Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/869

YORKTOWN. 733 YOUATT. about 53,000 Union troops on April 5, 1862. The Confederate general, Maynuler, with 15,000 men, had taken possession early in the spring and had erected formidable works around the town and on Gloucester I'oint. He was soon rciinforeed by General Johnston, w'ho took command, the total Confederate force now munbcring about 55,000, while the Federal army, also reenforced, now numbered about 05.000. During the night of IMay 3d-4th Johnston secretly evacuated York- town and retreated toward Richmond, but wa.s pursued by a part of the Union army, and on the 5th was forced with a part of his troops under Longstreet to fight the battle of Williamsburg (q-v.). In 1881 the centennial of the surrender of Cornwallis was celebrated with elaborate cere- monies, and a monument commemorative of the event was dedicated in the presence of man.y dis- tinguished Americans and foreigners. Consult ; Johnston, The Yorktoirn Campaign and the Sur- render of Cornicallis (New York, 1881) ; Balch, The French in America Durin;/ the TT'ar of In- dependence (Philadeli>hia, 18!)l-95) ; Johnson and Buel (eds.). Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (New York, 1887) ; and Report of the Com- mission Created in Accordance with a Joint Hcso- lution of Congress Providing for the Erection of a Monument at Yorlctoicn, Va. (Washington, 1883). YORK VON WAKTENBURG, york fon viir'tcn-bCiurK, II.^.s D.wiu I.rnwiG, Count (1750-1830). A Prussian field-marshal. He was born at Potsdam, entered the army in 1772, and was cashiered for insubordination and im- prisoned (1779-81). He was in the Dutch East Indian service in 1783-84 and was reinstated in the Prussian army in 1787. He served in the Polish campaign of 1704 and distinguished him- self in the struggle against France in 1806. In 1807 he attained the rank of major-general and in 1811 was made Governor-General of East and West Pru.ssia. In the Russian campaign of 1812 he commanded the Prussian contingent in Napoleon's army, but he had no heart in this service, and during the retreat from Russia en- tered into a convention with the Russians, De- cember 30, 1812, by which the Prussian troops were neutralized. This convention was neces- sarily disavowed by the King of Prussia, but the War of Liberation against Napoleon soon broke out and the General's conduct received grateful recognition. Y'ork distinguished himself in the campaign of 1813-14, defeated Eugene Beauliar- nais at Mockern, took part in the battle of Bautzen and that on the Katzbach, and fought at Leipzig. He shared also in the fighting which preceded the capture of Paris by the Allies. He was made a count in 1814 and a field-marshal in 1821. For his life, consult Drovsen (Leipzig, 1890). YORTJBA, y,yrrS3-ba, or YARIBA. For- merly a powerful State in Africa, comprising the territory lying southwest of the Nujjc country and east of Dahomey and extending from Borgu south almost to the Bight of Benin. The inva- sion of the Fulbe in the-first lialf of the nine- teenth century led to the partition of the Yoruba empire into small States constantly warring with each other. Hence the existence of the large walled cities in that region such as Oyo, the Yoruba capital, Ibadan, the chief commercial city, Abeokuta, llorin, and a few others, some of which are supposed once to have had as many as 200,000 inhabitants. At present Yoruba is practically embraced in Lagos (q.v.). The popu- lation is estimated at from 1,000,000 to 2,000,- 000 and is of negro origin. They are cliielly agriculturists. Palm-oil is the main ex- port article. The Yorubas are .shorter than negroes in general (1.64 m. to 1.65 m.) and are often mesoccphalic or braehycephalie. These characters, joined with their fair color, are regarded as evidence of dwarf elements. They are light brown in color, pleasing in fea- tures, brave, industrious, and great traders. They have large towns of rectangular houses with heavy, palm-thatched roofs, wide plazas, and merchants' booths. Professedly ^loliam- medan, they practice their ancient cult, which is cliielly conciliation of evil spirits and fetishism, but they jiunish sorcery with death. The Yoruba rulers maintain great state and an infraction of etiquette is a capital offense. Consult: Ellis, Tlic Yoruha-Speaking Peoples (London, 1894) ; Crowther, Grammar and Vocabulari/ of the Yo- ruha Language (ib., 1852) ; Gonzien, Manuel franeo-i/onilia de conversation (Paris. 1899). YOSEMITE (yo-sem'i-te) VALLEY. A cele- brated valley in the Sierra Nevada Moun- tains, in the county of Mariposa, Cal. (Map: California, D 3). -It is about 15 miles long and on an average less than a mile wide. The Merced River traverses the valley in a general direction from east to west. The scenery is famous for the numberless masses of picturesque rock formations and gi- gantic waterfalls, for striking heights and deep creek valleys. On lioth siiles of the ilerced rise perpendicular heights of granite, repre- sented among others by EI Capitan (3400 feet high). Cathedral Rock, Three Brothers (4000 feet), and Half Dome (4700 feet). The most celebrated of the waterfalls are the Bridal Veil Falls, formed by Bridal Veil Creek and descend- ing over Cathedral Rock, a distance of over 600 feet. The total height of the falls represents nearly 900 feet. There ai-e also Yosemite Falls, Nevada Falls, etc. In the eastern part of the valley is foimd Jlirror Lake, a beautiful sheet of water. The valley was discovered in 1851. In 1864 it passed to California by act of Con- gress, under the condition that it be kept open as a public park. Since 1890 it has been known as Y'osemite National Park. The celebrated big trees of California are in this immediate region. Consult the Oiiide to the Yosemite. by the Cali- fornia Geological Survey, and Bunnell, Discovery of the Yosemite (New York, 1893). YOU'ATT, William (1776-1847). A noted British veterinarian and author, born at Exeter. Having been educated for the ministry, he of- ficiated in London from 1810 to 1812 'or 1813, when he established, with D. P. Blaine, a veteri- nary infirmary which came under his sole man- agement about twelve years later. From 1828 to 1835 he delivered lectures and conducted prae- ticums on veterinary practice. At the same time he established the Veterin/irian. a monthly maga- zine, still published. Besides important work in conjunction with the Royal Veterinary College and the Royal Agricultural Society, to whose