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Victory at Yorktown

Page 36

by Richard M. Ketchum


  A special word of thanks goes to four friends without whose assistance this work would have taken even longer: Pauline Dunbar, Robert Matteson, Daniel O’Leary, and Virginia Pearson.

  I benefited immensely from the staff at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History—first, when that remarkable collection of documents was housed at the Morgan Library, where Leslie Fields gave me invaluable assistance; and second, when the collection was moved to the New-York Historical Society, and I was so ably aided by Sandy Trenholm and Lauren Eisenberg. At the institute, Lesley Herrmann was a staunch supporter.

  Much assistance was forthcoming from the Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Virginia, chiefly from Karen Rehm, Diane Depew, and Chris Bryce. Thanks to my old friend Margot Waite, I got in touch with a number of very helpful people in Providence, Rhode Island, notably Karen Eberhart and Robin Flynn at the Rhode Island Historical Society. In Newport I was assisted as well by Bert Lippincott at the Newport Historical Society; and by Sally Small, Daphne Dirlam, and Carol Cummins. And Connell Gallagher, at the University of Vermont, Special Collections, did a great favor.

  Quite unexpectedly, I heard from Allen Breed, who is with the Associated Press in North Carolina. He is a descendant of the family that owned Breed’s Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, where the battle of June 17, 1775, was fought, and has a lively interest in history. Through him, I obtained a number of useful papers dealing with the Yorktown campaign.

  Michael Blow, a friend and former colleague, whose family once owned a substantial property in Yorktown, generously loaned me several hard-to-find books dealing with the town and the campaign.

  Once again, Peter Drummey, the librarian at the Massachusetts Historical Society, was exceedingly helpful in guiding me to sources of information. I am also indebted to Margaret Heilbrun, formerly of the New-York Historical Society, for assistance at that splendid institution.

  As usual, my agent, Carl Brandt, was a source of support and cheerful encouragement. My editor, John Macrae, who always astonishes me with his acute knowledge of American history, has my gratitude for his incisive comments and suggestions.

  As ever, members of the staff at the excellent Northshire Book Store in Manchester Center, Vermont—especially Barbara Morrow and Bill Lewis—were very supportive.

  Alison Macalady was extremely helpful in the preparation of a dramatis personae.

  It goes without saying that responsibility for any flaws or errors in the book rests entirely with me, not with these unfailingly generous people.

  INDEX

  The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.

  Abercrombie, Robert

  abatis

  Adams, Abigail

  Adams, John

  Affleck, Edmund

  Agénois regiment

  Albany, New York

  Allen, Ethan

  allied armies

  American wing

  and British surrender at Yorktown

  French wing

  journey to Yorktown

  moving south

  siege of Yorktown

  see also American army; French army

  Ambler, Betsy

  America

  division in

  French exploring

  American/Continental army

  back pay for deserters (proposed)

  and British surrender at Yorktown

  condition of

  desertions

  disbanded

  discontent

  few willing to join

  food for

  and French alliance

  and French navy

  French officers on

  heading south

  lack of necessities

  leaving Yorktown

  losses at Yorktown

  malcontents of

  meeting of officers of

  men dismissed

  morale

  moving south

  mutiny

  only entity with leaders

  pay owed to

  and planned attack on New York

  reclaiming Manhattan

  reduced to remnants

  in review

  siege of Yorktown

  size of

  in South

  troop levies

  Washington comander in chief of

  in Yorktown

  American legion

  American officers

  deterioration of

  morale

  motivation

  American Peace Commission

  American Revolution

  Americans’ attitudes toward

  end of

  French alliance effect on

  lack of support for

  largest single loss in

  naval action determining outcome of

  significance of

  Washington and

  Americans

  atitude toward military

  attitudes toward the war

  characteristics of

  Anderson, Alexander

  André, John

  death of

  death sentence

  trial

  Annapolis

  Anspach regiments

  Antilles current

  Apthorpe, Captain

  Arbuthnot, Marriot

  and Clinton

  succeeded by Graves

  Armstrong, John

  Arnold, Benedict

  in attack on Quebec

  command sent to Portsmouth

  in conquest of Virginia

  criticizing Clinton

  destruction of Richmond

  ordered to fortify Portsmouth

  plan to kidnap

  plan to seize West Point

  secret service to British

  service with British

  treason

  and/at West Point

  wounded at Saratoga

  Arnold, Hannah

  Arnold, Margaret “Peggy” Shippen

  banished from Pennsylvania

  articles of capitulation

  Articles of Confederation

  Ashley River

  Atlantic Ocean

  transporting army needs across

  Atlantic trade

  atrocities by British

  Austin, Jonathan Loring

  Baldwin, Benjamin

  Baldwin, Mr.

