；　and　poured　their　fire　into　each　other。　When　night　came　the　British　had　about　three　hundred　and　fifty　casualties　and　the　French　about　two　hundred。　There　was　no　brilliant　leadership　on　either　side。　One　of　Graves's　largest　ships；　the　Terrible；　was　so　crippled　that　he　burnt　her；　and　several　others　were　badly　damaged。　Admiral　Hood；　one　of　Graves's　officers；　says　that　if　his　leader　had　turned　suddenly　and　anchored　his　ships　across　the　mouth　of　the　Bay；　the　French　Admiral　with　his　fleet　outside　would　probably　have　sailed　away　and　left　the　British　fleet　in　possession。　As　it　was　the　two　fleets　lay　at　sea　in　sight　of　each　other　for　four　days。　On　the　morning　of　the　tenth　the　squadron　from　Newport　under　Barras　arrived　and　increased　Grasse's　ships　to　thirty…six。　Against　such　odds　Graves　could　do　nothing。　He　lingered　near　the　mouth　of　the　Chesapeake　for　a　few　days　still　and　then　sailed　away　to　New　York　to　refit。　At　the　most　critical　hour　of　the　whole　war　a　British　fleet；　crippled　and　spiritless；　was　hurrying　to　a　protecting　port　and　the　fleurs…de…lis　waved　unchallenged　on　the　American　coast。　The　action　of　Graves　spelled　the　doom　of　Cornwallis。　The　most　potent　fleet　ever　gathered　in　those　waters　cut　him　off　from　rescue　by　sea。
  Yorktown　fronted　on　the　York　River　with　a　deep　ravine　and　swamps　at　the　back　of　the　town。　From　the　land　it　could　on　the　west　side　be　approached　by　a　road　leading　over　marshes　and　easily　defended；　and　on　the　east　side　by　solid　ground　about　half　a　mile　wide　now　protected　by　redoubts　and　entrenchments　with　an　outer　and　an　inner　parallel。　Could　Cornwallis　hold　out？　At　New　York；　no　longer　in　any　danger；　there　was　still　a　keen　desire　to　rescue　him。　By　the　end　of　September　he　received　word　from　Clinton　that　reinforcements　had　arrived　from　England　and　that；　with　a　fleet　of　twenty…six　ships　of　the　line　carrying　five　thousand　troops；　he　hoped　to　sail　on　the　5th　of　October　to　the　rescue　of　Yorktown。　There　was　delay。　Later　Clinton　wrote　that　on　the　basis　of　assurances　from　Admiral　Graves　he　hoped　to　get　away　on　the　twelfth。　A　British　officer　in　New　York　describes　the　hopes　with　which　the　populace　watched　these　preparations。　The　fleet；　however；　did　not　sail　until　the　19th　of　October。　A　speaker　in　Congress　at　the　time　said　that　the　British　Admiral　should　certainly　hang　for　this　delay。
  On　the　5th　of　October；　for　some　reason　unexplained；　Cornwallis　abandoned　the　outer　parallel　and　withdrew　behind　the　inner　one。　This　left　him　in　Yorktown　a　space　so　narrow　that　nearly　every　part　of　it　could　be　swept　by　enemy　artillery。　By　the　11th　of　October　shells　were　dropping　incessantly　from　a　distance　of　only　three　hundred　yards；　and　before　this　powerful　fire　the　earthworks　crumbled。　On　the　fourteenth　the　French　and　Americans　carried　by　storm　two　redoubts　on　the　second　parallel。　The　redoubtable　Tarleton　was　in　Yorktown；　and　he　says　that　day　and　night　there　was　acute　danger　to　any　one　showing　himself　and　that　every　gun　was　dismounted　as　soon　as　seen。　He　was　for　evacuating　the　place　and　marching　away；　whither　he　hardly　knew。　Cornwallis　still　held　Gloucester；　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　York　River；　and　he　now　planned　to　cross　to　that　place　with　his　best　troops；　leaving　behind　his　sick　and　wounded。　He　would　try　to　reach　Philadelphia　by　the　route　over　which　Washington　had　just　ridden。　The　feat　was　not　impossible。　Washington　would　have　had　a　stern　chase　in　following　Cornwallis；　who　might　have　been　able　to　live　off　the　country。　Clinton　could　help　by　attacking　Philadelphia；　which　was　almost　defenseless。
  As　it　was；　a　storm　prevented　the　crossing　to　Gloucester。　The　defenses　of　Yorktown　were　weakening　and　in　face　of　this　new　discouragement　the　British　leader　made　up　his　mind　that　the　end　was　near。　Tarleton　and　other　officers　condemned　Cornwallis　sharply　for　not　persisting　in　the　effort　to　get　away。　Cornwallis　was　a　considerate　man。　〃I　thought　it　would　have　been　wanton　and　inhuman；〃　he　reported　later；　〃to　sacrifice　the　lives　of　this　small　body　of　gallant　soldiers。〃　He　had　already　written　to　Clinton　to　say　that　there　would　be　great　risk　in　trying　to　send　a　fleet　and　army　to　rescue　him。　On　the　19th　of　October　came　the　climax。　Cornwallis　surrendered　with　some　hundreds　of　sailors　and　about　seven　thousand　soldiers；　of　whom　two　thousand　were　in　hospital。　The　terms　were　similar　to　those　which　the　British　had　granted　at　Charleston　to　General　Lincoln；　who　was　now　charged　with　carrying　out　the　surrender。　Such　is　the　play　of　human　fortune。　At　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　the　British　marched　out　between　two　lines；　the　French　on　the　one　side；　the　Americans　on　the　other；　the　French　in　full　dress　uniform；　the　Americans　in　some　cases　half　naked　and　barefoot。　No　civilian　sightseers　were　admitted；　and　there　was　a　respectful　silence　in　the　presence　of　this　great　humiliation　to　a　proud　army。　The　town　itself　was　a　dreadful　spectacle　with；　as　a　French　observer　noted；　〃big　holes　made　by　bombs；　cannon　balls；　splinters；　barely　covered　graves；　arms　and　legs　of　blacks　and　whites　scattered　here　and　there；　most　of　the　houses　riddled　with　shot　and　devoid　of　window…panes。〃
