the country, and a view of its original inhabitants > Part 22
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saries. The British broke the second Maryland brigade; turned the American left flank; and got in rear of the Vir- ginia brigade. On their appearing to be gaining Greene's right, and thus threatening to encircle the whole of the conti- nental troops, a retreat was ordered, which was well conducted. This was a dear-bought victory to the British, whose killed and wounded amounted to several hundred.
Immediately after the battle of Guilford, general Greene took the bold resolution of leading back his forces, and at- tacking the enemy's post at Camden. While the army was on its march, generals Marion and Lee invested fort Watson, which lay between Camden and Charleston. This fort was built on an Indian mount, upward of 30 feet high; but the besiegers, speedily erecting a work which overlooked the fort, fired into it with such execution, that the garrison, consisting of 114 men, surrendered by capitulation. Camden was at this time defended by lord Rawdon with about 900 men. General Greene, whose army consisted of but about an equal number of continentals, and between 200 and 300 militia, took a good position about a mile distant, in expectation of alluring the garrison out of their lines. On the 25th, lord Rawdon sallied out with great spirit; and an engagement ensued. The American army, in the first of the action, had the advantage; but, in the progress of it, the premature retreat of two com- panies occasioned a total defeat. Greene, to prevent Rawdon from improving the success that he had gained, made an orderly retreat, and encamped about five miles from his former position. Most of his wounded, and all his artillery, together with a number of prisoners, were safely brought off from the field. Washington's cavalry enabled general Greene to make good his retreat. The general ordered them to charge the enemy's right flank. They made the charge, soon got into the rear, and threw them into the greatest confusion. The British retired to Camden. Although victory decided in favor of the British, the result was, on the whole, favorable to the American cause. Lord Rawdon, receiving a reinforce- ment, attempted, the next day, to compel general Greene to another action ; but, not succeeding in that design, he return- ed to Camden, and, having burned the gaol, mills, and many
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private houses, and a great part of his own baggage, evacuated that post, and retired to the southward of the Santee .*
General Lee, in the mean time, took possession of an im- portant post, near the confluence of the Congaree and Santee rivers ; and lord Rawdon soon after evacuated Camden, and the whole line of British posts, with the exception of Charles- ton and Ninety-Six.
General Greene, the latter part of May, made an unsuccess- ful assault upon Ninety-Six. The enemy, however, soon after abandoned this post, and encamped at the Eutaw Springs. Here, on the Sth of September, general Greene advanced with 2000 men to attack them in their encampment. His force was drawn up in two lines ; the first was composed of militia, and the second of continental troops. As the Americans advanced, they fell in with two parties of the Brit- ish, three or four miles ahead of their main army. These, being briskly attacked, soon retired. The militia continued to pursue and fire, till the action became general, and till they were obliged to give way. They were well supported by the continental troops. In the hottest of the action, colonel (). Williams and lieutenant-colonel Campbell, with the Maryland and Virginia continentals, charged with trailed arms. Nothing could surpass the intrepidity of both officers and men on this occasion. They rushed on in good order, through a heavy cannonade and a shower of musketry, with such unshaken resolution, that they bore down all before them. Lieutenant- colonel Campbell, while bravely leading his men on to that successful charge, received a mortal wound. After he had fallen, he inquired who gave way, and, being informed that the British were fleeing in all quarters, replied, " I die contented," and immediately expired. The British were vigorously pur- sued, and upwards of 500 of them were taken prisoners. On their retreat they took post in a strong brick house, and in a picketed garden. From these advantageous positions they renewed the action. Four six pounders were ordered up before the house, from under cover of which the British were firing. The Americans were compelled to leave these pieces and retire, but they left a strong picket on the field of
* Holmes's Annals.
