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  1.                                       1781                                  
  2.                                                                             
  3.                          AMERICAN HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS                      
  4.                                                                             
  5.                       ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION AT YORKTOWN                  
  6.  
  7.                       
  8.   ARTICLE I. The garrisons of York and Gloucester, including the            
  9. officers and seamen of his Britannic Majesty's ships, as well as other      
  10. mariners, to surrender themselves prisoners of war to the combined          
  11. forces of America and France. The land troops to remain prisoners to        
  12. the United States, the navy to the naval army of his Most Christian         
  13. Majesty.                                                                    
  14. -                                                                           
  15.   Granted.                                                                  
  16. -                                                                           
  17. -                                                                           
  18.   ARTICLE II. The artillery, arms, accoutrements, military chest,           
  19. and public stores of every denomination, shall be delivered unimpaired      
  20. to the heads of departments appointed to receive them.                      
  21. -                                                                           
  22.   Granted.                                                                  
  23. -                                                                           
  24. -                                                                           
  25.   ARTICLE III. At twelve o'clock this day the two redoubts on the left      
  26. flank of York to be delivered, the one to a detachment of American          
  27. infantry, the other to a detachment of French grenadiers.                   
  28. -                                                                           
  29.   Granted.                                                                  
  30. -                                                                           
  31.   The garrison of York will march out to a place to be appointed in         
  32. front of the posts, at two o'clock precisely, with shouldered arms,         
  33. colors cased, and drums beating a British or German march. They are         
  34. then to ground their arms, and return to their encampments, where they      
  35. will remain until they are despatched to the places of their                
  36. destination. Two works on the Gloucester side will be delivered at one      
  37. o'clock to a detachment of French and American troops appointed to          
  38. possess them. The garrison will march out at three o'clock in the           
  39. afternoon; the cavalry with their swords drawn, trumpets sounding, and      
  40. the infantry in the manner prescribed for the garrison of York. They        
  41. are likewise to return to their encampments until they can be               
  42. finally marched off.                                                        
  43. -                                                                           
  44. -                                                                           
  45.   ARTICLE IV. Officers are to retain their side-arms. Both officers         
  46. and soldiers to keep their private property of every kind; and no part      
  47. of their baggage or papers to be at any time subject to search or           
  48. inspection. The baggage and papers of officers and soldiers taken           
  49. during the siege to be likewise preserved for them.                         
  50. -                                                                           
  51.   Granted.                                                                  
  52. -                                                                           
  53.   It is understood that any property obviously belonging to the             
  54. inhabitants of these States, in the possession of the garrison,             
  55. shall be subject to be reclaimed.                                           
  56. -                                                                           
  57. -                                                                           
  58.   ARTICLE V. The soldiers to be kept in Virginia, Maryland, or              
  59. Pennsylvania, and as much by regiments as possible, and supplied            
  60. with the same rations of provisions as are allowed to soldiers in           
  61. the service of America. A field-officer from each nation, to wit,           
  62. British, Anspach, and Hessian, and other officers on parole, in the         
  63. proportion of one to fifty men to be allowed to reside near their           
  64. respective regiments, to visit them frequently, and be witnesses of         
  65. their treatment; and that their officers may receive and deliver            
  66. clothing and other necessaries for them, for which passports are to be      
  67. granted when applied for.                                                   
  68. -                                                                           
  69.   Granted.                                                                  
  70. -                                                                           
  71. -                                                                           
  72.   ARTICLE VI. The general, staff, and other officers not employed as        
  73. mentioned in the above articles, and who choose it, to be permitted to      
  74. go on parole to Europe, to New York, or to any other American maritime      
  75. posts at present in the possession of the British forces, at their own      
  76. option; and proper vessels to be granted by the Count de Grasse to          
  77. carry them under flags of truce to New York within ten days from            
  78. this date, if possible, and they to reside in a district to be              
  79. agreed upon hereafter, until they embark. The officers of the civil         
  80. department of the army and navy to be included in this article.             