  On　the　very　day　of　surrender　Clinton　sailed　from　New　York　with　a　rescuing　army。　Nine　days　later　forty…four　British　ships　were　counted　off　the　entrance　to　Chesapeake　Bay。　The　next　day　there　were　none。　The　great　fleet　had　heard　of　the　surrender　and　had　turned　back　to　New　York。　Washington　urged　Grasse　to　attack　New　York　or　Charleston　but　the　French　Admiral　was　anxious　to　take　his　fleet　back　to　meet　the　British　menace　farther　south　and　he　sailed　away　with　all　his　great　array。　The　waters　of　the　Chesapeake；　the　scene　of　one　of　the　decisive　events　in　human　history；　were　deserted　by　ships　of　war。　Grasse　had　sailed；　however；　to　meet　a　stern　fate。　He　was　a　fine　fighting　sailor。　His　men　said　of　him　that　he　was　on　ordinary　days　six　feet　in　height　but　on　battle　days　six　feet　and　six　inches。　None　the　less　did　a　few　months　bring　the　British　a　quick　revenge　on　the　sea。　On　April　12；　1782；　Rodney　met　Grasse　in　a　terrible　naval　battle　in　the　West　Indies。　Some　five　thousand　in　both　fleets　perished。　When　night　came　Grasse　was　Rodney's　prisoner　and　Britain　had　recovered　her　supremacy　on　the　sea。　On　returning　to　France　Grasse　was　tried　by　court…martial　and；　though　acquitted；　he　remained　in　disgrace　until　he　died　in　1788；　〃weary；〃　as　he　said；　〃of　the　burden　of　life。〃　The　defeated　Cornwallis　was　not　blamed　in　England。　His　character　commanded　wide　respect　and　he　lived　to　play　a　great　part　in　public　life。　He　became　Governor　General　of　India；　and　was　Viceroy　of　Ireland　when　its　restless　union　with　England　was　brought　about　in　1800。
  Yorktown　settled　the　issue　of　the　war　but　did　not　end　it。　For　more　than　a　year　still　hostilities　continued　and；　in　parts　of　the　South；　embittered　faction　led　to　more　bloodshed。　In　England　the　news　of　Yorktown　caused　a　commotion。　When　Lord　George　Germain　received　the　first　despatch　he　drove　with　one　or　two　colleagues　to　the　Prime　Minister's　house　in　Downing　Street。　A　friend　asked　Lord　George　how　Lord　North　had　taken　the　news。　〃As　he　would　have　taken　a　ball　in　the　breast；〃　he　replied；　〃for　he　opened　his　arms；　exclaiming　wildly；　as　he　paced　up　and　down　the　apartment　during　a　few　minutes；　'Oh　God！　it　is　all　over；'　words　which　he　repeated　many　times；　under　emotions　of　the　deepest　agitation　and　distress。〃　Lord　North　might　well　be　agitated　for　the　news　meant　the　collapse　of　a　system。　The　King　was　at　Kew　and　word　was　sent　to　him。　That　Sunday　evening　Lord　George　Germain　had　a　small　dinner　party　and　the　King's　letter　in　reply　was　brought　to　the　table。　The　guests　were　curious　to　know　how　the　King　took　the　news。　〃The　King　writes　just　as　he　always　does；〃　said　Lord　George；　〃except　that　I　observe　he　has　omitted　to　mark　the　hour　and　the　minute　of　his　writing　with　his　usual　precision。〃　It　needed　a　heavy　shock　to　disturb　the　routine　of　George　III。　The　King　hoped　no　one　would　think　that　the　bad　news　〃makes　the　smallest　alteration　in　those　principles　of　my　conduct　which　have　directed　me　in　past　time。〃　Lesser　men　might　change　in　the　face　of　evils；　George　III　was　resolved　to　be　changeless　and　never；　never；　to　yield　to　the　coercion　of　facts。
  Yield；　however；　he　did。　The　months　which　followed　were　months　of　political　commotion　in　England。　For　a　time　the　ministry　held　its　majority　against　the　fierce　attacks　of　Burke　and　Fox。　The　House　of　Commons　voted　that　the　war　must　go　on。　But　the　heart　had　gone　out　of　British　effort。　Everywhere　the　people　were　growing　restless。　Even　the　ministry　acknowledged　that　the　war　in　America　must　henceforth　be　defensive　only。　In　February；　1782；　a　motion　in　the　House　of　Commons　for　peace　was　lost　by　only　one　vote；　and　in　March；　in　spite　of　the　frantic　expostulations　of　the　King；　Lord　North　resigned。　The　King　insisted　that　at　any　rate　some　members　of　the　new　ministry　must　be　named　by　himself　and　not；　as　is　the　British　constitutional　custom；　by　the　Prime　Minister。　On　this；　too；　he　had　to　yield；　and　a　Whig　ministry；　under　the　Marquis　of　Rockingham；　took　office　in　March；　1782。　Rockingham　died　on　the　1st　of　July；　and　it　was　Lord　Shelburne；　later　the　Marquis　of　Lansdowne；　under　whom　the　war　came　to　an　end。　The　King　meanwhile　declared　that　he　would　return　to　Hanover　rather　than　yield　the　independence　of　the　colonies。