by Jonathan Klemens
Author and Historian
The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the
final major land engagement of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the
Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Marquis de Lafayette and French
Army troops, led by the Comte de Rochambeau, and a French Navy force commanded by the Comte
de Grasse, defeating the British Army commanded by British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis.
With the arrival of Cornwallis and more reinforcements from New York, the British Army numbered 7,200
men. Cornwallis wanted to push Lafayette, whose force now numbered 3,000 men with the arrival of Virginia
militia. On May 24, he set out after Lafayette, who withdrew from Richmond, and linked forces with those
under the command of Baron von Steuben and Anthony Wayne. Cornwallis did not pursue Lafayette, instead,
he sent raiders into central Virginia, where they attacked depots and supply convoys, before being recalled on
June 20. Cornwallis then headed for Williamsburg, and Lafayette’s force of now 4,500 followed him. General
Clinton, in a confusing series of orders, ordered Cornwallis first to Portsmouth and then Yorktown, where he
was instructed to build fortifications for a deep-water port.
On August 19, using what is now known as the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, Washington
and Rochambeau began what was called the “celebrated march” to Yorktown. 7,000 soldiers (4,000 French
and 3,000 American) began the march in Newport, Rhode Island, while the rest remained behind to protect
the Hudson Valley. Washington wanted to maintain complete secrecy of their destination. To ensure this, he
sent out fake dispatches that reached Clinton revealing that the Franco-American army was going to launch an
attack on New York City, and that Cornwallis was not in danger.
Washington and Rochambeau arrived at Yorktown on September 28, 1781. Washington moved the army
closer to the British defenses on September 29. The American and French army and naval forces had
completely surrounded Cornwallis. The Americans and French built their first parallel and began the
bombardment. With the British defense weakened, on October 14, 1781, Washington sent two columns to
attack the last major remaining British outer defenses. A French column under Vicomte de Deux-Ponts took
Redoubt No. 9 and an American column under Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton took Redoubt No. 10.
With these defenses, the allies were able to finish their second parallel. With the Franco-American artillery
closer and its bombardment more intense, the British position began to deteriorate rapidly. Cornwallis asked
for capitulation terms on October 17. After two days of negotiation, the surrender ceremony occurred on
October 19, after 9 days of bombardment, with Cornwallis absent from the ceremony. With the capture of
more than 7,000 British soldiers, negotiations between the United States and Great Britain began, resulting in
the treaty of Paris of 1783.
