washington and his comrades in arms-第38章

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ally　effected　little。　La　Fayette　was　still　unconquered。　His　army　was　growing　and　the　British　were　finding　that　Virginia；　like　New　England；　was　definitely　against　them。

At　New　York；　meanwhile；　Clinton　was　in　a　dilemma。　He　was　dismayed　at　the　news　of　the　march　of　Cornwallis　to　Virginia。　Cornwallis　had　been　so　long　practically　independent　in　the　South　that　he　assumed　not　only　the　right　to　shape　his　own　policy　but　adopted　a　certain　tartness　in　his　despatches　to　Clinton；　his　superior。　When　now；　in　this　tone；　he　urged　Clinton　to　abandon　New　York　and　join　him　Clinton's　answer　on　the　26th　of　June　was　a　definite　order　to　occupy　some　port　in　Virginia　easily　reached　from　the　sea；　to　make　it　secure；　and　to　send　to　New　York　reinforcements。　The　French　army　at　Newport　was　beginning　to　move　towards　New　York　and　Clinton　had　intercepted　letters　from　Washington　to　La　Fayette　revealing　a　serious　design　to　make　an　attack　with　the　aid　of　the　French　fleet。　Such　was　the　game　which　fortune　was　playing　with　the　British　generals。　Each　desired　the　other　to　abandon　his　own　plans　and　to　come　to　his　aid。　They　were　agreed；　however；　that　some　strong　point　must　be　held　in　Virginia　as　a　naval　base；　and　on　the　2d　of　August　Cornwallis　established　this　base　at　Yorktown；　at　the　mouth　of　the　York　River；　a　mile　wide　where　it　flows　into　Chesapeake　Bay。　His　cannon　could　command　the　whole　width　of　the　river　and　keep　in　safety　ships　anchored　above　the　town。　Yorktown　lay　about　half　way　between　New　York　and　Charleston　and　from　here　a　fleet　could　readily　carry　a　military　force　to　any　needed　point　on　the　sea。　La　Fayette　with　a　growing　army　closed　in　on　Yorktown；　and　Cornwallis；　almost　before　he　knew　it；　was　besieged　with　no　hope　of　rescue　except　by　a　fleet。

Then　it　was　that　from　the　sea；　the　restless　and　mysterious　sea；　came　the　final　decision。　Man　seems　so　much　the　sport　of　circumstance　that　apparent　trifles；　remote　from　his　consciousness；　appear　at　times　to　determine　his　fate；　it　is　a　commonplace　of　romance　that　a　pretty　face　or　a　stray　bullet　has　altered　the　destiny　not　merely　of　families　but　of　nations。　And　now；　in　the　American　Revolution；　it　was　not　forts　on　the　Hudson；　nor　maneuvers　in　the　South；　that　were　to　decide　the　issue；　but　the　presence　of　a　few　more　French　warships　than　the　British　could　muster　at　a　given　spot　and　time。　Washington　had　urged　in　January　that　France　should　plan　to　have　at　least　temporary　naval　superiority　in　American　waters；　in　accordance　with　Rochambeau's　principle；　〃Nothing　without　naval　supremacy。〃　Washington　wished　to　concentrate　against　New　York；　but　the　French　were　of　a　different　mind；　believing　that　the　great　effort　should　be　made　in　Chesapeake　Bay。　There　the　British　could　have　no　defenses　like　those　at　New　York；　and　the　French　fleet；　which　was　stationed　in　the　West　Indies；　could　reach　more　readily　than　New　York　a　point　in　the　South。

Early　in　May　Rochambeau　knew　that　a　French　fleet　was　coming　to　his　aid　but　not　yet　did　he　know　where　the　stroke　should　be　made。　It　was　clear；　however；　that　there　was　nothing　for　the　French　to　do　at　Newport；　and；　by　the　beginning　of　June；　Rochambeau　prepared　to　set　his　army　in　motion。　The　first　step　was　to　join　Washington　on　the　Hudson　and　at　any　rate　alarm　Clinton　as　to　an　imminent　attack　on　New　York　and　hold　him　to　that　spot。　After　nearly　a　year　of　idleness　the　French　soldiers　were　delighted　that　now　at　last　there　was　to　be　an　active　movement。　The　long　march　from　Newport　to　New　York　began。　In　glowing　June；　amid　the　beauties　of　nature；　now　overcome　by　intense　heat　and　obliged　to　march　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　now　drenched　by　heavy　rains；　the　French　plodded　on；　and　joined　their　American　comrades　along　the　Hudson　early　in　July。

