Departure for Yorktown: Washington’s tomb: Celebration of the
anniversary of the surrender of Yorktown: Details of its siege in
1781.
The Virginia militia had long since expressed their desire to general
Lafayette, of having him present at the celebration of the anniversary
of the capture of Yorktown, on the very soil where this great event
occurred, which, in terminating the revolutionary war, forever secured
the independence of the United States. To accept this honourable
invitation, general Lafayette left Washington the 16th of October,
crossed the Potomac upon a wooden bridge nearly a mile long, and was
received upon the Virginia side by a corps of troops, under command of
general Jones. His march to Alexandria, and his entry into that city,
were marked by the continual thunder of artillery, placed along the
road, and by the acclamations of the people. We dined and slept at
Alexandria. As we were sitting down to table with all the magistrates,
and a great number of citizens, Mr. Adams, the secretary of state,
informed us of the death of the king of France, Louis the eighteenth.
On the 17th, we embarked in the steam-boat Petersburg, in company with
the secretary of war, Mr. Calhoun, generals Macomb, Jones, and a great
number of other officers and citizens. After a voyage of two hours, the
guns of fort Washington announced that we were approaching the last
abode of the father of his country. At this solemn signal, to which the
military band accompanying us responded by plaintive strains, we went on
deck, and the venerable soil of Mount Vernon was before us; at this view
an involuntary and spontaneous movement made us kneel. We landed in
boats, and trod upon the ground so often worn by the feet of Washington.
A carriage received general Lafayette, and the other visitors silently
ascended the precipitous path which conducted to the solitary habitation
of Mount Vernon. In re-entering beneath this hospitable roof, which had
sheltered him when the reign of terror tore him violently from his
country and family, George Lafayette felt his heart sink within him, at
no more finding him whose paternal care had softened his misfortunes,
whose example and wise counsel inspired his youthful mind with those
generous sentiments which at present render him an example of good
citizenship, a model to parents and husbands, the most devoted of sons,
the most stable of friends. His father again sought with emotion for
every thing which reminded him of the companion of his glorious toils.
Three nephews of general Washington took Lafayette, his son, and myself,
to conduct us to the tomb of their uncle; our numerous companions
remained in the house; in a few minutes after, the cannon of the fort,
thundering anew, announced that Lafayette rendered homage to the ashes
of WASHINGTON. Simple and modest as he was during life, the tomb of the
citizen-hero is scarcely perceived amid the sombre cypresses by which it
is surrounded: a vault slightly elevated and sodded over, a wooden door
without inscriptions, some withered and some green garlands, indicate to
the traveller who visits this spot, the place where rest in peace the
puissant arms which broke the chains of his country. As we approached,
the door was opened; Lafayette descended alone into the vault, and a few
minutes after re-appeared, with his eyes overflowing with tears. He took
his son and me by the hand, and led us into the tomb, where by a sign he
indicated the coffin of his paternal friend, along side of which was
that of his companion in life, united to him forever in the grave. We
knelt reverentially near his coffin, which we respectfully saluted with
our lips; rising, we threw ourselves into the arms of Lafayette, and
mingled our tears with his.
In leaving the vault, we were met by the three nephews of Washington:
one of them, Mr. Custis, presented general Lafayette with a gold ring,
containing some of the hair of the great man, and we returned to the
house where our companions awaited us. An hour was devoted to visiting
the house and grounds, which at present belong to a nephew of
Washington, who bears the same name, and is one of the judges of the
supreme court of the United States. He has made no alteration in the
property left him by his uncle, for whose memory he entertains the most
profound and tender respect. George Lafayette assured us that every
thing in the house was as he saw it twenty-eight years ago. He found in
the place where Washington himself had left it, the principal key of the
bastile, which was sent him by Lafayette, at the time this monument of
despotism was destroyed. The note sent with the key is still carefully
preserved.
The situation of Mount Vernon, upon the right bank of the Potomac, is
very picturesque, and is seen to a great distance from this majestic
river. The house is small, very plain, and surrounded by fine trees. The
tomb is about two hundred paces from the house.
After resting a few moments, we resumed the path leading to the shore:
our march was silent; each of us bore a branch of cypress, cut from over
the tomb of Washington. We resembled a bereaved family, who had entombed
a beloved father, recently dead. We were already on board our vessel—and
the waves had borne us afar, and no one had interrupted our silent
meditation. At last Mount Vernon disappeared behind the high and winding
banks of the river; all then grouped themselves on the quarter deck of
the steam-boat, and listened attentively till evening to Lafayette, who
talked of Washington.
