A complete history of the Marquis de Lafayette, major-general in the American army in the war of the revolution. Embracing an account of his tour through the United States, to the time of his departure, September, 1825. By an officer in the late army.

116 ]HISTORY OF THE
New-York: in the meantime, however, he received coun.
termanding orders, directing him to return to Williamsburg,
to retain all the troops he had with him, and instead of Portsmouth, to establish the intended post at Old Point Comfort.
The principal causes which determined general Clinton to
emrnirace this new resolution, were the arrival from Europe
of a re-enforcement consisting of three thousand Germans,
and his desire to open a passage by way of Hampton and
the James River, toward that fertile and populous part of
Virginia which lies between the James and York rivers:
The report of the engineer and navy officers, appointed to
examine Old Point Comfort, was unfavourable, and lord
Cornwallis, coinciding in the same opinion, selected York
and Gloucester, not far above the mouth of York River, instead of the former place.
York town is a port of entry, and post-town, of Virginia,
and the capital of York county. It is agreeably situated on
the south side of York River, which is here contracted to
the breadth of a mile, and confined by very high banks, close
under which vessels of the largest burden may ride with safety. On the opposite, or left bank, of the river is situated
Gloucester, a smaller town, built upon a point of land pro.
jecting into the river. A marshy stream flowing on the right
of Yorktown; and in front of the place, for the distance of
a mile, the ground is open and level. As the spot which
proved the terminating scene of the revolution, its name
will be revered by posterity, while liberty has an advocate,
and reason and humanity, a friend.
Before the twenty-third of August, 1781, the whole British force had concentrated in the position of York and Gloucester. With a regular army of more than seven thousand
men, lord Cornwallis had retreated to the sea-coast before
one of not more than two thousand, three hundred, regulars;
he had first crowded the transports which had been sent
from New-York, with his troops, then re-landed them, and
finally, breaking up from Portsmouth and Norfolk, took up