[page 117]


85.

85.

as the latter did not constitute regular troops[196], but under the condition that the following-article- be accepted:

hätten gefangen, weil sie keine regulierte Truppen seyen, aber mit Verwilligung deren folgenden Artickeln.

Text of the-article- of surrender between General Washington, Count de Rochambeau, and Count de Grasse on one side, and Lord Cornwallis, General in Chief in York and Gloucester, Thomas Symonds Cuier[197], Commander of the flotilla on the York River:

Verfassung deren Capitulations-Artickel zwischen dem General Wassington und Graffen von Rochambo und Graffen von Grasse einerseits, und dem Lord Cornwallis General en Chef zu Yorck und Glossester, Thomas Symond Auer Comandant der engelischen See-Macht vom Yorck Fluß

1st article

1ter Artickel

The Army of York and Gloucester, including the officers, soldiers and sailors, the ships of His Majesty of Great Britain as well as the others who are part of the navy, surrender to the two powers, America and France. The infantry troops surrender to the United States, the naval force surrenders to His Majesty of France, according to the 1st-article-

Die Armee von Yorck und Gloßester, mit einbegriffen deren Officirs Soldaten und Matrossen, deren Schiffen Seiner Majestet von Großbritanien, so wohl auch die übrige zur Marine gehörige, sollen sich als Kriegsgefangenen denen beyden Mächten America und Franckreich übergeben. Die Truppen zu Lande sollen sich denen Vereinigten Staaten, die See-Macht, nemlich die Marine, wolte sich seiner Majestätt von Franckreich ge-fangen geben laudent dem ersten Artickel

Agreed.

Bewilliget.

2nd article

2ter Artickel

The artillery, arms, equipment, the war budget, as well as all the magazines, whatever they be, will be relinquished to the intended departments.

Die Artillerie, die Waffen, die Muntürungs-Sticken, die militärische Kriegs-Casse, wie auch alle Magaziner von wessen sie seyn, sollen an ihre verschieden Departements abgeliffert werden.

3rd article

3ter Artickel

At noon today, the 2 redoubts to the left of York will be evacuated and liberated, the Army of York and Gloucester will abandon its post and march, so as to hand over their weapons. This march will be done with flags waving in the wind, and drums beating an English or German march.

Heute Mittag sollen die 2 Redoutten lincker Hand von Yorck eingeräumet und frey seyn, die Armée von Yorck und Gloßester soll ausserhalb ihrem Posten marschieren, um ihr Gewehr und Waffen abzulegen. Dieser Abmarsch soll geschehen mit flügenten Fahnen, die Tambours schlagen Marsch, er seye engellisch oder deutsch.

[réclame]

so

https://gallica.bnf.fr/iiif/ark:/12148/btv1b10110846m/f59/pct:50,0,100,100/,700/0/native.jpg

Strasbourg, Médiathèque André Malraux, ms f 15, p. 117.

[agrandir]


 Notes

196. This remark of Flohr’s shows the way the armies considered themselves. While the Americans were seen as insurgents by the English who refused to grant them any military legitimacy, the French troops were, for their part, recognized as being a regular army. It was therefore less of a dishonor for the English army to surrender to the French than to the insurgents. Besides, surrendering to the Americans came down to identifying them straightaway as legitimate adversaries. This issue of how to define and qualify the enemy comes up in all conflicts.
197. Captain Thomas Symonds was the officer who commanded the English flotilla on the York River. He had two ships at his disposal, the frigate Charon and The Guadaloupe. The “Cuier” at the end of his name means, without a doubt, “Esquire”, which is a distortion of the word squire. It is a courtesy title given to any officer when he has no other title, or a title reserved for all the eldest sons of Knights.