Rochambeau (center, gesturing), Washington (center R), Marquis de La Fayette (behind Washington, R),
Marquis de Saint Simon (behind Washington, L),
Duke of Lauzun (L, mounted) and Comte de Ménonville (R of Washington).
Initial movements On September 26, transports with artillery, siege tools, and some French infantry and
shock troops from
Head of Elk, the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay, arrived, giving Washington command of an army of 7,800 Frenchmen, 3,100 militia, and 8,000 Continentals. The French took the positions on the left while the Americans took the position of honor on the right. The Americans and the French spent the night of the 28th sleeping out in the open, while work parties built bridges over the marsh. Some of the American soldiers hunted down wild hogs to eat. On September 29, Washington moved the army closer to Yorktown, and British gunners opened fire on the infantry. Throughout the day, several British cannon fired on the Americans, but there were few casualties. Fire was also exchanged between American riflemen and
Hessian Jägers. The Americans and the French occupied the abandoned defenses and began to establish their batteries there. With the British outer defenses in their hands, allied engineers began to lay out positions for the artillery. The men improved their works and deepened their trenches. The British also worked on improving their defenses. The skirmish lasted two hours, in which the French were repulsed, suffering several casualties. On October 1, the allies learned from British deserters that, to preserve their food, the British had slaughtered hundreds of horses and thrown them on the beach. As the allies began to put their artillery into place, the British kept up a steady fire to disrupt them. British fire increased on the 2nd and the allies suffered moderate casualties. General Washington continued to make visits to the front, despite concern shown by several of his officers over the increasing enemy fire. On the night of October 2, the British opened a storm of fire to cover up the movement of the British cavalry to Gloucester where they were to escort infantrymen on a foraging party. By October 5, Washington was almost ready to open the first parallel. That night the
sappers and miners worked, putting strips of pine on the wet sand to mark the path of the trenches. The main/ initial movements of this battle were walking and riding horses. Half of the trench was to be commanded by the French, the other half by the Americans. On the northernmost end of the French line, a support trench was dug so that they could bombard the British ships in the river. On October 7, the British saw the new allied trench just out of musket-range. By October 9, all of the French and American guns were in place. Washington ordered that the guns fire all night so that the British could not make repairs. Some British ships were also damaged by cannonballs that flew across the town into the harbor. Believing that Cornwallis might be stationed there, they aimed at it and quickly destroyed it. Cornwallis sank more than a dozen of his ships in the harbor. The French began to fire at the British ships and scored a hit on the British , which caught fire, and in turn set two or three other ships on fire. Cornwallis received word from Clinton that the British fleet was to depart on October 12, however Cornwallis responded by saying that he would not be able to hold out for long. On the night of October 11, Washington ordered that the Americans dig a second parallel. Washington ordered that all guns within range begin blasting the redoubts to weaken them for an assault that evening. Washington planned to use the cover of a moonless night to gain the element of surprise. To reinforce the darkness, he added silence, ordering that no soldier should load his musket until reaching the fortifications; the advance would be made with only "cold steel." Redoubt No. 10 was near the river and held by only 70 men, while redoubt 9 was a quarter-mile inland, and was held by 120 British and Germans. Redoubt No. 9 would be assaulted by 400 French regular soldiers of the Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment under the command of the
Count of Deux-Ponts and redoubt 10 would be assaulted by 400
light infantry troops under the command of
Alexander Hamilton. At 6:30 pm, gunfire announced the diversionary attack on the Fusiliers redoubt. At other places in the line, movements were made as if preparing for an assault on Yorktown itself, which caused the British to panic. The Americans reached the redoubt and began chopping through the British wooden defenses with their axes. A British sentry called a challenge, and then fired at the Americans. The Americans forced their way into the redoubt, falling into giant shell holes created by the preparatory bombardment. The British fire was heavy, but the Americans overwhelmed them. In the assault, the Americans lost 9 dead and 25 wounded. The French soldiers fired back, and then charged the redoubt. The Germans charged the Frenchmen climbing over the walls, but the French fired a volley, driving them back. On October 15, Cornwallis turned all of his guns onto the nearest allied position. He then ordered a storming party of 350 British troops under the command of Colonel
Robert Abercromby to attack the allied lines and spike the American and French cannon (i.e., plug the
touch hole with an iron spike). The allies were sleeping and unprepared. As the British charged, Abercromby shouted "Push on my brave boys, and skin the bastards!" A French party came and drove them out of the allied lines and back to Yorktown. The British had been able to spike six guns, but by the morning they were all repaired. One wave of boats made it across, but a squall hit when they returned to take more soldiers, making the evacuation impossible.
