Today, October 19 marks the 223rd anniversary of the British surrender at Yorktown, which hurried the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War.

The combined Continental and French force under Generals Washington and Rochambeau arrived at Yorktown on September 28, 1781. There were three divisions with two brigades in the American force. Marquis de Lafayette's division included the brigades of Brig. General Peter Muhlenberg and Brig. General Moses Hazen. Maj. General Benjamin Lincoln's division included the brigades of Brig. General James Clinton's New York Regiments and Colonel Elias Dayton, who commanded New Jersey and Rhode Island regiments. Brig. General Baron von Steuben commanded the brigades of Brig. General Anthony Wayne, which included Pennsylvania and Virginia regiments, and Brig. General Modrecai [sic] Gist, which included Maryland regiments. 1,700 Virginia militia present. Brig. General Henry Knox commanded a 310-man artillery brigade. Cavalry was 100 men strong while there were 100 sappers and miners.

Lt. General Comte de Rochambeau['s force] was comprised of four 900-man regiments that had come from Newport, Rhode Island and three 1000-man regiments that Admiral de Grasse had brought from the West Indies for a total of 6600 infantry. He also had 600 artillerymen, 600 horse and foot from Lauzun's [sic] Legion and 600 marines for operations against Gloucester.

The French contributed 41% of the strength to the Yorktown campaign, suffered 72% of the fatalities, and 75% of the wounded casualties.

In the area of the French encampment there is a monument bearing the names of French soldiers and sailors who died in the campaign.

At the Cape Henry Memorial there is a statute of Admiral de Grasse and a granite memorial to the Battle of the Capes.

To these and all the French who stood with America in its needful hour, we pledge our thanks eternal and say rest with God. Your like is gone and lost to contemporary France.

UPDATE 10.19.04: One of our resident gadflies, M. Zoomerx, points us to this story. Though some at Pave may see more commercial opportunity than beau geste, we are happy to see a good.

UPDATE 10.21.04: This just in! American Revolutionary War unnecessary! (Hat tip: LGF):

Jimmy Carter: [T]he Revolutionary War, more than any other war up until recently, has been the most bloody war we‘ve fought. I think...in some ways the Revolutionary War could have been avoided. It was an unnecessary war.

Had the British Parliament been a little more sensitive to the colonial‘s really legitimate complaints and requests the war could have been avoided completely, and of course now we would have been a free country now as is Canada and India and Australia, having gotten our independence in a nonviolent way.

I think in many ways the British were very misled in going to war against America and in trying to enforce their will on people who were quite different from them at the time.

Believe it or not, Mr. Carter has actually been a president of the United States. Really.

Amen.

Not so fast, Damian... Here comes France to your rescue again...

France will never miss a meal at the American trough. Thanks just the same, though.