  Baltic Sea

  Baltimore

  Bancroft, Edward

  Banister, Colonel

  Barbados

  Barbé-Marbois, François

  Barber, Francis

  Barras, Jacques-Melchoir Saint-Laurent, Comte de

  arrival in Virginia

  Battle of the Capes

  joined de Grasse

  sailing south

  signed articles of capitulation

  Battle of Camden

  Battle of Rhode Island

  Battle of the Capes

  Battle of the Waxhaws

  bayonet

  Beaumarchais, Pierre-Augustin Caron de

  Beckwith, Captain

  Beckwith, George

  Bécu, Marie Jeanne

  Beekman, James

  Bennington

  Bergen Woods

  Berthier, Louis-Alexandre

  Birch, Samuel

  black battalion

  Blaine, Ephraim

  Blanchard, Claude

  Blarenberghe, Louis-Nicolas van

  blockade

  Blue Ridge Mountains

  Boone, Daniel

  Boston

  evacuating

  siege of

  Boudinot, Elias

  Bourbonnais regiment

  Braddock, Edward

  Brandywine

  Brest

  Britain

  armed resistance to

  change in dy
namics of warfare and

  dispute with colonies

  lost war in Amrica

  maritime supremacy

  British army

  in America

  in Canada

  at Cowpens

  defense of Savannah

  desertions

  evacuated Charleston

  evacuating New York

  failure to attack French at Newport

  four commands

  leaving Yorktown

  losses

  losses at Cowpens

  losses at Yorktown

  march on Richmond

  seized slaves

  in siege of Yorktown

  in siege of Yorktown: retreat by way of Gloucester

  strategy

  in surrender at Yorktown

  surrenders to rebels

  in Virginia

  British commissioners

  articles of capitulation

  British First Grenadiers

  British fleet/navy

  advantage over French

  in Battle of the Capes

  broken up

  in Chesapeake Bay

  in the Chesapeake

  failure to attack French

  in New York harbor

  with recruits

  in siege of Yorktown

  skirmish with French fleet

  threat from

  off Virginia

  British government

  French treaty of amity and commerce conveyed to

  informed about colonies

  British headquarters, trouble in

  British Headquarters papers

  British high command

  attitude toward rebels

  British officers

  and French officers

  leaving Yorktown

  surrender at Yorktown

  Broad River

  Broglie, Prince de

  Brooks, John

  Buford, Abraham

  bundling

  Bunker Hill

  Burgoyne, John

  defeat at Saratoga

  surrender

  Burke, Thomas

  Burnley, Hardin

  Butler, Richard

  Camden, South Carolina

  Cornwallis’s victory at

  loss at

  campaign of 1782

  Campbell, Archibald

  Campbell, John

  Campbell, William

  Canada

  British in

  Canary current

  Cap François

  Cape Fear

  Cape Fear River

  Cape Henry

  Caribbean

  Carleton, Sir Guy

  Carlisle, Frederick Howard, Lord

  Carolinas

  Cornwallis’s losses in

  danger of losing

  fighting in

  Tories in

  Carrington, Edward

  Catawba River

  cavalry

  English, at Yorktown

  French troops

  of Lauzun

  of Lee

  Champe, John

  Charles III, king of Spain

  Charleston, South Carolina

  British command in

  British troops evacuated

  British troops in

  fall of

  fortifications destroyed

  possible attack on

  securing

  Charlottesville

  Chastellux, Chevalier de

  on Americans

  on Knox

  in meeting with de Grasse

  at Mount Vernon

  at Yorktown

  Chesapeake (the)

  British command on

  de Grasse fleet in

  English fleet occupying

  French fleet in

  French fleet in control of

  French fleet sailing for

  Leslie ordered to

  naval station at entrance of

  possible action in

  situation in

  Chesapeake Bay

  British fleet in

  Cornwallis in

  de Grasse fleet in

  French fleet in

  River York joined

  Chestertown

  Chew, Joseph

  Chewton, Lord

  Choiseul, Duc Étienne François de

  Choisy, Marquis de

  Chovet, Abraham

  civil authority

  civilian rule

  civilians

  indifference

  in reclaiming Manhattan

  Clements, William, L.

