Three days after French troops under the command of Jean Baptiste de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, and the Marquis de Lafayette helped George Washington’s ragged forcesdefeat the British Army, the men celebrated the formal surrender of LordCornwallis. The British bandplayed the popular song “The World Turned Upside Down” as theystacked up their arms.
The last major fighting of the American War for Independencehad somehow ended in a resounding American victory. Washington and the others could not help but recognize God’shand in the victory. Indeed, it was when the American forces were at theirweakest, that victory had finally come. Accordingly, Washingtonissued orders to the army that “Divine service is to be performed in theseveral brigades and divisions. The commander-in-chief recommends that thetroops not on duty should universally attend with that seriousness ofdeportment and gratitude of heart which the recognition of such reiterated andastonishing interpositions of Providence demand of us.”
That celebration of God’s good providence occurred on this day in 1781.