Soon after leaving Mount Vernon we met the steam-boat Potomac, having on
board a volunteer company from Fredericksburgh, commanded by captain
Crutchfield, and a great number of passengers who came to meet general
Lafayette. The two boats after exchanging salutes, sailed in company
during the night, and arrived next day at noon at the mouth of York
river, where were five other boats, which ascended the river with us to
Yorktown. We delayed a moment in front of a point marked for our
landing, and at a signal given by the artillery on shore, we debarked in
boats commanded by captain Elliot. The general was received on shore by
the Yorktown committee, the governor of Virginia and council, the chief
justice of the United States, John Marshall, and numerous officers of
the army. The upper banks of the river were covered with a crowd of
ladies from great distances, and its waters offered an entirely
picturesque view from the number, variety and disposition of the vessels
with which it was covered. After having replied to the addresses of Mr.
Leigh, president of the committee, and to that of the governor of
Virginia, general Lafayette was conducted amid the acclamations of the
people, to the head quarters prepared for him. It was in the very house
that Cornwallis inhabited during the siege of Yorktown, forty-three
years previous.
Yorktown, which has never recovered from the disasters of the
revolutionary war, because its unhealthy situation prevented the access
of new inhabitants, appeared from its actual condition very properly
adapted to the celebration which was to take place on the following day:
houses in ruins, blackened by fire, or pierced by bullets; the ground
covered with fragments of arms, the broken shells, and overturned
gun-carriages; tents grouped or scattered according to the nature of the
ground; small platoons of soldiers placed at various points, all in a
word, conveyed the idea of a camp hastily formed near a village taken
and occupied after an obstinate battle. The manner in which we were
lodged, tended to keep up the illusion; a single bed was prepared for
general Lafayette; all who accompanied him, officers, generals, and the
governor, placed themselves at random on mattresses or straw, in the
half open and unfurnished apartments. During the night sixty officers
formed a volunteer company, to guard the head quarters, around which
they were bivouacked. We were awaked at day-break on the 19th, by the
cannon thundering from the plain, calling all the surrounding troops to
arms. General Lafayette, accompanied by the committee of arrangement,
went to Washington’s marquee, which had travelled with us, and was
erected at some distance from the head quarters: there he received the
different corps of officers from the surrounding regiments. During this
presentation we were witness to the most affecting scenes: two old
revolutionary soldiers fainted away in shaking hands with the general.
The appearance of colonel Lewis who presented himself in the dress of a
Virginian mountaineer, and asked permission to address Lafayette on
behalf of his county, attracted great attention.
As soon as colonel Lewis had finished this discourse, which was much
applauded by the auditors, the general kindly took his hand into his
own, thanked him affectionately, and begged him to express all his
gratitude to the mountaineers of Virginia, whose excellent and numerous
services rendered during the revolution, he rapidly enumerated.
At eleven o’clock the troops approached the head quarters near which
they formed two columns, and some moments after they marched to conduct
general Lafayette under a triumphal arch erected over the situation of
the English redoubt which he formerly carried, at the head of the
American troops he commanded during the siege of Yorktown. His march now
took place through a double row of ladies whose vivid joy and elegant
costume singularly contrasted with the warlike arrangements around us.
He was received under the triumphal arch by general Taylor who after the
different corps had taken the places assigned them, and silence was
established among the surrounding crowd, commenced an eloquent address,
in which he developed the motives of American enthusiasm and gratitude,
towards Lafayette.
General Lafayette was profoundly moved, and his emotion was still more
augmented by the enthusiasm with which the last words of the orator were
received by the people. However, always governed by that modesty which
so strongly characterizes him, he immediately removed the wreath which
had been placed upon his head, and turning to colonel Fish, one of the
officers who valiantly seconded him in the attack upon the redoubt;
“take it,” said he, “this wreath belongs to you also, preserve it as a
deposit for which we must account to our comrades.” Then addressing
general Taylor, he returned his thanks, thus:
“I am happy to receive such honourable evidences of friendship from my
ancient companions in arms, in the place where the American and French
arms were so gloriously united in a holy alliance in favour of American
independence, and the sacred principle of the sovereignty of the people.