  81. Passports to go by land to be granted to those to whom vessels              
  82. cannot be furnished.                                                        
  83. -                                                                           
  84.   Granted.                                                                  
  85. -                                                                           
  86. -                                                                           
  87.   ARTICLE VII. Officers to be allowed to keep soldiers as servants,         
  88. according to the common practice of the service. Servants not soldiers      
  89. are not to be considered as prisoners, and are to be allowed to attend      
  90. their masters.                                                              
  91. -                                                                           
  92.   Granted.                                                                  
  93. -                                                                           
  94. -                                                                           
  95.   ARTICLE VIII. The Bonetta sloop-of-war to be equipped, and navigated      
  96. by its present captain and crew, and left entirely at the disposal          
  97. of Lord Cornwallis from the hour that the capitulation is signed, to        
  98. receive an aid-de-camp to carry despatches to Sir Henry Clinton; and        
  99. such soldiers as he may think proper to send to New York, to be             
  100. permitted to sail without examination. When his despatches are              
  101. ready, his Lordship engages on his part, that the ship shall be             
  102. delivered to the order of the Count de Grasse, if she escapes the           
  103. dangers of the sea. That she shall not carry off any public stores.         
  104. Any part of the crew that may be deficient on her return, and the           
  105. soldiers passengers, to be accounted for on her delivery.                   
  106. -                                                                           
  107. -                                                                           
  108.   ARTICLE IX. The traders are to preserve their property, and to be         
  109. allowed three months to dispose of or remove them; and those traders        
  110. are not to be considered as prisoners of war.                               
  111.     The traders will be allowed to dispose of their effects, the            
  112. allied army having the right of preemption. The traders to be               
  113. considered as prisoners of war upon parole.                                 
  114. -                                                                           
  115. -                                                                           
  116.   ARTICLE X. Natives or inhabitants of different parts of this              
  117. country, at present in York or Gloucester, are not to be punished on        
  118. account of having joined the British army.                                  
  119. -                                                                           
  120.   This article cannot be assented to, being altogether of civil             
  121. resort.                                                                     
  122. -                                                                           
  123. -                                                                           
  124.   ARTICLE XI. Proper hospitals to be furnished for the sick and             
  125. wounded. They are to be attended by their own surgeons on parole;           
  126. and they are to be furnished with medicines and stores from the             
  127. American hospitals.                                                         
  128. -                                                                           
  129.   The hospital stores now at York and Gloucester shall be delivered         
  130. for the use of the British sick and wounded. Passports will be granted      
  131. for procuring them further supplies from New York, as occasion may          
  132. require; and proper hospitals will be furnished for the reception of        
  133. the sick and wounded of the two garrisons.                                  
  134. -                                                                           
  135. -                                                                           
  136.   ARTICLE XII. Wagons to be furnished to carry the baggage of the           
  137. officers attending the soldiers, and to surgeons when travelling on         
  138. account of the sick, attending the hospitals at public expense.             
  139. -                                                                           
  140.   They are to be furnished if possible.                                     
  141. -                                                                           
  142. -                                                                           
  143.   ARTICLE XIII. The shipping and boats in the two harbours, with all        
  144. their stores, guns, tackling, and apparel, shall be delivered up in         
  145. their present state to an officer of the navy appointed to take             
  146. possession of them, previously unloading the private property, part of      
  147. which had been on BOARD for security during the siege.                      
  148. -                                                                           
  149.   Granted.                                                                  
  150. -                                                                           
  151. -                                                                           
  152.   ARTICLE XIV. No article of capitulation to be infringed on                
  153. pretence of reprisals; and if there be any doubtful expressions in it,      
  154. they are to be interpreted according to the common meaning and              
  155. acceptation of the words.                                                   
  156. -                                                                           
  157.   Granted.                                                                  
  158. -                                                                           
  159. -                                                                           
  160.  Done at Yorktown, in Virginia, October 19th, 1781.                         
  161.                                          CORNWALLIS,                        
  162.                                          THOMAS SYMONDS.                    
  163.   Done in the Trenches before Yorktown, in Virginia, October 19th,          
  164. 1781.                                                                       
  165.                                          GEORGE WASHINGTON,                 
  166.                                          LE COMTE DE ROCHAMBEAU,            
  167.                                          LE COMTE DE BARRAS,                
  168.                                            En mon nom & celui du            
  169.                                          COMTE DE GRASSE.                   
  170.                                                                         
  171.