John Tyler to Henry S. Foote, August 26, 1860

SHERWOOD FOREST, August 26, 1860.

MY DEAR SIR: Your letter of August 21st was forwarded to me from the summer residence of my family, near Hampton, to this place, and only reached me an hour ago, asking of me a declaration in writing expressive of the opinion that the Breckenridge and Lane ticket should not be run in the Free States, and that the Northern field should be left exclusively in the possession of their adversaries. Pardon me, my dear sir, for declining the public expression of such an opinion on a subject with which I am so little acquainted as the relative strength of the several candidates in the unfortunate quadrangular contest which now prevails. It may very well be that in some of the Northern States Mr. Breckenridge is stronger than either Mr. Douglas or Mr. Bell, in which event it would be altogether out of place to advise his withdrawal from the canvass in those States. My remarks to Mr. Withers, to which you refer, had exclusive reference to the State of New York, where, according to the newspaper editors, Mr. Breckenridge has no available force, and where it is said a combination of all the conservative forces is necessary to defeat Mr. Lincoln. To detach New York from his support, or some other of the Free States, is supposed to be the only "open sesame" to the hopes of the other candidates. Whether it is necessary for any one of the other candidates to withdraw, you will much better understand than myself. The rivalry between Messrs Breckenridge, Douglas, and Bell, in the Southern States, is not so much for majorities as puralities, which count as majorities in the end." Non nostrum componere lites." In the midst of faction I should only meet with ridicule for interposing my opinions. Excuse me for preferring the profound quiet which I desire to enjoy.

You do me no more than justice in ascribing to me conservative opinions. The expanding power of these States has been the subject of my warmest contemplation. The future glory of the Union has wrapped me in a vision of ecstasy. Exeter Hall for a season was not permitted by its impertinent interference in our affairs to cast a shadow over so bright a vision. The separation between this country and Great Britain, I flattered myself, had been completed, alike in opinion and government, by the surrender at Yorktown. It is only in these latter days, when that Hall has sent over its agents to foment sectional divisions among us, and American citizens have crossed the ocean to enter into its conferences, esteeming themselves as honored by the plaudits they have received, that I have painfully felt for the condition of the country. The English sentiment engendering bitterness and enmity has to a great extent superseded the American of harmony and love. However, my dear sir, every free government has had its Catalines, and it is hoping against hope to expect that we should escape the fate of other nations. My only reliance is on the good sense of the American people to crush out all wicked designs and put their heels on the necks of the workers of mischief. With high respect and esteem, faithfully yours,

JOHN TYLER.

SOURCE: Lyon Gardiner Tyler, The Letters and Times of the Tylers, Volume 2, p. 560-1

Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut: February 21, 1862

A crowd collected here last night and there was a serenade. I am like Mrs. Nickleby, who never saw a horse coming full speed but she thought the Cheerybles had sent post-haste to take Nicholas into co-partnership. So I got up and dressed, late as it was. I felt sure England had sought our alliance at last, and we would make a Yorktown of it before long. Who was it? Will you ever guess?—Artemus Goodwyn and General Owens, of Florida.

Just then, Mr. Chesnut rushed in, put out the light, locked the door and sat still as a mouse. Rap, rap, came at the door. “I say, Chesnut, they are calling for you.” At last we heard Janney (hotel-keeper) loudly proclaiming from the piazza that “Colonel Chesnut was not here at all, at all.” After a while, when they had all gone from the street, and the very house itself had subsided into perfect quiet, the door again was roughly shaken. “I say, Chesnut, old fellow, come out — I know you are there. Nobody here now wants to hear you make a speech. That crowd has all gone. We want a little quiet talk with you. I am just from Richmond.” That was the open sesame, and to-day I hear none of the Richmond news is encouraging. Colonel Shaw is blamed for the shameful Roanoke surrender.¹

Toombs is out on a rampage and swears he will not accept a seat in the Confederate Senate given in the insulting way his was by the Georgia Legislature: calls it shabby treatment, and adds that Georgia is not the only place where good men have been so ill used.

The Governor and Council have fluttered the dovecotes, or, at least, the tea-tables. They talk of making a call for all silver, etc. I doubt if we have enough to make the sacrifice worth while, but we propose to set the example.

_______________

¹ General Burnside captured the Confederate garrison at Roanoke Island on February 8, 1862.

SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 131-2

Yorktown

Writing from Washington to the Philadelphia Press, Col. Forney says:–

When I come to the mere matter of individual judgment, I firmly believe that Gen. McClellan will make Yorktown the theater of a victory more brilliant, though more desperately contested, than that which crowned our arms and contributed to the close of the conflict during the Revolution. It is stated as a curios historical fact, that the men who stood by Washington when he compelled the surrender of Cornwallis were not Southern but Northern troops – the soldiers of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New England. Their descendants now fight under the same flag that marshaled the fight in the same cause that consecrated his sword. He struck against the British tyrant. Our brave men strike against a domestic tyrant, equally cruel, false, and unscrupulous.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, April 24, 1862, p. 2

An Incident at Yorktown

An Incident at Yorktown

Our contemporary of the Peoria Transcript says the appearance of our forces at Yorktown recalls some of the more striking incidents in connection with the siege of that historic town by Washington. That siege as is well known – participated in by the combined American and French forces – lasted one month. General Cornwallis, finding himself hemmed in on every side, unconditionally surrendered his army to our victorious army. He wished to give up his sword to the American Commander-in-Chief; but Washington, who saw an opportunity to vindicate “poetic justice,” and compliment a brave but unfortunate associate, conferred the honor of receiving the last token of humiliation from the proud Britton upon General Lincoln. This latter chieftain – one of the bravest men that ever drew a sword – had been compelled, a few months previous, to give up his sword to an English victor at Charleston.