I am happy also to be thus received on the very place where my dear
comrades of the light infantry acquired one of their most honorable
rights to the love and esteem of their fellow-citizens.” He finished by
paying a tribute of gratitude to the officers who directed the attack
upon the redoubt, and among them named Hamilton, Gimat, Lawrence, Fish,
and added that it was in their name, in the name of the light infantry,
and only in common with them, that he accepted the proffered wreath.
After this ceremony all the troops defiled before Lafayette, and we
returned to Yorktown, where we passed the rest of the day in festivity.
A circumstance of considerable piquancy augmented the interest of this
patriotic and military celebration: I have already stated that General
Lafayette on arriving at Yorktown, established his head quarters in the
same house in which Cornwallis had his, forty-three years before. Some
servants, in examining the cellars, in order to put away the
refreshments and provisions conveniently, discovered in an obscure
corner a large chest; its weight and apparent antiquity excited their
curiosity; they opened it, and to their great astonishment found it
filled with candles, blackened by time: by an inscription on the lid it
was found that they formed part of Cornwallis’s stores during the siege.
They immediately made it known in the house, and the intelligence
speedily reached the camp. Shortly after all the candles were removed,
lighted and arranged in a circle, in the centre of the camp, where the
ladies and soldiers danced during the evening. A ball in York-town in
1824 by the light of Cornwallis’s candles, appeared so pleasant an
occurrence to our old revolutionary soldiers, that notwithstanding their
great age, and the fatigues of the day, most of them were unwilling to
retire until the candles were entirely consumed.
Although more than half the night was passed before we could retire to
rest, the desire of attentively considering the place in which American
independence was secured by a decisive victory, did not permit me to
waste much time in sleep. I awoke just at dawn of day, and reached the
ruins of the ancient entrenchments of the town as the first rays of the
sun fell upon the temporary encampment of the militia, which they had
already abandoned; I saw a part of the troops going on board of vessels,
which were preparing to leave the shore, while the decreasing sounds of
the drum behind the forest, which begins at a short distance from the
town, indicated the route of those detachments which sought their homes
by land. Although every thing around me offered an exact and piquant
scene of war, my attention was not long withheld from my principal
object, and I soon began to reconnoitre the situation of the town, the
exterior works and the position of the two armies, whose _holy alliance_
had secured the independence of a young nation, and the rights of man on
the American continent. Notwithstanding some gardens, and the useless
efforts of the plough to fertilize some spots of a soil consisting
almost entirely of sterile sand, I could easily find the trace of the
fortification of the town, which describes an arc whose chord was formed
by York river, which in this place is large and navigable even for
frigates; but I had much difficulty in recognising the exterior works.
However by the aid of a plan of the siege, I pursued my researches, when
I remarked a man seated at the foot of a small pyramid, and who appeared
to be plunged in profound meditation. On this pyramid is inscribed in
large letters, the names of _Viomenil_, _Rochambeau_, _Lauzun_, _St.
Simon_, _Dumas_, in short of all the principal officers of the French
corps who had fought and conquered at York-town. While I read again and
again with satisfaction the glorious names which will remind remotest
posterity of the honourable part France took in the struggle of American
liberty against British tyranny, the old man rose; I saluted him, and we
soon entered into conversation relative to the objects which appeared to
interest us equally. He informed me that he had served with Lafayette
during the campaign of Virginia, and the siege of York-town; that having
lived for forty years since on a farm but a few miles distant, he had
not passed an anniversary since the capture of York-town, without coming
to the spot, and paying the tribute of his regrets to his ancient
comrades, and of gratitude to the French nation. “Since,” said he, “you
appear to take so much interest in the details of this event, in which I
had the good fortune to take an active part, let us ascend together this
point of a bastion, which remains standing among all these ruins, whence
we can take in the plan of operations at a glance, and I can make myself
better understood.” After the old soldier had looked around to collect
his recollections, we sat down together, with our backs toward the town,
and in front of us the plain, which the besieging army occupied. “You
know,” said he, “how Cornwallis, after a campaign of six months, was
driven by the young Lafayette, from post to post through Virginia, to
shut himself up in York-town, whence he could only escape by laying down
his arms. I shall therefore commence my recital from the period when
Lafayette by establishing himself at Williamsburg, rendered it
impossible for Cornwallis to escape.”
