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YORKTOWN Climax of the Revolution |
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12. THE PARLEY
"Mad" Anthony Wayne, brigadier-general of the Pennsylvania Line, has recorded for us the preliminaries of the surrender.
17th—The enemy beat the chamade at 10 o'clock, A. M.
Cornwallis now "sent out a flag, proposing a cessation of hostilities for twenty-four hours, . . . and that commissioners might be appointed to meet at Mr. Moore's house, to settle the terms upon which the garrisons of York and Gloucester should surrender. General Washington would only grant a cessation for two hours; previously to the expiration of which, his lordship, by another flag, sent the following terms, viz: The troops to be prisoners of war; the British to be sent to Great Britain, and not to act against America, France, or their allies, until exchanged; the Hessians to Germany, on the same conditions; and that all operations cease until the commissioners should determine the details. To this his excellency returned for answer: That hostilities should cease, and no alterations in the works, or any new movement of the troops, take place, until he sent terms in writing; which he did on the 18th, at nine o'clock, A. M., allowing the enemy two hours to determine. They again requested more time; and the general granted them until one o'clock, when they acceded to the heads of the imposed terms, and nominated Colonel Dundas and Major Ross, on their part, to meet with Colonel Laurens and Viscount de Noailles on ours, to reduce them to form, which was completed by nine o'clock at night; and, on the 19th, at one o'clock, P. M., the capitulation was ratified and signed by the commander of each army, when the enemy received a guard of Pennsylvania and Maryland troops in one of their principal works, and one of French troops in another.
H. N. MOORE,
Life of Gen. Anthony Wayne.
THE SURRENDER HOUSE, COMMONLY CALLED THE MOORE HOUSE
THE SKETCH of which this is a reproduction was made about 1843 by
Henry Howe, for his Historical Collections of Virginia. It is a rear
view of the house. The room in which the allied and British
commissioners met to discuss the terms of surrender is at the lower
left. In the sketch the window of this "Surrender Room" is half hidden
by the chimney.
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Last Modified: Fri, Sep 26 2003 10:00:00 pm PDT |
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