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battle, and only retreated to the nearest water in their rear. In the evening of the next day, lieutenant-colonel Stuart, who commanded the British on this occasion, left 70 of his wound- ed men and 1000 stand of arms, and moved from the Eutaws towards Charleston. The loss of the British, inclusive of prisoners, was upwards of 1100 men ; that of the Americans, above 500, in which number were 60 officers .*
SEC. XIV. Early in the present season, a plan was formed for laying siege to New York, in concert with a French fleet, expected on the coast in August. The American troops were accordingly concentrated at King's Bridge, and all things prepared for a vigorous siege. In the midst of these preparations, general Washington received information that the expected fleet, under count de Grasse, would arrive in the Chesapeake, and that this, instead of New York, was the place of its destination. Disappointed in not having the cooperation of this force, Washington now changed his plan of operations, and directed his attention to the movements of the enemy in Virginia.
After the battle of Guilford, Cornwallis, leaving South Carolina in charge of lord Rawdon, marched into Virginia. The marquis de la Fayette, with 3000 men, hastened to oppose him ; but the British receiving a reinforcement, it was not , deemed prudent to risk an engagement. After several inef- fectual attempts to compel the marquis to a battle, Cornwallis retired to Yorktown, near the mouth of York river, where he encamped, and erected fortifications.
SEC. XV. The fleet under the count de Grasse having arrived, it was resolved to make an at- tempt upon Cornwallis. The combined armies accordingly advanced upon Yorktown, and the
* Ramsay.
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place was regularly invested on the 6th of Oc- tober. The siege was sustained with the most determined resolution, but, on the 19th, the place was compelled to surrender, with abore 7000 prisoners of war. The capture of Corn- wallis decided the triumph of the American cause. After this event, no further enterprises of any importance were attempted, and a few skirmishes alone indicated the continuance of the war.
The combined forces proceeded on their way to Yorktown, partly by land, and partly down the Chesapeake. The whole, together with a body of Virginia militia, under the command of general Nelson, amounting, in the aggregate, to 12,000 , men, rendezvoused at Williamsburg on the 25th of September, and, in five days after, moved down to the investiture of York- town. The French fleet, at the same time, moved to the mouth of York river, and took a position which was calculated to prevent lord Cornwallis either from retreating or receiving succor by water. Previously to the march from Williamsburg to Yorktown, Washington gave out in general orders as follows : " If the enemy should be tempted to meet the army, on its march, the general particularly enjoins the troops to place their principal reliance on the bayonet, that they may prove the van- ity of the boast, which the British make of their peculiar prowess in deciding battles with that weapon."
The combined army halted, in the evening, about two miles from Yorktown, and lay on their arms all night. On the next day, colonel Scammell, an officer of uncommon merit, and of the most amiable manners, in approaching the outer works of the British, was mortally wounded, and taken prisoner. About this time, earl Cornwallis received a letter from sir Henry Clinton, announcing the arrival of admiral Digby, with three ships of the line, from Europe, and the determination of the general and flag-officers in New York to embark 5000 men in a fleet, which would probably sail on the 5th of October; that
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this fleet consisted of 23 sail of the line, and that joint exer- tions of the navy and army would be made for his relief. On the night after the receipt of this intelligence, earl Cornwallis quitted his outward position, and retired to one more inward.