By　the　14th　of　August　Washington　knew　two　thingsthat　a　great　French　fleet　under　the　Comte　de　Grasse　had　sailed　for　the　Chesapeake　and　that　the　British　army　had　reached　Yorktown。　Soon　the　two　allied　armies；　both　lying　on　the　east　side　of　the　Hudson；　moved　southward。　On　the　20th　of　August　the　Americans　began　to　cross　the　river　at　King's　Ferry；　eight　miles　below　Peekskill。　Washington　had　to　leave　the　greater　part　of　his　army　before　New　York；　and　his　meager　force　of　some　two　thousand　was　soon　over　the　river　in　spite　of　torrential　rains。　By　the　24th　of　August　the　French；　too；　had　crossed　with　some　four　thousand　men　and　with　their　heavy　equipment。　The　British　made　no　move。　Clinton　was；　however；　watching　these　operations　nervously。　The　united　armies　marched　down　the　right　bank　of　the　Hudson　so　rapidly　that　they　had　to　leave　useful　effects　behind　and　some　grumbled　at　the　privation。　Clinton　thought　his　enemy　might　still　attack　New　York　from　the　New　Jersey　shore。　He　knew　that　near　Staten　Island　the　Americans　were　building　great　bakeries　as　if　to　feed　an　army　besieging　New　York。　Suddenly　on　the　29th　of　August　the　armies　turned　away　from　New　York　southwestward　across　New　Jersey；　and　still　only　the　two　leaders　knew　whither　they　were　bound。

American　patriotism　has　liked　to　dwell　on　this　last　great　march　of　Washington。　To　him　this　was　familiar　country；　it　was　here　that　he　had　harassed　Clinton　on　the　march　from　Philadelphia　to　New　York　three　long　years　before。　The　French　marched　on　the　right　at　the　rate　of　about　fifteen　miles　a　day。　The　country　was　beautiful　and　the　roads　were　good。　Autumn　had　come　and　the　air　was　bracing。　The　peaches　hung　ripe　on　the　trees。　The　Dutch　farmers　who；　four　years　earlier；　had　been　plaintive　about　the　pillage　by　the　Hessians；　now　seemed　prosperous　enough　and　brought　abundance　of　provisions　to　the　army。　They　had　just　gathered　their　harvest。　The　armies　passed　through　Princeton；　with　its　fine　college；　numbering　as　many　as　fifty　students；　then　on　to　Trenton；　and　across　the　Delaware　to　Philadelphia；　which　the　vanguard　reached　on　the　3d　of　September。

There　were　gala　scenes　in　Philadelphia。　Twenty　thousand　people　witnessed　a　review　of　the　French　army。　To　one　of　the　French　officers　the　city　seemed　〃immense〃　with　its　seventy…two　streets　all　〃in　a　straight　line。〃　The　shops　appeared　to　be　equal　to　those　of　Paris　and　there　were　pretty　women　well　dressed　in　the　French　fashion。　The　Quaker　city　forgot　its　old　suspicion　of　the　French　and　their　Catholic　religion。　Luzerne；　the　French　Minister；　gave　a　great　banquet　on　the　evening　of　the　5th　of　September。　Eighty　guests　took　their　places　at　table　and　as　they　sat　down　good　news　arrived。　As　yet　few　knew　the　destination　of　the　army　but　now　Luzerne　read　momentous　tidings　and　the　secret　was　out：　twenty…eight　French　ships　of　the　line　had　arrived　in　Chesapeake　Bay；　an　army　of　three　thousand　men　had　already　disembarked　and　was　in　touch　with　the　army　of　La　Fayette；　Washington　and　Rochambeau　were　bound　for　Yorktown　to　attack　Cornwallis。　Great　was　the　joy；　in　the　streets　the　soldiers　and　the　people　shouted　and　sang　and　humorists；　mounted　on　chairs；　delivered　in　advance　mock　funeral　orations　on　Cornwallis。

It　was　planned　that　the　army　should　march　the　fifty　miles　to　Elkton；　at　the　head　of　Chesapeake　Bay；　and　there　take　boat　to　Yorktown；　two　hundred　miles　to　the　south　at　the　other　end　of　the　Bay。　But　there　were　not　ships　enough。　Washington　had　asked　the　people　of　influence　in　the　neighborhood　to　help　him　to　gather　transports　but　few　of　them　responded。　A　deadly　apathy　in　regard　to　the　war　seems　to　have　fallen　upon　many　parts　of　the　country。　The　Bay　now　in　control　of　the　French　fleet　was　quite　safe　for　unarmed　ships。　Half　the　Americans　and　some　of　the　French　embarked　and　the　rest　continued　on　foot。　There　was　need　of　haste；　and　the　troops　marched　on　to　Baltimore　and　beyond　at　the　rate　of　twenty　miles　a　day；　over　roads　often　bad　and　across　rivers　sometimes　unbridged。　At　Baltimore　some　further　regiments　were　taken　on　board　transports　and　most　of　them　made　the　final　stages　of　the　journey　by　water。　Some　there　were；　however；　and　among　them　the　Vicomte　de　Noailles；　brother…in…law　of　La　Fayette；　who　tramped　on　foot　the　whole　seven　hundred　and　fifty…six　miles　from　Newport　to　Yorktown。　Washington　himself　left　the　army　at　Elkton　and　rode　on　with　Rochambeau；　making　about　sixty　miles　a　day。　Mount　Vernon　lay　on　the　way　and　here　Washington　paused　for　two　or　three　days。　It　was　the　first　time　he　had　seen　it　since　he　set　out　on　May　4；　1775；　to　attend　the　Contine