CORNWALLIS CAPITULATES.

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der the troops under his command, by capitulation, as prisoners of war to the combined forces of America and France. In this letter he describes the difficulties he had encountered since he withdrew within the works in expectation of the promised relief. He dwells on the diminution of his numbers by the fire of the enemy and by sickness; on the exhaustion of the strength and spirits of those that remained. "Under all these circumstances I thought it would have been wanton and inhuman to the last degree to sacrifice the lives of this small body of gallant soldiers, who had ever behaved with so much fidelity and courage, by exposing them to an assault which, from the numbers and precautions of the enemy, could not fail to succeed." * The garrison, at the time of the surrender, consisted of 363 officers, of whom some were sick; of 4541 non-commissioned officers and rank and file fit for duty; and of 2089 sick and wounded.

The Articles of Capitulation did not involve any degrading conditions. The garrisons of York and Gloucester were to march out to an appointed place, with shouldered arms, colours cased, and drums beating a British or German march; then to ground their arms, and return to the place of their encampment. The imagination might fill up a picture from this indistinct outline. But a very graphic representation of an extraordinary scene exists in the diary of an Anspach serjeant, who served in the British army. We necessarily take only the prominent points of a lengthened detail. On the afternoon of the 19th of October, all the troops marched on the road to Williamsburg, in platoons, through, the whole American and French army, who were drawn up in regiments. In front of each regiment were their generals and staff-officers. The French generals were attended by richly dressed servants in liveries. Count de Rochambeau, marquis de Lafayette, count de Deuxponts, and prince de Lucerne were there, wearing glittering stars and badges. The French formed the right wing. The left wing of the line was formed of the Americans. In front were their generals, Washington, Gates, Steuben, and Wayne. They were paraded in three lines. The regulars, in front, looked passable; but the militia, from Virginia and Maryland, were ragged and ill-looking. The prisoners were quite astonished at the immense number of their besiegers, whose lines, three ranks deep, extended nearly two miles. They passed through this formidable army to a large plain, "Cornwallis Correspondence,” vol. i. p. 129.

+ First published in the "Life of Steuben," from the manuscript of John Conrad Dochla, in the possession of Friedrich Kaap, the author of that life, p. 459.

46

where a squadron of French hussars had formed a circle. One regiment after another had to pass into this circle, to lay down their muskets and other arms. The honest narrator says, "When our colonel, baron Seybothen, had marched his men into the circle, he had us drawn up in a line, stepped in front of it, and commanded first, Present arms,' and then, 'Lay down arms put off swords and cartridge-boxes,' while tears ran down his cheeks. Most of us were weeping like him." All the officers, English and German, were allowed to keep their swords. All marched back in utter silence to the camp. Their courage and their spirit were gone; "the more so," says the serjeant, as in this our return march the American part of our conquerors jeered at us very insultingly." Upon their return to their lines and tents, they enjoy ed full liberty. The French are described as behaving very well towards the conquered-altogether kind and obliging. Cornwallis, in his dispatch, makes no complaint of the Americans, but he clearly draws a distinction that seems expressive of no very cordial feeling towards those of the same race with himself: "The treatment, in general, that we have received from the enemy since our surrender has been perfectly good and proper; but the kindness and attention that has been shown to us by the French officers in particular--their delicate sensibility of our situation, their generous and pressing offer of money, both public and private, to any amount has really gone beyond what I can possibly describe, and will, I hope, make an impression on the breast of every British officer whenever the fortune of war should put any of them into our power."* The abbé Robin noticed that there was a much deeper feeling of animosity between the English and Americans, than between the English and French. As the English officers passed through the lines they saluted every French officer, but they showed no such courtesy to the American officers.† There was no wisdom or equity in this unmerited contempt of men who were fighting for a far higher cause than their French allies. There was only a paltry display of military pride against irregulars, and a servile imitation of the temper of the English Court towards "rebels." An article of capitulation proposed by Cornwallis was rejected by Washington; -" Natives or inhabitants of different parts of this country at present in York or Gloucester are not to be punished on account of having joined the British army." It was rejected upon this principle :-"The article cannot be assented "Cornwallis Correspondence," vol. i. p. 130.

t Quoted by Lord Mahon, vol. vii. p. 181.

THE DISASTROUS NEWS RECEIVED IN LONDON.

