The Pennsylvania State Society of July 4th, A. D. 1809, Thirty-fourth Anniversary of The Independence of the United States; Of an American Soldier and NOTE. (See page 61.) On Wayne's agency in the affair at Yorktown, we cannot do better than to offer (what may be new to many of our readers) a detailed, but brief account of the investment and siege. 28th September, 1781. Combined French and American armies under the command of his Excellency General Washington, moving in two columns (the American on the right, and the French on the left), arrived in view of the enemy's lines, about four o'clock, P. M. 29th. Completed the investment. The enemy abandoned their exterior works in the evening; leaving two redoubts perfect, within cannon-shot of their principal fortifications. 30th. The allied troops took possession of the ground abandoned by the British; the French occupying the two redoubts, and the Americans breaking ground and beginning two new ones on the right. October 2d. The enemy commenced a cannonade which continued through the day and night, but with very little effect, two men only being killed by their fire. 3d. A drop-shot from the British, last night, killed four men belonging to the covering party. 4th. American redoubts perfected; enemy's fire languid. 5th. Two men killed by a ricochet shot. 6th. Six regiments, that is, one from the right of each brigade, marched at six, P. M., under Generals Wayne and Clinton, and opened the first parallel, within five hundred and fifty yards of the enemy's works on their extreme left; continued by the French to the extreme right. 7th. Parallel nearly completed without any opposition from the enemy, except a feeble fire of musketry and artillery, by which a few of the French troops were wounded. 8th. First parallel completed. Two men of the Pennsylvania line killed by a ricochet shot. 9th. Three o'clock, P. M., the French opened a twelve-gun battery on the extreme right of the enemy; and at five, P. M., a battery of ten pieces was opened on the extreme left, by the Americans, with apparent effect. 10th. At daybreak, three other batteries were opened; one of five pieces by the Americans, and two by the French, containing twenty-two guns opposite the centre of the British works. At five, P. M., another American battery, of two ten-inch howitzers, was also opened; which produced so severe a fire, that it in a great degree silenced that of the enemy. At seven o'clock, P. M., the Charon, of forty-four guns, was set on fire by our balls and totally consumed. 11th. The second parallel begun to-night by the Pennsylvania and Maryland troops, covered by two battalions commanded by General Wayne. 13th. Second parallel nearly completed. 14th. Two detached redoubts, belonging to the enemy, stormed a little after dark; that on the extreme left by the American Light Infantry under the Marquis de Lafayette; in which were taken, one major, one captain, and one subaltern, with seventeen privates, and eight rank and file killed. Our loss in killed and wounded, forty-one. The other redoubt was carried by the French under the Baron Viomenil, with the loss of one hundred men, killed and wounded. Of the enemy eighteen were killed, three officers and thirtynine privates captured. The two attacks above mentioned were sustained by two battalions of the Pennsylvania line under General Wayne. The second parallel completed by detachments of the Pennsylvania and Maryland line under Colonel Walter Stewart. 15th. Two small batteries opened this evening. 16th. A sortie made by the enemy, in which they spiked seven pieces of our artillery, but were immediately repulsed. The spikes drawn, and the batteries again opened. 17th. At ten, A. M., the enemy beat the chamade introductory to the negotiation, which terminated in the surrender. |