1781.

FRENCH FLEET IN THE CHESAPEAK.

117

the West Indies with eight and twenty sail of the line. De Grasse was followed by Sir Samuel Hood, but Sir Samuel could bring only fourteen.

On his voyage De Grasse fell in with and took the packet from Charleston, having on board Lord Rawdon, who thus found himself within a few weeks from a victor at Hobkirk's Hill a prisoner in the Chesapeak. Entering that bay, the French Admiral set on shore between three and four thousand land troops, under the Marquis de St. Simon; a most welcome addition to the force of La Fayette. So illinformed, meanwhile, was Hood of the true number of De Grasse's vessels, that, writing to Sir Henry Clinton from off Cape Henry, on the 25th of August, he declared his own fleet fully equal to defeat any designs of the enemy, let De Grasse bring or send what ships he might in aid to those under Barras. On these assurances Sir Henry Clinton relied, and certainly was justified in relying, and he afterwards appealed to them as indicating the hopes that he had cherished and the plans that he had formed.

Admiral Graves, on his part, hastened to join Hood with five ships, all those he had ready for sea; and, as the senior officer, he assumed the chief command. When he appeared off the Capes of Virginia, De Grasse went out to meet him with the greater part of his force, and there ensued between them, on the 5th of September, a desultory and indecisive action. Several ships were damaged, but none were taken, and at last, after some days, they parted; the English fleet returning to New York, and the French fleet to the Chesapeak. There De Grasse was joined by the squadron of Barras, from Newport; but, on the other hand, some ships from England, under Admiral Digby, increased the force of Graves. The relative superiority, however, still continued, as before, greatly on the side of the French. While they, in the Chesapeak, could boast thirty-six sail of the line, we, at New York, had no more than twenty-five.

Washington, meanwhile, had not been diverted from his designs against Lord Cornwallis, either by the descent of

4

Arnold in Connecticut, or by any apprehension for Rhode Island. He was wisely impressed with the importance, at that juncture, of striking a great blow. Every where around him, he found a vague dependence on French aid unnerve and take the place of a self-relying zeal. He saw the Congress, so energetic and so well supported at its outset, utterly failing in ability, and sunk in reputation. He saw the people in the very throes of national bankruptcy; "our "poor old currency is breathing its last gasp;" writes, at this time, an accomplished lady from Boston.* He saw the eastern States especially, as their own writers have acknowledged, grown almost indifferent to the war since it had passed to other shores. Thus, to use Washington's words at a later period, "some splendid advantage was essentially "necessary at the crisis in question, to revive the expiring "hopes and languid exertions of the country."**

With these views, the American General, and in combination with him, Comte de Rochambeau, after several feints, drew off their main forces to Philadelphia, and from thence marched to the Head of Elk. On this onward route into Virginia, Washington was enabled to pay a passing visit to his beloved home of Mount Vernon, which he had never seen (so unremitting had been his public services) since he left it to attend the second Continental Congress, six years and a half before. On the 14th of September he reached the head-quarters of La Fayette, near Williamsburg, and assumed, of course, the chief command, while under him De Rochambeau had the more particular direction of the French. Next, the two commanders travelled towards Cape Henry, to hold a conference with Comte de Grasse on board his ship. That ship, the VILLE DE PARIS, was already much renowned; it carried 106 guns, and was, perhaps, the largest vessel then afloat; larger, certainly, than any of our own "first-rates." It had been built at lavish cost and with

*Letter to Mr. John Adams, from "Portia," May 25. 1781. (Mrs. Adams's Correspondence, p. 125. ed. 1848.)

** See Mr. Sparks's Life of Washington, p. 360.

1781.

CORNWALLIS CONFINED IN YORK-TOWN.

119

scientific care, by direction of the citizens of Paris, as a present to King Louis, who, in accepting their gift, had bestowed on it their name.*

