Yorktown Square, or Square de Yorktown, is right next to the Trocadero, which is, in turn, across the river from the Eiffel Tower. It was inaugurated on April 27th, 1906, the bicentennial of his birth (see Boucher). Rue Franklin is just next to it.
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.
The square is dominated by a statue of Benjamin Franklin sitting after whom the squared was named in 1791. The inscription says:
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
1706-1790
CE GENIE QUI AFFRANCHIT L’AMERIQUE ET VERSA SUR L’EUROPE DES TORRENT DE LUMIERE. LE SAGE QUE DEUX MONDES RECLAMENT.
This means, roughly:
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
1706-1790
THE GENIUS WHO LIBERATED AMERICA AND SHONE TORRENTS OF LIGHT ON EUROPE. A SAGE CLAIMED BY TWO WORLDS.
There are two plaques at Yorktown square. The first, erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution, commemorates the French who died at Yorktown. It says:
IN APPRECIATION OF THE SERVICE OF THESE MEN WHO MADE
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.
RÉGIMENT DE BOURBONNAIS
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
RÉGIMENT D’AGENOIS
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
RÉGIMENT DE GATINAIS
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
RÉGIMENT DE TOURAINE
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
RÉGIMENT SOISONNAIS
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
CORPS ROYAL DE L’ARTILLERIE
A) RÉGIMENT DE METZ
MICHEL MILLERT
B) RÉGIMENT D’AUXONNE
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
RÉGIMENT DE SAINTONGE
CAPORAL LÉON MAURE
JULIEN CHAUVIN
GUILLAUME COUTEL
NICOLAS DETERMINE
LUC DUGROS
JACQUES HOUPILLARD
GABRIEL PARIS
RÉGIMENT DE ROYAL-DEUX-PONTS
SERGENT FRANÇOIS BILTZENBERGER
SERGENT GODFRIED ROUFFE
ANDRÉ CHERET
NICOLAS MULLER
FRANÇOIS SCHOLDER
JACOB STAUTZER
ADAM STUBERT
LEGION DE LAUZUN
3 HUSSARDS TUÉS LE 3 OCTOBRE 1781
GARNISON DES VAISSEAUX
A) RÉGIMENT DE BRIE
CAPORAL JACQUES DE PARIS
JACQUES BERGER
B) RÉGIMENT DE BEAUJOLAIS
PIERRE BEHER
JEAN CLOARET
JEAN JAUBERT
ANDOCHE MERCIER
JEAN-BAPTISTE MOLIN
JACQUES TISSIER
JEAN VARENNES
RÉGIMENT D’AGENOIS
PIERRE CANUS
FRANÇOIS CAVALIER
BERNARD GAGUEBEY
JOSEPH GENIES
BENOIST GUEIAUD
JEAN LIONNOIS
JEAN MAISON
ALEXIS MARTIN
LIBÉRAL MOUTEL
DOMINIQUE SAVEQUET
A second plaque was donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate the bicentennial of the Treaties of Paris and of Versailles. It says:
ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1983, THE BICENTENNIAL OF THE TREATIES
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)
Nearby you’ll find the Eiffel Tower, the Naval Museum (Musee de la Marine) and swanky art museums.