was now, at the age of almost fourscore, too decrepid to follow his master to the field.

On the following day Rochambeau, De Chastellux, and other officers, arrived at Mount Vernon; and on the eleventh, the last day that the commander-in-chief lingered at his beloved home, he met many friends from the surrounding country, as guests at his hospitable table once more. On the morning of the twelfth, he, with his whole suite departed, accompanied by Mrs. Washington's son, John Parke Custis, who now went to the field of battle for the first time, as the aid of the commander-in-chief.

The arrival of De Grasse and the approach of the allied armies, awoke Cornwallis to a sense of his perilous situation. His usual confidence in his own strength, gave way to the most fearful apprehensions, and he resolved to flee into North Carolina. But he had taken that resolution too late. Lafayette had made such a judicious disposition of his troops, that every avenue to escape was closed, and the earl was compelled to remain. He proceeded, therefore, to strengthen his works, and sent several expresses to Sir Henry Clinton, imploring his aid.

Lafayette was posted at Williamsburg, twelve miles from Yorktown. De Grasse and St. Simon urged him to make an immediate attack upon the enemy, and secure a victory for the republicans, and imperishable glory for himself. But the humane and generous Lafayette saw that much loss of blood would follow such an attempt. He perceived also, that a victory now would probably be a stroke that would finish the contest. Yet he nobly resolved to leave that victory to be achieved and all honors to be won by Washington!

On the fifth of September, Admiral Graves, who had been despatched from New York with nineteen sail-of-the-line, appeared off the capes of Virginia to attack what he supposed to be a small squadron from De Grasse's fleet. De Grasse then lay just within Lynn Haven bay. He prepared for action and went out to fight the British admiral. At four o'clock in the afternoon a partial action commenced, which continued until sunset, when neither commander could claim a victory. For five consecutive days the hostile

ET. 49.]

WASHINGTON AND DE GRASSE.

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fleets were in sight of each other, neither party seeming desirous to renew the combat. De Grasse then sailed into the Chesapeake, where he found De Barras with his squadron. Graves looked in, and seeing the increased strength of his enemy, bore away and returned to New York, for he feared the equinoctial gales, that might be daily expected, more than the guns of the enemy. The French lost two hundred and twenty men in this action, and the English three hundred and thirty. De Barras, at the request of Lafayette, now despatched transports up the Chesapeake to bring down the allied troops from Annapolis and the Head of Elk.

On the evening of the fourteenth, Washington and Rochambeau, with their respective suites, arrived at the quarters of Lafayette, at Williamsburg; and on the seventeenth, the commander-in-chief, accompanied by Rochambeau, Chastellux, Generals Knox and Du Portail, sailed in the Queen Charlotte for the Ville de Paris, the magnificent flag-ship of De Grasse, then lying in Lynn Haven bay. They were received on board at noon the next day, when the admiral, a tall, fine looking man, heartily embraced Washington, with the exclamation in broken English," My dear little general!" This adjective applied to the stalwart form of Washington, was quite ludicrous, and while the polite Frenchmen concealed their feelings, the fat sides of jolly Knox, it is said, shook with his laughter. Satisfactory arrangements were made for an immediate attack upon Cornwallis, on the arrival of the allied army, and Washington and his companions returned to Williamsburg.

The last division of the allies reached Williamsburg on the twentyfifth, and immediate preparations were made for a siege. Cornwallis, with his main divison, occupied Yorktown, and across Gloucester Point strong intrenchments had been cast up, and some fieldworks had been erected.

On the twenty-eighth the combined armies, about twelve thousand strong, left Williamsburg for Yorktown by different roads. General de Choisé, with the Duke de Lauzun and his legion, the marines from De Barras's fleet, and a brigade of Virginia militia, under General Weedon, proceeded to invest Gloucester, and the

main allied forces moved upon Yorktown. On their approach the British left their field-works, and these were taken possession of by the American light-infantry and a body of French troops, who served as a covering party for the soldiers when engaged in digging the trenches.

On the thirtieth of September, Yorktown was completely invested by the allies. Cornwallis had received notice from Sir Henry Clinton that Admiral Digby had arrived with twenty-three ships, and that relief would be speedily sent. The earl had vauntingly replied: “I have ventured, these last two days, to look General Washington's whole force in the face in the position on the outside of my works, and have the pleasure to assure your excellency that there is but one wish throughout the army, which is, that the enemy would advance. . . . . . I shall retreat this night within the works, and have no doubt, if relief arrives in any reasonable time, York and Gloucester will be both in possession of his majesty's troops." It was on that night that he abandoned his outworks, and drew his troops within the town.

The allies occupied a semi-circular line, at a distance of nearly two miles from the British works, each wing resting upon the York river. The French troops occupied the left, the Americans the right, while Count de Grasse, with his fleet, remained in Lynn Haven bay, below, to beat off any naval force that might come to the aid of Cornwallis. The French artillery, and the quarters of Washington and Rochambeau, occupied the centre. On the right, across a marsh, were the American artillery, under General Knox, assisted by Colonel Lamb and other skilful officers. The Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania troops were under the Baron Steuben; the New York, Rhode Island, and New Jersey troops, with sappers and miners, were under General James Clinton. The light-infantry were commanded by Lafayette, and the Virginia militia by Governor Nelson.

From the first to the sixth of October the besieging armies were employed in bringing up heavy ordnance and making other preparations. On the evening of the sixth, under cover of a very dark