“In the early part of September, Cornwallis attempted to reconnoitre our
position, but judging that it would be impossible to force it, and
knowing that all retreat by sea was cut off by the French fleet under
Count de Grasse, determined to run the chances of a siege, and
endeavoured to fortify himself as well as he could. We all thought, that
profiting by the enthusiasm which our late successes had excited in the
army, Lafayette would not give his adversary time to prepare himself,
but would lead us at once to a final victory. But the young general on
this occasion manifested a moderation perhaps still more admirable than
his bravery and talents; neither the solicitations of his officers, who
pressed him not to lose this opportunity of winning new laurels, by
striking the last blow at the English army, nor the offers of Admiral De
Grasse, who through M. De St. Simon offered him the support of the
marines, and even a part of the crews of his thirty-eight vessels, could
determine him to attempt any thing before the arrival of the allied army
commanded by Washington and Rochambeau. “When great interests are in
question,” answered he, “I shall never prefer the gratification of
self-love, to the certainty of a assured success,” and he waited to the
end with a patience which would have excited surprise even in an old
captain.
“On the 13th Washington and Rochambeau arrived at our camp, and on the
17th went on board the _Ville de Paris_ to concert with Count de Grasse
the measures necessary to render the French fleet tributary to the
success of the enterprize. On the 26th and 28th all the combined forces
were united, and we marched to invest York-town, which was accomplished
without the loss of a single man. The French corps commanded by
Rochambeau, occupied the space between the river and a marsh which is
nearly in front of us, but which is now masked by some trees and
ravines, under shelter of which, without risk, we could approach within
pistol-shot of the enemy’s works. The Grenadiers and Chasseurs of the
advanced guard of this army was commanded by Viomenil. Next morning the
American army passed the same marsh, established its left there, and
placed its right below upon York river. The investment of the place was
thus as close and complete as possible. The legion of Lauzun, a corps of
cavalry, and a half brigade of American militia, took post at Gloucester
on the other side of the river, where they could only establish
themselves after dislodging Tarleton, who occupied it with 400 horse and
200 infantry.
“During the night of the 29th and 30th, the enemy dreading to be
attacked by a coup-de-main in the very extensive position he had
fortified, resolved to abandon his camp at Pidgeon hill, and to retain
only two redoubts in front of the body of the place. The day of the 30th
was employed by us in occupying the works abandoned by the enemy, which
enabled us to enclose him within a narrower circle, and gave us the
greatest advantages. From this moment we opened our trenches, and a
noble emulation was established between our allies and us. Although we
were very young soldiers and inexperienced in the operations of a siege,
we had the satisfaction of meriting the praise of the French, who agreed
that our zeal and intelligence made us worthy of being associated with
veteran troops.
“Messrs. Duportail and de Querenet superintended the works as chiefs of
Engineers. M. D’Aboville commanded the French artillery, and General
Knox the American. Notwithstanding the enemy’s fire, the trenches were
rapidly advanced. On the 9th, three batteries were ready to play upon
the town. General Washington himself fired the first gun, and at this
signal we commenced a furious cannonade, which the enemy answered with
great vigour. On the 10th a red-hot shot fired from a French battery at
the little English squadron stationed in the river, set fire to a ship
of 44 guns and two other smaller vessels. This conflagration which
commenced in the evening and continued till late at night, presented a
terrible and magic spectacle. The devouring flames which blazed in tall
columns up the masts, threw a lurid light upon all our batteries, and
seemed to lend us their light to facilitate their destruction.—The
battle only ceased when the cessation of the conflagration left us in
darkness.
