Square Yorktown
Square Yorktown is a tiny square just off the Trocadero at the end of, appropriately enough, Rue Benjamin Franklin. It has a plaque commemorating the French dead at the battle of Yorktown, a plaque commemorating the bicentennial of the treaties of versailles and Paris, and is dominated by a statue of Benjamin Franklin.
The French were almost as happy about the results of the Battle of Yorktown as were the Americans. At the time, the French had been sinking a lot of money into the fledgling country, and were not at all sure it wasn't going to be completely wasted. Winning the battle of Yorktown was a welcome indication that the fight against the British might be won.
There are two plaques at Yorktown square.
The first, erected by the
Daughters of the American Revolution, commorates the French who died
at Yorktown:
It says:
THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE YORKTOWN CAMPAIGN, 1781.
THIS TABLET IS ERECTED BY THE NATIONAL SOCIETY,
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, OCTOBER 19, 1931.
LE 19 OCTOBRE 1931, CETTE PLAQUE A ÉTÉ APPOSÉE PAR
LES FILLES DE LA RÉVOLUTION AMÉRICAINE, A LA MÉMOIRE
DES HOMMES QUI FIRENT EN 1781, PENDANT LA CAMPAGNE
DE YORKTOWN, LE SUPRÊME SACRIFICE.
CAPORAL BERNARD MANADET
CAPORAL ANDRÉ-PHILIPPE TERVILLE
FLEURY CHARBRIER
ETIENNE COURTOIS
ANTOINE-FRANÇOIS-JOSEPH DESMONT
MICHEL KELL
JEANGERI LAFIN
JEAN-BAPTISTE ROUSSEL
JEAN-LOUIS SAFFROY
JEAN-FRANÇOIS AIMONT
NICOLAS BOURDIN
JACQUES-ANTOINE CHATILLON
ANTOINE COCQ
YVES DAVID
NOËL FUGENOT
FRANÇOIS GUIBOISEAU
JOSEPH HAUTEVILLE
LOUIS MARTIN
JACQUES-FRANÇOIS PAPELARD
LOUIS THEVENIN
OGER-JOSEPH VERDAVOIR
CAPITAINE JEAN JARLAN DE SIREUIL
CAPITAINE AUGUSTIN-CLEMENT, CHEVALIER DE VILLENEUVE DE BERTHELOT
SERGENT-MAJOR CLAUDE STOUDERT
SERGENT ANGRÉ VACHERE
CAPORAL ANTOINE BEZE
CAPORAL GILBERT CHARET
CAPORAL PIERRE RIOTTE
MATHIEW AUDIGER
JEAN-JOSEPH BULLE
JACQUES BEDEL
JEAN CATEL
CLAUDE-DENIS CHAMOIS
THOMAS CHAVAILLARD
JOSEPH CHEVALIER
PAUL CHEVALIER
ANDRÉ COLUE
FRANÇOIS CURDINET
LOUIS-VICTOR CURDON
BERTRAND DARAY
ANDRÉ DEZE
JEAN DOMINO
MICHEL-PHILIPPE DUFUT
PIERRE GILLES
JOSEPH GIRAUD
ANTOINE GOUYA
NICOLAS GUELIN
JOSEPH GUILLERAUX
REMY HOUBA
CLAUDE JULIEN
JEAN LA COSTE
PHILIBERT MAUCHALIN
PIERRE OZANNE
PAUL PALIS
JEAN-BAPTISTE PAULARD
CHARLES PIERSON
CHARLES REMONT
ANTOINE SALLEMONT
ANTOINE SERVE
BARTHÉLEMY SORBETZ
JOSEPH TINIER-DINIS
JEAN TOUSSET
JEAN-LOUIS VITRE
CAPORAL EDME NEVEU
JEAN BIDOT
ANDRÉ COLAR
SIDET COSTAIL
VIDAL COSTE
JOSEPH DEVAISE
NICOLAS DIDIDIERE
MAURICE EDMON
DANIEL LAURENT
JOSEPH LeFEVRE
FRANÇOIS MAGNAN
NICOLAS MONARD
JEAN-BAPTITE MONGIN
MARTIAL SAVOIX
CAPITAINE-COMMANDANT JEAN-BAPTISTE, CHEVALIER DE MARIN
SERGENT PIERRE LE COMTE
MICHEL BOISSAUD
FRANÇOIS DIQUE-DOUNIER
NICOLAS JACOEY
JEAN LA CROIX
JACQUES LANGLOIS
JEAN ROCHE
ANTOINE SEPEDRE
JEAN SOURSON
A) RÉGIMENT DE METZ
MICHEL MILLERT
LIEUTENANT PIERRE-LOUIS DE LA LOGE
LIEUTENANT BELLANGER
JACQUES CHRISTOT
CLAUDE-PIERRE FERREY
FRANÇOIS GAUTHIER
PIERRE-NICOLAS GORRELIER
ANTOINE CROSETETE
FRANÇOIS IUND
JACQUES PELITIER
PHILIBERT-ANTOINE SALOMON
CAPORAL LÉON MAURE
JULIEN CHAUVIN
GUILLAUME COUTEL
NICOLAS DETERMINE
LUC DUGROS
JACQUES HOUPILLARD
GABRIEL PARIS
SERGENT FRANÇOIS BILTZENBERGER
SERGENT GODFRIED ROUFFE
ANDRÉ CHERET
NICOLAS MULLER
FRANÇOIS SCHOLDER
JACOB STAUTZER
ADAM STUBERT
3 HUSSARDS TUÉS LE 3 OCTOBRE 1781
A) RÉGIMENT DE BRIE
CAPORAL JACQUES DE PARIS
JACQUES BERGER
PIERRE BEHER
JEAN CLOARET
JEAN JAUBERT
ANDOCHE MERCIER
JEAN-BAPTISTE MOLIN
JACQUES TISSIER
JEAN VARENNES
PIERRE CANUS
FRANÇOIS CAVALIER
BERNARD GAGUEBEY
JOSEPH GENIES
BENOIST GUEIAUD
JEAN LIONNOIS
JEAN MAISON
ALEXIS MARTIN
LIBÉRAL MOUTEL
DOMINIQUE SAVEQUET
The second plaque was also donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution:
It says:
OF PARIS AND VERSAILLES
WHICH SECURED THE PEACE AND ESTABLISHED
THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THIS TABLET WAS OFFERED BY THE
NATIONAL SOCIETY DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
AS A GRATEFUL TRIBUTE TO THE ARCHITECHS OF THESE TREATIES,
WHO DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO
``THE BEST OF ALL WORKS -- THE WORK OF PEACE''
(BENJAMIN FRANKLIN)
Here is a scan of the US postage stamp issued in 1931 to commorate the victory against the British:
