The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

PART II.] THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 189
TO THE- PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Head-Quarters, 26 October, 1781.
SIR,
I do myself the honor to enclose to your Excellency
copies of returns of prisoners, arms, artillery, ordnance,
and other stores surrendered by the enemy in their
posts of York and Gloucester on the 19th instant,
which were not completed at the time of my. last
despatches, and are but this moment handed to me.
A draft of these posts, -with the plan of attack and
defence, is also transmitted, and twenty-four standards
taken at the same time are ready to be laid before
Congress.
Our operations against the enemy in this State being
concluded, it becomes my duty to inform Congress
of the disposition I have made for the future destination of the troops under my command. The Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia Continental troops
are ordered as a reinforcement to the army under
No news.could possibly make me more happy. The infant Hercules
has now strangled the two serpents, that attacked'him in his cradle, and
I trust his future history will be answerable." —Passy, ARpril 2d.
The "two serpents" were the armies of Burgoyne and Cornwallis.
A medal containing this device was afterwards struck by the direction
of Dr. Franklin. -Diplomatic Correspondence, Vol. III. p. 308.
In the General Orders, issued the day after the capitulation, high
praise was awarded both to the French and American officers and troops
for their conduct during the siege. These orders, as contained in the
Remembrancer (Vol. XIII. p. 62), differ widely from the original. They
were probably retranslated from the French. The following is the
closing part of the original orders, as taken from the Orderly Book.
" Divine service is to be performed to-morrow in the several brigades
and divisions. The Commander-in-chief earnestly recommends, that
the troops not on duty should universally attend, with that seriousness
of deportment and gratitude of heart, which the recognition of such
reiterated and astonishing interpositions' of Providence demands of us."
October 20th.