Hispanics Financed the Battle of Yorktown

But more men and more funds were needed

De Grasses Atlantic fleet ensured the naval superiority of the allied forces over the British, but Washington needed more soldiers to clinch his victory on land. Thus, on May 28, Rochambcau asked de Grasse for more soldiers.

It was obvious that events had reached a historic crossroads which could lead to a griumph or a resounding defeat. In his request de Grasse, Rochambeau had stated:

". . . .the arrival of Monsieru the Count Grasse may save America- and particular the Southern States--from the great crisis it faces; the means at our disposal are without his aid. . ."

Paying heed to Rochambau's request, Grasse was able to persuade the Govenor Saint Domingue (present day Haiti) to part with 3,300 men of the colonial garrison. However military agreement between Madrid and Versail stipulated that most of those troops wer to take orders from the Spanish Admiral Jose Solano, reparation for a possible attack against Jamaica or East Florida. thus it was necessary to obtain Solano's permission to take these soldiers to the United States.

Solano was happy to oblige but established the provision that the troops be back beforre the end of October, thus forcing Washingotn, de Grasse and Rechambeau to speed up their plan.

Although the shortage of fighting men had been termporarily solved, there still remained substantial financial problems to overcome/.

The paper currency issued by the Government of the United States, after having fallen to a rate of exchange of about 1,000 to one as again silver, was by then practically worthless. On the other hand, the bills of exchange issued the the French Governemtn were accepted by merchants only with a 25% to 30% discount. Only gold or silver coins- and especially the Spanish peso--were of any value in North America at that time.

From the economic standpoint, the situation of the French and American armies was extremly difficult. On June 4, the French Army Intended warned that he would run out of funds on August 20.  General Washington, in turn, dashed off this urgent request to American Army Intendent Robert Morris on August 27:

                 "I must entreat you, if possible, to procure one month's pay in specie for the detachment                   under my command. Part of the troops have not been paid anything for a long time and                   have upon several occasions shown marks of great discontent".

Morris replied the following day, stating that he doubted he would be able to honor the Generals request.

Meeting between General Washington and Admiral de Grasse on September 17, 1781, on board the French flagship, the Ville de Paris. The Duke of Lauzon had been with Washington when, a few days earlier, the American General had heard the news that de Grasse and his ships had arrived in Chesapeake Bay. "I have never seen a man more overcome with great and sincere joy than was General Washington," wrote the Duke in his Memores."

    American historian Jean-Henri Clos has eloquently described the plight of the Continental Army at this juncture:

          "The commander-in chief, with a half clothed, half fed army, had been sustaining the cause of the revolution for six anxious years. At this time his forces numbered only three thousand Continentals. They were too weak to combat the well-trained, well-equipped army of ten thousand men which the British commander-in-chief, Sir Henry Clinton, then had in New York. During the first half of 1781, Washington had no prospect of doing much in the North and could do little to assist the South".