by sea. On the same evening Lord Cornwallis received
intelligence from New York, that Admiral Digby had arrived with three
instead of six ships of the line, and that Sir Henry Clinton would
embark on the 5th of October, with 5000 men for his relief. After
receiving this intelligence, Cornwallis, under cover of the night,
withdrew his army from the outer works which he had erected on the open
grounds round about York Town, and concentrated them within the works
close to it. Those which he abandoned were occupied by detachments
from the combined army; and 2000 men took up a position in front of the
British at Gloucester Point. A part of the latter were commanded by the
Duke de Lauzun; against whom Colonel Dundas sallied out as he approached
the lines, and killed a great number of his men. Dundas was reinforced
by Colonel Tarleton and his legion, but the British then retired within
the lines, and the French and Americans gave up all thought of assault
and storm, and converted their operations into a blockade. The first
parallel was begun within six hundred yards of the British lines, on
the 6th of October, and by the 9th their well-garnished batteries were
completed; and an incessant cannonade was commenced against the town,
while showers of shells, thrown from many mortars, fell among the
besieged. More batteries were opened on the following clay, and the
shells and the red-hot balls set fire to a British ship of forty-four
guns and three transports, which were all destroyed. On the night of the
11th, the combined army, which amounted to 14,000 men, commenced their
second parallel within three hundred yards of the British lines. This
occupied their attention three days, during which time they suffered
severe loss from an incessant fire kept up upon them from York Town.
They particularly suffered from two advanced redoubts; and it became
necessary either to storm these or to abandon the approach. Accordingly
a body of Americans were employed against one of these redoubts, under
Lafayette, and a body of French against the other, under the Baron de
Viominil. There were only forty-five men in the redoubt, against which
Lafayette led his strong American column; yet before he could carry it,
more than forty of the assailants were either killed or wounded. The
other redoubt had more defenders, and caused greater mischief to the
enemy; but it was carried, and then both of them were included in the
second parallel of the besiegers,