The works erected for the security of Yorktown on the right, were redoubts and batteries, with a line of stockade in the rear. A marshy ravine lay in front of the right, over which was placed a large redoubt. The morass extended along the centre, which was defended by a line of stockade, and by bat- teries. On the left of the centre was a hornwork with a ditch, a row of fraise and an abatis. Two redoubts were advanced before the left. The combined forces advanced, and took possession of the ground from which the British had re-' tired. About this time the legion cavalry and mounted infantry passed over the river to Gloucester. General de Choisy invested the British post on that side so fully, as to cut off all commu- nication between it and the country. In the meantime, the royal army was straining every nerve to strengthen their works, and their artillery was constantly employed in impeding the operations of the combined army. On the 9th and 10th of October, the French and Americans opened their batteries. They kept up a brisk and well-directed fire from heavy cannon, from mortars and howitzers. The shells of the besiegers reached the ships in the harbor, and the Charon, of 44 guns, and a transport-ship, were burned. On the 10th, a messenger arrived with a despatch from sir Henry Clinton to earl Cornwal- lis, dated on the 30th of September, which stated various cir- cumstances tending to lessen the probability of relief being obtained, by a direct movement from New York. Earl Corn- wallis was, at this juncture, advised to evacuate Yorktown, and, after passing over to Gloucester, to force his way into the coun- try. Whether this movement would have been successful, no one can, with certainty, pronounce ; but it could not have produced any consequences more injurious to the royal interest, than those which resulted from declining the attempt. On the other hand, had this movement been made, and the royal army been defeated or captured in the interior country, and, in the meantime, had sir Henry Clinton, with the promised relief, reach- ed Yorktown, the precipitancy of the noble earl would have
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been, perhaps, more the subject of censure, than his resolution of standing his ground and resisting to the last extremity. From this uncertain ground of conjectures, I proceed to relate real events. The besiegers commenced their second parallel 200 yards from the works of the besieged. Two redoubts, which were advanced on the left of the British, greatly impeded the progress of the combined armies. It was, therefore, proposed to carry them by storm. To excite a spirit of emulation, the reduction of the one was committed to the French, of the other, to the Americans, and both marched to the assault with un- loaded arms. The Americans having passed the abatis and palisades, they attacked on all sides, and carried the redoubt in a few minutes, with the loss of S killed and 28 wounded. Lieutenant-colonel Laurens personally took the commanding officer prisoner. His humanity, and that of his associates, so overcame their resentment, that they spared the British, though they were charged, when they went to the assault, to remember New London, (the recent massacres at which place shall be hereafter related,) and to retaliate by putting the men in the redoubt to the sword. Being asked why they had disobeyed orders by bringing them off as prisoners, they answered, " We could not put them to death, when they begged for their lives." About five of the British were killed, and the rest were cap- tured. Colonel Hamilton, who conducted the enterprise, in his report to the marquis de la Fayette, mentioned, to the honor of his detachment, "that, incapable of imitating exam- ples of barbarity, and forgetting recent provocations, they spared every man who ceased to resist."
The French were equally successful on their part. They carried the redoubt assigned to them with rapidity, but lost a considerable number of men. These two redoubts were in- cluded in the second parallel, and facilitated the subsequent operations of the besiegers. The British could not, with propriety, risk repeated sallies. One was projected at this ume, consisting of 400 men, commanded by lieutenant-colonel Abercrombie. He proceeded so far as to force two redoubts, and to spike 11 pieces of cannon. Though the officers aud soldiers displayed great bravery in this enterprise, yet their
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success produced no essential advantage. The cannon wero soon unspiked, and rendered fit for service.
By this time, the batteries of the besiegers were covered with nearly 100 pieces of heavy ordnance, and the works of the besieged were so damaged, that they could scarcely show a single gun. Lord Cornwallis had now no hope left but from offering terms of capitulation or attempting an escape. He determined on the latter. This, though less practicable than when first proposed, was not altogether hopeless. Boats were prepared to receive the troops in the night, and to transport them to Gloucester Point. After one whole embarkation had crossed, a violent storm of wind and rain dispersed the boats employed on this business, and frustrated the whole scheme. The royal army, thus weakened by division, was exposed to increased danger.
Orders were sent to those who had passed to recross the river to Yorktown. With the failure of this scheme the last hope of the British army expired. Longer resistance could an- swer no good purpose, and might occasion the loss of many valuable lives. Lord Cornwallis, therefore, wrote a letter to general Washington, requesting a cessation of arms for 21 hours, and that commissioners might be appointed to digest " terms of capitulation. It is remarkable, while lieutenant- colonel Laurens, the officer employed by general Washington on this occasion, was drawing up these articles, that his father was closely confined in the tower of London, of which earl Cornwallis was constable. By this singular combination of circumstances, his lordship became a prisoner to the son of his own prisoner.
