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.

PARTII;] THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 177
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Head-Quarters, before York, 12 October, 1781.
SIR,
My last despatch to your Excellency was of the 6th.
I then informed you, that we should open trenches that
night. We did so, and established our first parallel
within six hundred yards of the enemy's works, with
the loss of only one officer of the French artillery
wounded, and sixteen privates killed and wounded, the
greater part of whom were of the French line.
The 7th and 8th we were employed in completing
the first parallel, and in erecting batteries somewhat
advanced of it. On the 9th, at five o'clock in the afternoon, the American battery on the right opened,
having six eighteen and twenty-four pounders, two
mortars, and two howitzers; and at three o'clock the
French battery on the left opened, having four twelvepounders, and six mortars and howitzers. We were
informed, that our shells did considerable execution in
the town, and we could perceive that our shot, which
were directed against the enemy's embrasures, injured
them much. The 10th, two French batteries, one of
ten eighteen and twentyJ-four pounders, and six mortars and howitzers, the other of four eighteen-pounders,
opened, as did two more American batteries, one of
four eighteen-pounders, the other of two mortars. The
fire now became so excessively heavy, that the enemy
withdrew their cannon from their embrasures, placed
them behind the merlins, and scarcely fired a shot
during the whole day. In the evening the Charon
frigate of forty-four guns was set on fire by a hot shot
from the French battery on the left, and entirely consumed. Her guns and stores had been taken out. By
the report of a deserter, our shells, which were thrown
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