“On the 14th, the English possessed no other external works but two
large redoubts, on the situation of one of which Lafayette yesterday
received the civic wreath; the other much more to the right, precisely
where the pyramid is raised, at whose base we first met. Washington
resolved to take them, and all the 14th and part of the 15th was
employed in cannonading them to destroy the abattis which defended the
approaches, and facilitate the storm. During this cannonade Washington
and Rochambeau, on foot, surrounded by the officers of the staff,
remained as near as possible to the enemy’s works, to judge better of
the effects of our batteries, and caused the whole army to admire their
calm intrepidity. Rochambeau, to calm the impatient ardor of Viomenil,
who thought they were burning powder uselessly, and that the moment was
arrived for the assault, descended alone into the ravine which separated
him from the enemy, tranquilly mounted the opposite side, entered the
abattis within pistol-shot of the English batteries, and returned to
assure Viomenil coolly that the abattis was not sufficiently destroyed,
and he must wait until the parapet was more levelled, in order that his
grenadiers should be exposed as little time as possible. At length the
enemy’s fire began to slacken, and Washington judged the moment
favorable for the assault. Lafayette at the head of the American light
infantry was charged with the attack of the redoubt on the left of the
beseiged, and Viomenil, at the head of the French grenadiers with the
left. Lafayette thought correctly that to carry entrenchments defended
by experienced soldiers with young troops, he could only count on the
audacity and rapidity of the attack; in consequence he had all the arms
of his division discharged, formed it in column, and led it himself,
sword in hand, at full speed across the abattis, and in spite of the
enemy’s fire entered the redoubt, of which he was soon master with the
loss of but few men. He immediately sent his aid, Barbour, to Viomenil
to inform him he was in his redoubt, and inquire where _he_ was. The
aid-de-camp found the French general at the head of his column of
grenadiers, waiting patiently under arms, under the terrible fire of the
enemy until his sappers had methodically prepared a path across the
abattis. “Tell Lafayette,” said Viomenil, “that I am not yet in mine,
but will be there in five minutes,” and in fact within five minutes, his
troops entered the redoubt by beat of drum, and in as good order as if
on parade. This action displayed in the strongest manner the discipline,
bravery and coolness of the French grenadiers, but cost them a
considerable number of killed and wounded. As soon as we were masters of
the two redoubts, we established there good lodgments which were
connected with the second parallel, and new batteries were constructed,
which completed the enclosure of Cornwallis’s army, and battered
effectually the interior of the place in a very destructive manner.
“During the night of the 15–16th, the enemy made a sortie of 600 picked
troops, commanded by Abercrombie, who met with resistance from all our
redoubts, but succeeded in deceiving the French post of the second
parallel, by presenting themselves as Americans, and by the aid of this
manœuvre gained and spiked a battery of four pieces. Chevalier
Chastellux arriving immediately with his reserve, forced the British to
retreat precipitately. Thanks to the care of General Aboville,
commanding the French artillery, the four badly spiked pieces were ready
to be used in six hours afterwards.
“It appeared that this sortie was intended to cover the retreat of
Cornwallis and his army. In fact we learned soon after, that general
Cornwallis had resolved to leave his sick and baggage, cross the river
during the night, attack the troops which occupied Gloucester
unexpectedly, and after routing them, to force his way by land even to
New York. The plan was a bold one, and worthy of such a man as
Cornwallis. His boats were all in readiness, and part of his troops had
already landed on the opposite side of the river, when a violent tempest
suddenly coming on, rendered it impossible for him to continue his
operations. He esteemed himself very fortunate in getting his troops
back to York-town, before the daylight betrayed his secret. He then
perceived there was no longer a hope of escape for him, and on the 7th
he demanded a parley. The negociations continued until the 19th: they
were conducted by the American colonel Laurens, whose father was a
prisoner in England, and the Viscount de Noailles. The capitulation
specified that Cornwallis and his army should be prisoners of war; that
the troops should defile with shouldered arms, with flags rolled up, and
drums beating an English or German march, and that they should ground
their arms on the glacis, in face of the allied armies. This
capitulation was ratified by the general in chief, and at noon
detachments of the allied troops occupied the principal posts. When the
British came out of the city to defile before us, we were ranged in two
lines, the Americans on the right, and the French on the left; at the
extremity of both lines were all our general officers. In the midst of
them, the beloved WASHINGTON was conspicuous, from his great height and
beautiful charger, which he managed with inimitable grace. At the moment
when the head of the column appeared, all eyes sought Cornwallis, who
being detained by indisposition, was represented by General O’Hara. The
latter either through mistake or determination, offered his sword to
General Rochambeau, who by a sign pointed out General Washington, and
said, that the French army being only auxiliary, it was from the
American general that he should receive orders. O’Hara appeared piqued,
