was enacted
in Virginia.

In September, 1781, Washington began a three weeks' siege against
Yorktown, held by the British under Lord Cornwallis. Finding himself
there completely surrounded by both land and water, Cornwallis was
forced to surrender.

Now was the yoke of Great Britain at last broken. Seven thousand English
and Hessian soldiers and eight hundred and forty sailors laid down their
arms and became prisoners of war.

The formal ceremony of surrender was to take place in an open field the
last day of October. Thousands of spectators assembled to behold the
detested Cornwallis surrender the army they had hated and feared.

The Americans, commanded by General Washington in full uniform, and the
French troops, under Count Rochambeau, were drawn up in two lines. At
length a splendid charger issued through the gate, bearing not the hated
Cornwallis as expected, but General O'Hara. So overcome was Lord
Cornwallis with the consciousness of his defeat by the "raw Americans,"
that, feigning illness, he refused to appear.

The British troops in new uniforms, in striking contrast to the worn and
faded garb of the colonists, followed the officer with colors furled.
Coming opposite General Washington, O'Hara saluted and presented the
sword of Cornwallis. A tense silence pervaded the assembly. General
Washington motioned that the sword be given to General Lincoln.
Apparently forgetful of the indignities heaped upon him by the British
at Charleston, the latter returned the sword to General O'Hara,
remarking as he did so, "Kindly return it to his Lordship, Sir."

"Ground arms" came the order from the British officers. The troops
complied sullenly; the humiliation felt by them in their defeat was
everywhere apparent.

The next day the conquered army marched out of Yorktown between the
American and French troops. Their fifers, with a brave show of humor,
played, "The World's turned Upside Down." Washington had directed his
soldiers to show no disrespect nor unkindness to the defeated troops.
But the remembrance of "Yankee Doodle," as played by the Britons in
their times of conquest, in taunting derision of the Americans, proved
too much for the latter to endure without return, when supreme occasion
such as this offered. To the strains of "Yankee Doodle Do," from
American fifes, Lord Cornwallis and his army bade adieu to the scenes
wherein they had once marched as conquerors.

In thanksgiving to God was voiced the natio