washington and his comrades in arms-第39章
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ee days。 It was the first time he had seen it since he set out on May 4； 1775； to attend the Continental Congress at Philadelphia； little dreaming then of himself as chief leader in a long war。 Now he pressed on to join La Fayette。 By the end of the month an army of sixteen thousand men； of whom about one…half were French； was besieging Cornwallis with seven thousand men in Yorktown。
Heart…stirring events had happened while the armies were marching to the South。 The Comte de Grasse； with his great fleet； arrived at the entrance to the Chesapeake on the 30th of August while the British fleet under Admiral Graves still lay at New York。 Grasse； now the pivot upon which everything turned； was the French admiral in the West Indies。 Taking advantage of a lull in operations he had slipped away with his whole fleet； to make his stroke and be back again before his absence had caused great loss。 It was a risky enterprise； but a wise leader takes risks。 He intended to be back in the West Indies before the end of October。
It was not easy for the British to realize that they could be outmatched on the sea。 Rodney had sent word from the West Indies that ten ships were the limit of Grasse's numbers and that even fourteen British ships would be adequate to meet him。 A British fleet； numbering nineteen ships of the line； commanded by Admiral Graves； left New York on the 31st of August and five days later stood off the entrance to Chesapeake Bay。 On the mainland across the Bay lay Yorktown； the one point now held by the British on that great stretch of coast。 When Graves arrived he had an unpleasant surprise。 The strength of the French had been well concealed。 There to confront him lay twenty…four enemy ships。 The situation was even worse； for the French fleet from Newport was on its way to join Grasse。
On the afternoon of the 5th of September； the day of the great rejoicing in Philadelphia； there was a spectacle of surpassing interest off Cape Henry； at the mouth of the Bay。 The two great fleets joined battle； under sail； and poured their fire into each other。 When night came the British had about three hundred and fifty casualties and the French about two hundred。 There was no brilliant leadership on either side。 One of Graves's largest ships； the Terrible； was so crippled that he burnt her； and several others were badly damaged。 Admiral Hood； one of Graves's officers； says that if his leader had turned suddenly and anchored his ships across the mouth of the Bay； the French Admiral with his fleet outside would probably have sailed away and left the British fleet in possession。 As it was the two fleets lay at sea in sight of each other for four days。 On the morning of the tenth the squadron from Newport under Barras arrived and increased Grasse's ships to thirty…six。 Against such odds Graves could do nothing。 He lingered near the mouth of the Chesapeake for a few days still and then sailed away to New York to refit。 At the most critical hour of the whole war a British fleet； crippled and spiritless； was hurrying to a protecting port and the fleurs…de…lis waved unchallenged on the American coast。 The action of Graves spelled the doom of Cornwallis。 The most potent fleet ever gathered in those waters cut him off from rescue by sea。
Yorktown fronted on the York River with a deep ravine and swamps at the back of the town。 From the land it could on the west side be approached by a road leading over marshes and easily defended； and on the east side by solid ground about half a mile wide now protected by redoubts and entrenchments with an outer and an inner parallel。 Could Cornwallis hold out？ At New York； no longer in any danger； there was still a keen desire to rescue him。 By the end of September he received word from Clinton that reinforcements had arrived from England and that； with a fleet of twenty…six ships of the line carrying five thousand troops； he hoped to sail on the 5th of October to the rescue of Yorktown。 There was delay。 Later Clinton wrote that on the basis of assurances from Admiral Graves he hoped to get away on the twelfth。 A British officer in New York describes the hopes with which the populace watched these preparations。 The fleet； however； did not sail until the 19th of October。 A speaker in Congress at the time said that the British Admiral should certainly hang for this delay。
On the 5th of October； for some reason unexplained； Cornwallis abandoned the outer parallel and withdrew behind the inner one。 This left him in Yorktown a space so narrow that nearly every part of it could be swept by enemy artillery。 By the 11th of October shells were dropping incessantly from a distance of only three hundred yards； and before this powerful fire the earthworks crumbled。 On the fourteenth the French and Americans carried by storm two redoubts on the second parallel。 The redoubtable Tarleton was in Yorktown； and he says that day and night there was acute danger to any one showing himself and that every gun was dismounted as soon as seen。 He was for evacuating the place and marching away； whither he hardly knew。 Cornwallis still held Gloucester； on the opposite side of the York River； and he now planned to cross to that place with his best troops； leaving behind his sick and wounded。 He would try to reach Philadelphia by the route over which Washington had just ridden。 The feat was not impossible。 Washington would have had a stern chase in following Cornwallis； who might have been able to live off the country。 Clinton could help by attacking Philadelphia； which was almost defenseless。
As it was； a storm prevented the crossing to Gloucester。 The defenses of Yorktown were weakening and in face of this new discouragement the British leader made up his mind that the end was near。 Tarleton and other officers condemned Cornwallis sharply for not persisting in the effort to get away。 Cornwallis was a considerate man。 〃I thought it would have been wanton and inhuman；〃 he reported later； 〃to sacrifice the lives of this small body of gallant soldiers。〃 He had already written to Clinton to say that there would be great risk in trying to send a fleet and army to rescue him。 On the 19th of October came the climax。 Cornwallis surrendered with some hundreds of sailors and about seven thousand soldiers； of whom two thousand were in hospital。 The terms were similar to those which the British had granted at Charleston to General Lincoln； who was now charged with carrying out the surrender。 Such is the play of human fortune。 At two o'clock in the afternoon the British marched out between two lines； the French on the one side； the Americans on the other； the French in full dress uniform； the Americans in some cases half naked and barefoot。 No civilian sightseers were admitted； and there was a respectful silence in the presence of this great humiliation to a proud army。 The town itself was a dreadful spectacle with； as a French observer noted； 〃big holes made by bombs； cannon balls； splinters； barely covered graves； arms and legs of blacks and whites scattered here and there； most of the houses riddled with shot and devoid of window…panes。〃
On the very day of surrender Clinton sailed from New York with a rescuing army。 Nine days later forty…four British ships were counted off the entrance to Chesapeake Bay。 The next day there were none。 The great fleet had heard of the surrender and had turned back to New York。 Washington urged Grasse to attack New York or Charleston but the French Admiral was anxious to take his fleet back to meet the British menace farther south and he sailed away with all his great array。 The waters of the Chesapeake； the scene of one of the decisive events in human history； were deserted by ships of war。 Grasse had sailed； however； to meet a stern fate。 He was a fine fighting sailor。 His men said of him that he was on ordinary days six feet in height but on battle days six feet and six inches。 None the less did a few months bring the British a quick revenge on the sea。 On April 12； 1782； Rodney met Grasse in a terrible naval battle in the West Indies。 Some five thousand in both fleets perished。 When night came Grasse was Rodney's prisoner and Britain had recovered her supremacy on the sea。 On returning to France Grasse was
