In glowing June, amid the beauties of nature, now overcome by intense heat and obliged to march at two o'clock in the morning, now drenched by heavy rains, the French plodded on, and joined their American comrades along the Hudson early in July.
By the 14th of August Washington knew two things--that a great French fleet under the Comte de Grasse had sailed for the Chesapeake and that the British army had reached Yorktown.

Soon the two allied armies, both lying on the east side of the Hudson, moved southward.

On the 20th of August the Americans began to cross the river at King's Ferry, eight miles below Peekskill.

Washington had to leave the greater part of his army before New York, and his meager force of some two thousand was soon over the river in spite of torrential rains.

By the 24th of August the French, too, had crossed with some four thousand men and with their heavy equipment.