Papers of John Adams, volume 12
1781-11-21
I have just time, sir, and no more to give you information of the good news we had all the day long yesterday.
In the morning we learnt that the english had been defeated by your troops near Charlestown where they lost 1200 Men.
In the afternoon we learnt by the Duke of Lausan that Lord Cornwallis and his whole army of 6000 Men Surrendered to the allied troops the 17th. of Oct.2
Although JA knew of the Duc de Lauzun’s arrival at Paris with news of Cornwallis’ surrender by 24 Nov., he does not indicate the source of his information. His reply to Henry Grand of 1 Dec., below, suggests that it may have been this brief note.
The arrival of the Duc de Lauzun on 19 Nov. was announced in a Supplément to the Gazette de France dated 20 November. But Grand may have had other sources for his information because the Supplément does not mention Nathanael Greene’s engagement at Eutaw Springs on 8 Sept., and it clearly indicates that Cornwallis opened negotiations on 17 Oct. and surrendered on the 19th. It is noteworthy that official word of Cornwallis’ surrender did not reach London until 25 Nov., and was not reported in the London Gazette until the 27th.