The posts of York and Gloucester were surrendered by a . capitulation, the principal articles of which were as follows : The troops to be prisoners of war to congress, and the naval force to France; the officers to retain their side-arms and private property of every kind ; but all property, obviously be- longing to the inhabitants of the United States, to be subject to be reclaimed ; the soldiers to be kept in Virginia, Mary- land and Pennsylvania, and to be supplied with the same rations as are allowed to soldiers in the service of congress ;
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a proportion of the officers to march into the country with tho prisoners ; the rest to be allowed to proceed on parole to Europe, to New York, or to any other American maritime post in pos session of the British. The honor of marching out with colors flying, which had been refused to general Lincoln on his giving up Charleston, was now refused to earl Cornwallis ; and general Lincoln was appointed to receive the submission of the royal army at Yorktown, precisely in the same way his own had been conducted, about 18 months before. Lord Cornwallis endeavored to obtain permission for the British and German troops to return to their respective countries, under no other restrictions than an engagement not to serve against France or America. IIe also tried to obtain an indemnity for those of the inhabitants who had joined him; but he was obliged to recede from the former, and also to consent that the loyalists in his camp should be given up to the unconditional mercy of their countrymen. His lordship nevertheless obtained permis- sion for the Bonetta sloop of war to pass unexamined to New York. This gave an opportunity of screening such of them as were most obnoxious to the Americans.
The regular troops of France and America, employed in this siege, consisted of about 7000 of the former, and 5500 of the latter ; and they were assisted by about 4000 militia. On the part of the combined army, about 300 were killed or wounded; on the part of the British, about 500; and 70 were taken in the redoubts, which were carried by assault on the 14th of October. Of the 7000 men surrendered prisoners of war, so great was the number of sick and wounded, that there were only 3800 capable of bearing arms. The French and Ameri- can engineers and artillery merited and received the highest applause. Brigadier-generals Du Portail and Knox were both promoted to the rank of major-generals, on account of their incritorious services. Lieutenant-colonel Gouvion and captain Rochefontaine, of the corps of engineers, respectively received brevets, the former to the rank of a colonel, and the hutter wo the rank of a major.
Congress honored general Washington, count de Rocham- beau, count de Grasse, and the officers of the different corps, and the men under them, with thanks for their services in the
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reduction of lord Cornwallis. The whole project was conceiv- ed with profound wisdom, and the incidents of it had been combined with singular propriety. It is not, therefore, won- derful, that, from the remarkable coincidence in all its parts, it was crowned with unvaried success.
A British fleet and an army of 7000 men, destined for the re- lief of lord Cornwallis, arrived off the Chesapeake on the 24th of October ; but, on receiving advice of his lordship's surrender, they returned to Sandy Hook and New York. Such was the fate of that general, from whose gallantry and previous suc- cesses the speedy conquests of the Southern States had been so confidently expected. No event during the war bid fairer for oversetting the independence of at least a part of the con- federacy, than his complete victory at Camden; but, by the consequences of that action, his lordship became the occasion of rendering that a revolution, which, from his previous suc- cess, was in danger of terminating as a rebellion. The loss of his army may be considered as the closing scene of the continental war in North America.
