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87.

87.

During the night of the 18th, fires were lit in the redoubts and trenches of the two camps, because the nights had become a bit cool. But we remained on permanent alert with our rifles. The constables also remained ready, cannons loaded and wicks lit, waiting for either the surrender to be signed, or the order to resume the offensive to be given. At all times negotiators were going from one camp to another until, finally around 9 o’clock, the surrender was signed.

Den 18ten nachts wurde auf beyder Seite in denen Redouten und Lauffgräben Feuer angemacht, weilen die Nächten schon etwas frisch waren. Wir aber stunden noch allezeit unter dem Gewehr. Die Kunstabler waren auch noch bereit mit geladnen Canonen und brennenden Lunden, um die Unterzeichnung der Capitulation zu erwardten oder wiedrum einen neuen Angriff zu erhalten. Alle Augenblick gingen Parlamandeur von einer Seite zur andern hinüber, biß endlich gegen 9 Uhr die Unterzeichnung der Capitulation erfolgte.

In both camps the cannons were immediately turned around. The allies and the enemies climbed without hesitation atop the parapets and, from all the redoubts, called out and wished one another peace[199]. Around 1 o’clock in the afternoon, the grenadiers from the Bourbonnois regiment penetrated the enemy redoubts and took possession of them. At the same time the two armies lined up in battle formation on both sides of the main road that leads to Hampton, and which the captive army took to leave York.

Gleich darauf wurden alle Canonen auf beyder Seit umgekehret. Von Freund und Feind wurden alle Parapets franck und frey bestiegen und wünschten einander den Frieden zu auf allen Schantzen. Gegen 1 Uhr nach Mittag rückten die Grenadir vom R[e]gimen t Bourbonois in die feindliche Schantzen ein und nahmen Besitz darinnen. Zu gleicher Zeit setzten sich beyde Armeen in Ordnung der Batalien auf beyderseits dem grossen Weg nach Hamton, auf welchem die ge-fangen Armee aus Yorck heraus marschierte.

The French troops were on the right on the way out of the city, the American troops on the left of the road. Our generals, on horseback, remained on our left wing, just like General Count de Barras[200], representing the navy.

Die französche Truppen stunden vom Ausgang der Stadt rechts, die Americaner lincks am Weg. Unser Generali-tet hielte zu Pferd auf unserem lincken Flügel nebst dem General, Graffe von Barras, Deputierten von der Marine.

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als

https://gallica.bnf.fr/iiif/ark:/12148/btv1b10110846m/f61/pct:50,0,100,100/,700/0/native.jpg

Strasbourg, Médiathèque André Malraux, ms f 15, p. 121.

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 Notes

199. In the eighteenth century, national hostilities were not as entrenched as they would be thereafter. Scenes of friendly association were therefore possible. Certain deserters went from one army to the other. As for the Germans, they were enlisted as much in the English army as in the French army. Nonetheless, the episode was probably embellished by Flohr.
200. Jacques Melchior Count de Barras de Saint-Laurent, born in Arles in 1719. He was, in succession, guard of the Navy in 1734, captain in 1762, fleet commander in 1778. Lieutenant general in 1782, he refused the rank of vice admiral in 1792. He died shortly thereafter. He commanded the Zélé and the Tonnant in the Estaing fleet, then the Le Duc de Bourgogne. He commanded the Newport fleet shortly after de Ternay’s death, delivered Rochambeau’s artillery, and participated in the attack on Gloucester. He then participated in the Battle of Saint Kitts, and the islands of Nièvre and Montserrat. He was named Chevalier of the Order of Saint Louis in 1756 then Commandeur in 1781 and finally Grand-Croix in 1784. [Christian de la Jonquière, Les marins français sous Louis XVI, Guerre d’Indépendance Américaine, Muller editions, 1996, p. 17.]