The Siege of Yorktown
September 28 – October 19, 1781 at Yorktown, Virginia
The Siege of Yorktown, aka Battle of Yorktown, aka Surrender at Yorktown, aka German Battle, aka Siege of
The Siege of Yorktown
September 28 – October 19, 1781 at Yorktown, Virginia
The Siege of Yorktown, aka Battle of Yorktown, aka Surrender at Yorktown, aka German Battle, aka Siege of Little York, was faought from September 28 to October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia.
It was a decisive victory by a combined force of Continental Army troops, led by General George Washington, and French army troops, led by Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau, over a British army commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis.
During the Yorktown campaign, the siege proved to be the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War in the North American theater, as the surrender by Cornwallis, and the capture of both him and his army, prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict.
The battle boosted faltering American morale, revived French enthusiasm for the war, and undermined popular support for the conflict in Great Britain.
Facts about the Siege of Yorktown
- Armies – American Forces was commanded by Gen. George Washington and consisted of about 18,900 American and French Soldiers. British Forces was commanded by Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis and consisted of about 9,000 Soldiers.
- Casualties – American casualties were estimated to be 88 killed and 301 wounded. British casualties were about 142-309 killed, 326-595 wounded, and 7,416-7,685 captured.
- Outcome – The result of the Siege was an American victory. The Siege was part of the Yorktown Campaign 1781.
With the possibility of support from the French West Indies fleet of French Admiral Francois Joseph Paul (Comte) de Grasse, Washington and Rochambeau decided to ask him for assistance either in either besieging New York or in military operations against a British army operating in Virginia. De Grasse informed them of his intent to sail to the Chesapeake Bay, where Cornwallis had his army.
Cornwallis, at first given confusing orders by his superior, General Henry Clinton, was ordered to build a defensible deep-water port, which he began to do in Yorktown. Cornwallis’ movements in Virginia were shadowed by a Continental Army force led by the Major General Marquis de Lafayette.
During the summer of 1781, the French and American armies united north of New York City. When word of de Grasse’s decision arrived, both armies began moving south toward Virginia, engaging in tactics of deception to lead the British to believe a siege of New York was planned. De Grasse arrived at the Chesapeake Bay at the end of August, bringing additional troops and creating a naval blockade of Yorktown.
In the beginning of September, de Grasse defeated a British fleet, led by Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves, that came to relieve Cornwallis, at the Battle of the Chesapeake. As a result of this victory, de Grasse blocked any escape by sea for Cornwallis.
By late September, Washington and Rochambeau arrived, and the army and naval forces completely surrounded Cornwallis.
After their initial preparations, the Americans and French began the bombardment.
On October 14, with the British defense weakened, Washington attacked the last major remaining British outer defenses. With the American artillery closer and its bombardment more intense than ever, the British position began to deteriorate rapidly.
On October 17, Cornwallis asked Washington for terms of capitulation for the British forces.
On October 19, after two days of negotiation, the surrender ceremony occurred. Cornwallis was 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.
On December 20, 1780, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold sailed from New York with 1,500 troops to Portsmouth, Virginia. He first raided Richmond, defeating the defending militia, from January 5–7 before falling back to Portsmouth. Admiral Destouches, who arrived in Newport, Rhode Island in July 1780 with a fleet transporting 5,500 soldiers, was encouraged by Washington and Rochambeau to move his fleet south, and launch a joint land-naval attack on Arnold’s troops.
Lafayette was sent south with 1,200 men to help with the assault. However, Destouches was reluctant to dispatch many ships, and in February sent only three. After they proved ineffective, he took a larger force of 8 ships in March 1781, and fought a tactically inconclusive battle with the British fleet of Marriot Arbuthnot at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Destouches withdrew due to the damage sustained to his fleet, leaving Arbuthnot and the British fleet in control of the bay’s mouth.
On March 26, Arnold was joined by 2,300 troops under command of Major General William Phillips, who took command of the combined forces. Phillips resumed raiding, defeating the militia at Blandford, then burning the tobacco warehouses at Petersburg on April 25. Richmond was about to suffer the same fate, but Lafayette arrived. The British, not wanting to engage in a major battle, withdrew to Petersburg on May 10.
On May 20, Cornwallis arrived at Petersburg with 1,500 men after suffering heavy casualties at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. He immediately assumed command, as Phillips had recen