At the conference on board the Ville de Paris, the Comte de Grasse gave his colleagues notice, that, owing to his other duties, and his precise orders from home, he could not continue on this station longer than the 1st of November. Meanwhile, it was determined to press the operations against Lord Cornwallis with the utmost vigour. The net, indeed, was rapidly closing around the English Earl. During the month of August he had relinquished Portsmouth, and taken post at York-town, in pursuance of some instructions from Sir Henry Clinton, which Sir Henry meant as permissive, but which Cornwallis understood as peremptory. York-town, as Cornwallis afterwards declared, was not, in his judgment, well adapted for defence. It is a small village, about twelve miles from Williamsburg, built upon a high bank, the southern one, of York river. There, the long peninsula, extending between the rivers York and James, is little more than eight miles broad. There, the river York itself is one mile in width; and, on a point of land projecting from the northern bank, lies Gloucester, another small village, which Cornwallis also held. Both posts, but more especially York-town as the larger, he had fortified as he best might, with redoubts and intrenchments; and these unfinished works he was now to maintain with 7000 men, against a force which by degrees grew to 18,000. His position was not really perilous, so long as the English retained the superiority at sea; but the great fleet of De Grasse was now interposing, and cut off his retreat.

With proper frankness Cornwallis had not left his commanding officer in any doubt as to his difficulties. So early as the 16th of September he wrote thus to Sir Henry Clinton from York-town: "This place is in no state of defence. "If you cannot relieve me very soon, you must expect to "'hear the worst."

* On the "Ville de Paris" se e Mundy's Life of Rodney vol. ii. p. 243.

It was on the 28th of the same month that the combined army of Americans and French first appeared in sight of York-town. Cornwallis is alleged to have neglected a favourable opportunity to fall upon and overpower the separate division of La Fayette before it was supported by the rest. Yet such success, had it even been achieved, and had not the Americans come up quicker than was thought, could have had no material bearing on the result of the campaign. On the evening of the 29th the English General was cheered by the arrival of an express, bringing despatches from Sir Henry Clinton of the 24th of September. "At a "meeting," wrote Sir Henry, "of the General and Flag "Officers, held this day, it is determined that above ❝5,000 men, rank and file, shall be embarked on board the "King's ships, and the joint exertions of the navy and army "made in a few days to relieve you, and afterwards co-operate "with you. The fleet consists of twenty-three sail of the "line, three of which are three-deckers. There is every "reason to hope we start from hence the 5th of October."

On the same night after receiving these despatches, Cornwallis, in expectation of speedy succour, drew in his troops from the outward defences, and confined them to the entrenchments of the town. It was a step for the Americans which they had not expected to secure so soon. "By this "means," writes Washington, "we are in possession of very "advantageous grounds, which command the British line "of works in a very near advance." On the 1st of October he was enabled to report to the President of Congress his investment as fully completed. * Gloucester, which was held by Colonel Dundas, was beleaguered by some Virginian Militia, and by the French legion of the Duke de Lauzun. York-town, where Cornwallis, in person, and with his main force commanded, saw, to its left, the division of La Fayette; and to its right, the division of St. Simon. Other bodies of troops filled the space between them, while Washington and Rochambeau fixed their posts near together, towards the * Works, vol. viii. p. 169.

1781.

HIS UNDAUNTED RESOLUTION.

121

centre. They brought up fifty pieces of cannon, for the most part heavy, by aid from the French ships, as also sixteen mortars; and they lost no time in commencing their first parallel against the town.

On the other part, Lord Cornwallis is admitted to have shown most undaunted resolution. The officers under him, and the troops, German and English, all did their duty well. For some weeks they had laboured hard and unremittingly, in raising their defences; and they were now prepared, with equal spirit, to maintain their half-completed works. But, besides the enemy without, they had another foe withinan epidemic sickness, that stretched many hundreds helpless on their pallet-beds. Nor could they hinder Washington from completing his first parallel, and opening his fire upon them on the evening of the 9th of October. For two days the fire was incessant from heavy cannon, and from mortars and howitzers, throwing shells in showers on the town, until, says Cornwallis, all our guns on the left were silenced, our works much damaged, and our loss of men considerable. By these shells, also, the Charon, a ship of forty-four guns, together with three British transports in the river, were set in flames, and consumed. On the night of the 11th the enemy began their second parallel at about three hundred yards; that is, at only half the distance of the former. Cornwallis did all in his power to delay, for prevent he could not, the progress of this work, by opening new embrasures for guns, and keeping up a constant fire with all the howitzers and small mortars that he could man.

In their approaches the enemy were also, in some degree, impeded by two redoubts which the British had constructed in advance to cover their left flank. These Washington resolved to storm; and, for the sake of exciting emulation, he entrusted the attack of the one to the Americans, and of the other to the French. Both attacks were made in the night of the 14th, and with full success; and, by the unwearied exertions of the enemy, both redoubts were included in their second parallel by day-break the next morning.