  Clermont-Crèvecoeur, Comte de

  on Americans

  on West Point

  on Yorktown

  Cleveland, Benjamin

  Clinton, George

  Clinton, James

  Clinton, Sir Henry

  and André

  army

  Arnold and

  at Charleston

  communications from Whitehall to

  and Cornwallis rescue mission

  Cornwallis’s letters to

  and Cornwallis’s predicament

  councils of war

  danger of attack by

  defense of New York

  feud with Cornwallis

  forces in New York

  at odds with Arbuthnot

  and O’Hara

  plan to capture

  plan to seize West Point

  reaction to American army mutiny

  replaced by Carleton

  sending force to South

  spies

  strategy

  and terms in fall of Charleston

  threat of attack on

  on Washington march south

  Closen, Baron Ludwig von

  account of French expeditionary force

  on Americans

  on surrender at Yorktown

  on Washington

  on Yorktown

  Cobb, David

  Cochrane, Charles

  Coercive Acts

  Coldstream Guards

  College of William and Mary

  Collins, James

  colonies

  British could recover

  government of

  rebellion

  reconciliation attempt

  trade

  usefulness to France

  Committee of Safety

  communication difficulties

  Concord

  Congress

  bankrupt

  disbanded army

  flag of

  and Greene resignation

  impotence

  inadequacy of

  incapable of providing army with necessities

  and Lafayette

  Laurens presidency

  medals voted by

  military conspiracy and

  mission to France

  and pay for troops

  power to wage war

  Tilghman taking news of Cornwallis’s surrender to

  Washington and

  and Washington’s resignation

  Connecticut

  Connecticut regiments

  mutiny

  constitution

  Constitution Island

  Continental currency

  Conway Cabal

  Cornwallis, Charles, Earl

  army 128–29

  attacking

  borrowed money from Rochambeau

  capitulation

  Clinton message to

  entrenched at Yorktown

  escape in battle

  feud with Clinton

  invasion of North Carolina

  letter to Clinton regarding capitulation

  letters to Washington

  lured slaves to service

  move to Virginia

  in North Carolina

  operations against

  plan to protect Tories

  position at York and Gloucester

  and possible attack on Philadelphia

  predicamen
t of

  preventing from return to North Carolina

  pursuit of Morgan

  and race for the Dan

  reinforcements

  reputation

  rescue fleet for

  retired to York

  retreating south

  selection and fortification of post

  siege of Yorktown

  siege of Yorktown: sent flag of truce

  surrender

  surrender: news of, taken to Congress

  surrender: refused to appear for

  and Tarleton’s defeat

  victories claimed by

  victory at Camden

  in Virginia

  Cortlandt, Philip van

  Council of Pennsylvania

  Cowpens

  Morgan position at

  Culloden

  Custine, Comte de

  Damas, Comte de

  Dan River, race for

  Davidson, William

  Dean, James

  Deane, Silas

  Dearborn, Henry

  Declaration of Independence

  DeLancey, Oliver

  Delaware Continentals

  Delaware River

  Denny, Ebenezer

  DePeyster, Abraham

  deserters

  British

  Hessians

  Deux-Ponts, Guillaume, Comte de

  carrying news of Yorktown victory

  in siege of Yorktown

  Deux-Ponts regiment

  Diamond, William

  Digby, Robert

  Dobbs Ferry

  Doehla, Johann Conrad

  draft

  resistance to

  Duane, James

  de Barry, Chevalier Jean

  du Barry, Comte Guillaume

  Duffield, Reverend Mr.

  Dumas, Charles

  Dumas, Comte Mathieu

  Duncan, James

  Duncanson, Captain

  Dundas, Thomas

  Duportail, Louis

  du Simitière, Pierre Eugène

  Dutch (the)

  Eaden, William

  East India Company

  Eden, William

  Elizabeth River

  England

  news of Yorktown reaching

  sea power

  see also British army; British fleet/navy

  Estaing, Comte d’

  Europe

  diplomacy

  naval power

  Eutaw Springs, battle at

  Evans, Chaplain

  fatigue parties

  Ferguson, Adam

  Ferguson, Patrick

  Fersen, Axel

  feu de joie

  Fishkill

  flags of truce

  food

  lack of

  see also American army, lack of necessities

  Forman, David

  Fort Arnold

  Fort Edward

  Fort Frederick

  Fort Lee

  Fort Orange

  Fort Oswego

  Fort Putnam

  Fort Royal

  Fort Ticonderoga

  Fort Washington

  Fox, Charles James

  France

 

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