While the combined armies were advancing to the siege of Yorktown, an excursion was made from New York, which was attended with no small loss to the Americans. General Arnold, who had lately returned from Virginia, was appointed to con- duct an expedition, the object of which was the town of New London, in his native country. The troops employed therein were landed in two detachments, on each side of the harbor. The one was commanded by lieutenant-colonel Eyre and the other by general Arnold. The latter met with little opposition : fort Trumbull and a redoubt which was intended to cover the harbor, not being tenable, were evacuated, and the men crossed the river to fort Griswold, on Groton hill. This was furiously attacked by lieutenant-colonel Eyre: the garrison defended themselves with great resolution ; but, after a severe conflict af 40 minutes, the fort was carried by the assailants. The Americans had not more than six or seven men killed when the British carried their lines, but a severe execution took place afterwards, though resistance had ceased. An officer of the conquering troops inquired, on his entering the fort, who commanded. Colonel Ledyard answered, " I did, but you do
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now," and presented him his sword. The colonel was imme- diately run through the body, and killed. Between 30 and 40 were wounded, and about 40 were carried off prisoners. On the side of the British, 48 were killed and 145 wounded : among the latter was major Montgomery, and among the for- iner was colonel Eyre. About 15 vessels, loaded with the effects of the inhabitants, retreated up the river, and four others re- mained in the harbor unhurt ; but all excepting these were burn- ed by the communication of fire from the burning stores. Sixty dwelling houses and eighty-four stores were reduced to ashes, and the loss which the Americans sustained by the de- struction of naval stores, of provision and merchandise, was immense. General Arnold, having completed the object of the expedition, returned in eight days to New York. The Amer- icans lost many valuable men, and much of their possessions, by this incursion, but the cause for which they contended was uninjured. Expeditions which seemed to have no higher ob- ject than the destruction of property, alienated their affections still farther from British government. They were not so ex- tensive as to answer the ends of conquest, and the momentary impression resulting from them produced no lasting intimidation. On the other hand, they excited a spirit of revenge against the authors of such accumulated distresses .*
SEC. XVI. The British government now be- gan to abandon all hope of conquering America, and frequent motions were made in the British parliament for putting an end to the war.
The provisional articles of peace between the two countries were signed by their respec- tive commissioners at Paris, on the 30th of No- vember, 1782. On the 19th of April, 1783, a formal proclamation of the cessation of hostili- ties was made throughout the army; and the definitive treaty, acknowledging the colonies to be free and independent states, was signed on
* Ramsay.
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the 30th of September. The British evacu- ated New York on the 25th of November, and the Americans took possession the same day.
The independence of the United States had been previously acknowledged by most of the European governments. It was acknowledged by Holland in 1782; by Sweden in February, 1783; by Denmark in the same month; by Spain in March, and by Russia in July.
In October, congress issued a proclamation for disbanding the armies of the United States, and giving them the thanks of their country " for their long, eminent and faithful services." On the 2d of October, general Washington issued his farewell orders to the army, which were replete with salutary advice respecting their future conduct, and with affectionate wishes for their present and future happiness. His closing words were,
" And being now about to conclude these my last public orders, to take my ultimate leave, in a short time, of the mili- tary character, and to bid a final adieu to the armies I have so long had the honor to command, I can only again offer, in your behalf, my recommendations to your grateful country, and my prayers to the God of armies. May ample justice be done you here, and may the choicest of Heaven's favors, both here and hereafter, attend those, who, under the divine auspices, have secured innumerable blessings for others. With these wishes, and this benediction, your commander-in-chief is about to retire from service. The curtain of separation will soon be drawn, and the military scene to him will be closed for ever."
To prevent every disorder which might otherwise ensue, on the day appointed for the cvacuation of New York, the Amer- ican troops, under the command of general Knox, marched from Haerlem to the Bowery lane in the morning. At one o'clock the British troops retired from the posts in the Bowery: and the Americans marched forward and took possession of the city.
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When this was effected, general Knox and a number of citizens, on horseback, rode to the Bowery to receive their , excellencies, general Washington and governor Clinton, who, with their suites, made their public entry into the city, follow- ed by the lieutenant-governor, and the members of the coun- cil, which had been appointed for the temporary government of the southern district, general Knox, and the officers of the army, citizens on horseback, the speaker of the assembly, and citizens on foot. The governor gave a public dinner, at which the commander-in-chief, and other general officers, were present. The arrangements were so well made and executed, that the most admirable tranquillity succeeded through the day and night. On Monday, the governor gave an elegant entertainment to the French ambassador, chevalier de la Luzerne. General Washington, and the principal officers of the army and state of New York, were present. On the evening of Tuesday, magnificent fireworks were ex- · hibited at the Bowling-green, in celebration of the definitive treaty of peace. They were commenced by a dove descend- ing with the olive-branch, and setting fire to a marron battery.
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