and advanced towards Washington, who received him with a noble
generosity. It was evident to us that the English in their misfortune
were especially mortified to be obliged to lay down their arms before
Americans, for the officers and soldiers affected to turn their heads
towards the French line. Lafayette perceived this, and revenged himself
in a very pleasant manner. He ordered the music of the light infantry to
strike up _yankee doodle_, an air which the British applied to a song
composed to ridicule the Americans at the beginning of the war, and
which they uniformly sung to all their prisoners. This pleasantry of
Lafayette was so bitter to them, that many of them broke their arms in a
rage in grounding them on the glacis. Cornwallis himself participated in
their weakness of self-love, which made them blush to be conquered by
those they chose to consider as rebels, rather than as citizens armed in
defence of their rights. The day after the capitulation, being amid the
allied generals who came to visit him, he affected in speaking of
Lafayette always to separate his glory from that of the _Americans_. “I
determined more willingly to surrender,” said he, addressing our young
general, “as I knew that the French were associated with the Americans,
and their character assured me of an humane and honourable treatment for
my army.” “What,” replied Fayette, “has your lordship so soon forgotten
that we _Americans_ are also humane to captive armies?” This answer
which alluded to the taking of Burgoyne’s army by the Americans, some
time previous, prevented Cornwallis from returning to the subject. You
see,” said the old soldier, whom I had not once ventured to interrupt,
during his recital, so strongly was I interested, “that Lafayette was on
all occasions a strong and ardent friend; he was not contented to serve
our cause by his counsels and sword in her battles, but he defended our
character and reputation, when they were unjustly attacked, and
identifying himself with us, rendered himself as it were bondsman for
all our actions. Moreover the English who affected so much contempt for
us, ought at least to have talked less of _humanity_, as they every day
outraged this virtue by the most horrible actions. We should never
forget that during this campaign of Virginia, so glorious for our arms
and fortunate for our independence, fire, pillage and murder accompanied
them through our towns and villages; frequently they massacred their
prisoners in cold blood after battle, and, in short, during the seige of
York-town, despairing to conquer us by force of arms, they attempted to
poison us, by sending among us more than an hundred unfortunate negroes,
affected with the small-pox, and which our pity succoured at the foot of
their ramparts.
“But why dwell so long upon the crimes of a tyranny we have destroyed,
and which half a century of happiness and liberty, should efface from
our memory!—Have I not moreover a much more pleasant task to accomplish
in speaking of the rights which the French army and its virtuous leaders
have acquired to American gratitude by their courage and generosity.” He
then related to me with emotion a number of incidents, which proved that
there never was a better disciplined army, nor understood their duties
as allies better, than this little French army, and I ought to add that
this evidence of an old American soldier, speaking as it were in
presence of the facts he cited, is not the only one I collected during
our journey. Every where, even to the smallest villages, which were
formerly occupied by the French army, I heard its severe discipline, its
profound respect to propriety, patience under fatigues, courage in
battle and moderation in victory, highly praised; and I avow that this
eulogium on the noble conduct of my countrymen always made my heart beat
with a delightful emotion. Why then, does the French restoration of
1815, (which, to attach to its colours, glorious recollections, or to
cause to be forgotten the warlike prodigies of the tri-colored cockade,
incessantly invokes the standard of Henry IV, which was only
distinguished in civil wars, or of Louis XIV, whose banners were merely
witness to useless victories or devastating retreats,) not claim as a
legitimate heritage a part of the glory of the War of American
Independence? Was it not under this _White flag_ that Rochambeau’s
grenadiers marched to the capture of Yorktown? Was it not under the
banners of _legitimacy_ that our navy immortalized itself in securing
the freedom of a young nation by the dispersion of the English fleets?
Or does the restoration spurn the glory because it was acquired to the
advantage of Liberty? I know not; but what is certain, is, that while we
were celebrating the anniversary of the capture of Yorktown, the French
squadron commanded by Admiral —— which was then lying in Hampton roads,
where they might hear the acclamations of American gratitude for French
benefits, remained coldly strangers to a festival which ought to have
been regarded as a family celebration by both nations. However, we are
satisfied that this inexplicable indifference or repugnance, was not
participated in by a majority of the officers or crews. Of the officers
some privately came on shore and in citizen’s dress, were witness to
this patriotic scene, in which the Americans would have speedily
assigned them a distinguished place, if they had been permitted to
present themselves in their proper uniform.
When I returned to the headquarters, I found our travelling companions
very much occupied with this question, and many of them affirmed that
the French admiral would not have acted thus unless he had received
instructions on the subject from a superior authority.