The name is suggestive. Who knows but the incident, with the facts inverted, may be repeated; and that a second enemy of American liberty, finally overcome on that memorable spot, may surrender his sword to a second Lincoln? History is full of strange parallels; of parallels even my strange than this.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, April 22, 1862, p. 2

An Historic Battlefield – The Siege of Yorktown in 1781

History repeats itself; and in the siege now in progress before Yorktown, we have on a much large scale, the repetition of the siege of 1781, to result, we cannot doubt, in like manner – in the triumph of Liberty over its enemies.

On the 28th of September, 1781, Gen. Washington marched from Williamsburg, on the peninsula between the James and York rivers, for the even then old Yorktown. He was accompanied by Rochambeau, Chatelleux Du Porteall of the French army. Lafayette was already in advance, and the Count de Grasse lay off with the French fleet in Lynhaven Bay. The allied army, including militia, amounted to about 16,000 men. The English army did not number more than 7,500.

The main body of the English, under Lord Cornwallis, was encamped in the open ground around the town, within the range of outer redoubts and field works calculated to command the peninsula, while a detachment of 600 or 700 men held Gloucester Point, projecting from the opposite shore far into the river, and narrowing it to the space of one mile. Communication between was protected by the batteries and English ships-of-war lying under the batteries.

The allied army advanced upon the town – the Americans having the right and the French having the left – and pressed on so eagerly that in the night of the 30th, Lord Cornwallis withdrew from his outer lines, and the works he had evacuated were the next day occupied by the besieging army which invested the position in a semicircle; 2,000 men were stationed on the Gloucester side for the purpose of keeping up a rigorous blockade, which after a sharp skirmish, terminating unfavorably for the British, they made no further attempt to interrupt.

On the night of Oct. 6, the first parallel was opened within 600 yards of the British lines, and by the evening of the 9th several batteries and redoubts were completed, and the fire of the allies became very effective, compelling the enemy in many cases to withdraw his cannon from over the town, set fire to the Chaser frigate, of 44 guns, and several transports, which were entirely consumed.

The second parallel was opened on the night of the 11th, within 300 yards of the British lines, when finding that it was flanked by two advance redoubts in front of the British works, it was determined on the 14th to carry them by storm, and accordingly two attacking parties, one American, led by Lafayette, with whom served Alexander Hamilton, as Lieut. Colonel, the other French, led by the Baron de Viomenil, toward the close of the day rushed upon their works, and, though receiving a hot and rapid fire, returned not a single shot, but carried them at the point of the bayonet – Hamilton leading the American column with his battalion of light infantry. These captured works being now included in the second parallel, the fire upon the fort became so fierce that surrender seemed unavoidable. A vigorous sortie, led by Lieut. Col. Abercrombie, was made on the 16th of October, but was triumphantly repulsed, and Lord Cornwallis then conceived the desperate plan of passing his force over to Gloucester Point, and thence, mounting them as best he might by impressed horses – to force his way through Maryland to Philadelphia. A part of the army were actually thus transferred, when a storm arose, which put an end to the transportation of the rest of the army, and as soon as possible those sent over were brought back. On the morning of the 17th the fire of the allies became so hot that the place was no longer tenable, and Lord Cornwallis asked a cessation of hostilities for twenty-four hours, and the appointment of Commissioners to treat of surrender.

Gen. Washington replied that only for two hours could he consent to suspend hostilities and transmitted at the time such articles of capitulation as he would be willing to grant. Commissioners were appointed in conformity, on the 18th on both sides – Viscount de [Noailles] and Col. Laurens on the side of the Allies, Colonel Dundas and Major Ross, on behalf of the English. They agreed upon certain articles, of which a rough copy only a rough copy was made, but this General Washington transmitted to Lord Cornwallis early on the 19th, expression his expectations that the terms would be agreed to and signed by 11 o’clock, and that the garrison would march out by 2 p.m. Accordingly at that hour the posts of Yorktown and Gloucester Point, with their garrisons, and the ships in their harbor with their seamen, were surrendered to the land naval forces of America and France. The army, artillery, arms, military chest, and public stores of every kind, were surrendered to Gen. Washington – the ships and seamen to Count de Grasse; the total number of prisoners, excluding seamen, rather exceeded 7,000 men, among whom were two generals, thirty-one field officers, three hundred and twenty-six captains and subalterns, &c.

The negotiation of surrender was opened on the eleventh day after breaking ground, and the capitulation was signed on the thirteenth day.

The military and naval forces surrender as “prisoners of war – the artillery, arms, accoutrements, and military chests and public stores of every denomination, to be delivered up unimpaired – the garrison to march out at 2 o’clock, to a place appointed in front of the post, with shouldered arms, colors cased, and drums beating – they are then to ground their arms and return to their encampment – officers to retain their side-arms, and officers and soldiers to keep their property, and no part of their baggage or papers to be subject to search or inspection.” The spot on which this memorable surrender was made is well known. It is designated in a plan of the siege, and is soon, we may trust to be rendered more memorable by a like surrender of a much larger army – and thus combine in one glorious memory two great victories on the same ground. – {N. Y. Tribune, 17th.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 26, 1862, p. 2