The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/462055
Celebrating Yorktown Dear Fellow Compatriots: As the year 2015 unfolds, we will have many opportunities to share and preserve the memory of our Patriot ancestors who fought for the freedom we enjoy today. We must never forget the following quote from President Ronald Reagan: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day, we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." For more than 125 years—1889 to 2015—SAR has been one of the leading lineage organizations, and today, we are the largest such fraternal organization in the country. Therefore, we must continue to espouse the objectives of SAR, which are declared to be "historical, educational and patriotic." SAR members from across the country accomplish this "by perpetuating the stories of patriotism, courage, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph of the men who achieved the independence of the American people in the belief that these stories are universal ones of man's eternal struggle against tyranny, relevant to all time, and will inspire and strengthen each succeeding generation as it, too, is called upon to defend our freedoms on the battlefield and in our public institutions." We all know the significance of the Oct. 19, 1781, victory at Yorktown, when figuratively speaking, the world was turned upside down. Every 13 years, the President General of the SAR is the keynote speaker at the annual Yorktown Celebration, and on Oct. 19, 2014, it was my privilege to speak at the Yorktown Celebration in Yorktown, Va. President General Larry D. McClanahan (2001-2002) was the keynote speaker on Oct. 19, 2001. Thus, since this opportunity happens only every 13 years, I would like to share with you the following 2014 speech entitled "The World Turned Upside Down." "When the first shots were fired in April of 1775, the British thought they would put a rapid end to the rebellion by the American Colonies. However, they did not count on the deep belief and enduring faith the Colonists had in their desire for freedom and their leader, George Washington, who kept the army together in spite of the fact that they were fighting the greatest empire in the world—the British Empire. The war had gone on for six years, and the British still believed they could put down the rebellion. "Although France had been providing financial and material support to the Colonists, in the summer of 1780 the American forces received a much-needed boost—the arrival of 5,500 French troops in Newport, R.I., under the command of Gen. Rochambeau. England and France were now at war. By France sending troops and ships, in addition to the earlier aid, the British had to divide their forces, and in fact increase the number of troops sent to put down the rebellion in the American Colonies. "When Rochambeau arrived, the British forces were split into two armies. Gen. Clinton's troops were camped in New York City, and Gen. Cornwallis' troops were marching through the southern Colonies and had already captured Savannah and Charleston. "Meanwhile, in early spring of 1781, Washington traveled to Rhode Island to meet with Rochambeau and plan an attack on Clinton. They expected the French fleet to arrive in New York later that summer, and Washington wanted to coordinate the attack with the French fleet's arrival. In July 1781, Rochambeau's troops joined with Washington's troops outside New York City, only to learn that the French fleet was sailing to Chesapeake Bay. With this news, Washington decided to march his army south, meet up with the French fleet, and lay siege to Yorktown. "In order to trick Gen. Clinton into believing that he planned to attack Clinton's troops in New York City, Washington had his troops build a large camp in view of New York. He also wrote orders under his name preparing for an attack on Gen. Clinton. Washington allowed his orders to fall into British hands. He then left a small force to occupy the camp. "The French fleet entered the lower Chesapeake Bay at the end of August and disembarked 3,000 French troops to wait for Washington and Rochambeau in Williamsburg. On Sept. 5, they encountered the British fleet in a naval engagement known as the Battle of the Capes. The British suffered damage to their ships and returned to New York, while the French, commanded by Admiral de Grasse, remained in the lower Chesapeake and established a blockade. "By the end of September, approximately 17,600 American and French soldiers were gathered in Williamsburg, while only 8,300 British soldiers occupied Yorktown. Cornwallis recognized the odds were in favor of Washington, so he sent Clinton a note asking for help. Clinton responded that a British fleet with 5,000 men would sail for Yorktown from New York on Oct. 5. "Cornwallis held out hope that the promised relief force of 5,000 men would arrive from New York. Outnumbered more than 2-to-1, he ordered his men to abandon the outer works around the town and fall back to the main line of fortifications. On the night of Oct. 5, the French and Americans began construction of the first siege line. By dawn, a 2,000-yard-long trench opposed the southeast side of the British works. Two days later, Washington personally fired the first shot at Yorktown that ultimately led to the surrender of the British. But, as Paul Harvey would say, 'Here's the rest of the story.' "Off shore, the French fleet effectively blocked aid from WINTER 2014-2015 3 Continued on page 5 PG Lindsey C. Brock presented the keynote address at the Yorktown Celebration.