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to, being altogether of civil resort. But Washington did not rel fuse his consent through any vindictive feeling. He allowed an article to stand, by which the Bonetta sloop of war should be left entirely at the disposal of lord Cornwallis, and be permitted to sail to New York without examination. The Anspach serjeant records that Tories of the country who were in the British army, and the French and American deserters who had joined during the siege, thus passed unmolested. This fact was probably unknown in England when Cornwallis was bitterly blamed for consenting to the refusal of the tenth article. "He ought," says Walpole, "to have declared he would die rather than sacrifice the poor Americans who had followed him from loyalty against their countrymen." *

On the day that Cornwallis signed the capitulation, Clinton despatched the auxiliary force for his relief. When Cornwallis and his superior officer met at New York, their differences of opinion became a matter of serious controversy, which was subsequently taken up in parliamentary debates, and in pamphlets not devoid of personal acrimony. These charges and recriminations were soon forgotten in the more important political events that were a certain consequence of a calamity through which the war would very soon come to an end. There can be no doubt that the government felt the capitulation as an irremediable disaster. Wraxall, in his "Memoirs of his Own Time," has related a conversation which he had with lord George Germaine, as to the mode in which lord North received the intelligence. Wraxall, a very slovenly and inaccurate writer, has confounded the official account of the surrender with a French Gazette that reached London on Sunday, the 25th of November. Clinton's despatch did not reach lord George Germaine till midnight of the 25th, as is shown by a minute on the back of the letter; and therefore Wraxall's statement that lord George read the despatch to him and others at dinner, between five and six o'clock, is certainly incorrect. But nevertheless we cannot, in common fairness, accuse the gossiping memoir writer of having invented the conversation which he alleges took place at this dinner. He asked the Secretary how lord North took the communication when made to him. The reply was, “As he would have taken a ball in his breast; for he opened his arms, exclaiming wildly, as he paced up and down the apartment during a few minutes, 'Oh God! it is all over,'-words which he repeated many times, under emotions of the deepest consternation and dis"Last Journals," vol. ii. p. 475.

↑ Note by Mr. Ross, in "Cornwallis Correspondence," vol. i. p. 135.

tress." * Lord George Germaine appears to have had very little official reticence, if Wraxall is to be believed, for he read to the same mixed company a letter from the king, in reply to the communication of the disastrous news: "I trust that neither lord George Germaine, nor any member of the Cabinet, will suppose that it makes the smallest alteration in those principles of my conduct which have directed me in past time, and which will always continue to animate me under every event, in the prosecution of the present contest." †

"Memoirs," vol. ii. p. 103.

† Ibid p. 108.

THE KING ANNOUNCES CAPITULATION OF CORNWALLIS. 257

CHAPTER XV.

The king announces to Parliament the capitulation of Cornwallis.-Debates on the Address very hostile to the ministry.--Strong expressions of Fox.--More prudent language of Pitt.-Differences in the Cabinet.-Lord G. Germaine retires.---Losses of West India Islands and Minorca. The government in a minority-Lord North announces that his administration is at an end. -The Rockingham ministry.-Rodney's victory over De Grasse.—Breaking the Line.--Capture of the Ville de Paris.-Change of costume in the House of Commons.-Burke's Bill for Economical Reform.-Bills on Revenue Officers and Contractors.-Pitt's motion for Parliamentary Reform.Arming the People.-Retrospect of the state of Ireland.--Irish Parliament.--Grattan.→ His efforts for legislative independence.-The Volunteers of Ireland. The king's message to the British and Irish Parliaments.-The Statute of George I. asserting the dependence of Ireland repealed.

THE Session of Parliament was opened on the 27th of November, 1781. The Royal Speech had been prepared before the news of the capitulation of Cornwallis had reached London on the 25th. The mover of the Address had been appointed, and had got by heart the echo of the speech. The ministers had little time to prepare or alter the speech, says Walpole. They were obliged to find an other mover of the Address; for the young lord Feilding, originally chosen, "avoided making himself as ridiculous as the Royal Speech." The inconsistency of the production is manifest. The beginning and the end declare the king's resolution to persevere in extinguishing the spirit of rebellion amongst his deluded subjects in America, precisely in the same tone as if Cornwallis had sent Washington a prisoner to London. But one little sentence creeps in, which renders these words of sound and fury of no significance: "It is with great concern I inform you that the events of war have been very unfortunate to my arms in Virginia, having ended in the loss of my forces in that province." It was to be expected that the calamity of Yorktown would give new effect to the efforts of the Opposition to put an end to the war; but the temper which was evinced in this royal communication was calculated to raise hostility to a ministry into bitterness against the sovereign. Lord Shelburne talked of the greatness of mind with which his majesty could rise superior to the dreadful situation of his affairs. "He was not surprised that ministers should take advantage of the noble sentiments of their monarch, and contrive and fabricate such "Last Journals," vol. ii. p. 474.

VOL. VI.-17