British surrender The fire on Yorktown from the allies was heavier than ever as new artillery pieces joined the line. Cornwallis talked with his officers that day and they agreed that their situation was hopeless. On the morning of October 17, a drummer appeared, followed by an officer waving a white handkerchief. The bombardment ceased, and the officer was blindfolded and led behind the French and American lines. Negotiations began at the
Moore House on October 18 between Lieutenant Colonel
Thomas Dundas and Major
Alexander Ross (who represented the British) and Lieutenant Colonel Laurens (who represented the Americans) and
Marquis de Noailles (who represented the French). To make sure that nothing fell apart between the French and Americans at the last minute, Washington ordered that the French be given an equal share in every step of the surrender process. The British had asked for the traditional
honors of war, which would allow the army to march out with flags flying, bayonets fixed, and the band playing an American or French tune as a tribute to the victors. However, Washington firmly refused to grant the British the honors that they had denied the defeated American army the year before at the
siege of Charleston. Consequently, the British and Hessian troops marched with flags furled and muskets shouldered, while the band was forced to play "a British or German march." American history books recount the legend that the British band played "
The World Turn'd Upside Down", but the story may be apocryphal. , now housed at the
D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts Cornwallis refused to attend the surrender ceremony, claiming that he had an illness. Instead, Brigadier General
Charles O'Hara led the British army onto the field. O'Hara first attempted to surrender to Rochambeau, who shook his head and pointed to Washington. O'Hara then offered his sword to Washington, who also refused and motioned to Major General
Benjamin Lincoln, his second-in-command. The surrender finally took place when Lincoln accepted the sword of Cornwallis's deputy. The British soldiers marched out and laid down their arms in between the French and American armies, while many civilians watched. At this time, the troops on the other side of the river in Gloucester also surrendered. The British soldiers had been issued new uniforms hours before the surrender and until prevented by General O'Hara some threw down their muskets with the apparent intention of smashing them. Others wept or appeared to be drunk. In all, 8,000 soldiers, 214 artillery pieces, thousands of muskets, 24 transport ships, wagons, and horses were captured.
Effect of disease Malaria was endemic in the marshlands of eastern Virginia during the time, and Cornwallis's army suffered greatly from the disease; he estimated during the surrender that half of his army was unable to fight as a result. The Continental Army enjoyed an advantage, in that most of their members had grown up with malaria, and hence had acquired resistance to the disease. As malaria has a month-long incubation period, most of the French soldiers had not begun to exhibit symptoms before the surrender.
Articles of capitulation The articles of capitulation, outlining the terms and conditions of surrender for officers, soldiers, military supplies, and personal property, were signed on October 19, 1781. Washington declined to approve Article Ten of the fourteen articles in the draft sent to him for approval by the negotiators for both sides, as further noted with the summary of the article below. Conditions, methods of compliance or reservations were put on five other articles. Under the articles Cornwallis's men were declared prisoners of war and promised good treatment in American camps, and officers were permitted to return home after taking their parole. Instead of a tune of the conqueror, Washington required the British to beat a British or German march and to ground their arms at a place to be specified. Article I provided for the surrender of the British land forces to the Americans and of the British naval forces and other mariners to the French as prisoners of war. Article II required the delivery of British artillery, arms, accoutrements, military chests and public stores to heads of American departments appointed to receive them. Under Article V, the British soldiers who were taken prisoner were to be kept in Virginia, Maryland, or Pennsylvania, and as much by regiments as possible, and supplied with the same rations of provisions as are allowed to soldiers in the service of America. A field-officer from each nation, British, Anspach, and Hessian, and other officers on parole, in the proportion of one to fifty men were to be allowed to reside near their respective regiments, to visit them frequently, and to be witnesses to their treatment. The officers would be allowed to receive and deliver clothing and other necessities for the prisoners. Passports were to be granted when the officers applied for them to make these deliveries. Washington rejected the provision that British or German soldiers could be returned to their native countries. Under Article IX, the original terms were that traders were to preserve their property, and to be allowed three months to dispose of or remove them; and those traders were not to be considered as prisoners of war. This was modified so that the traders would be allowed to dispose of their effects, but the allied army having the right of preemption. The traders were to be considered as prisoners of war upon parole. Under Article X, as written by the negotiators, natives or inhabitants of different parts of “this country”, at present in York or Gloucester, were not to be punished on account of having joined the British army. Washington refused to agree to this. The response was “This article cannot be assented to, being altogether of civil resort.” The outcry against the Tenth Article was vociferous and immediate, as proclaimed their sense of betrayal." Under Article XI, proper hospitals were to be furnished for the sick and wounded British and allied soldiers. They were to be attended by their own surgeons on parole; and they were to be furnished with medicines and stores from the American hospitals. The following modifications were required. The hospital stores now at York and Gloucester were to be delivered for the use of the British sick and wounded. Passports were to be granted for procuring further supplies from New York, as occasion may require. Proper hospitals would be furnished for the reception of the sick and wounded of the two garrisons. Under Article XII, wagons were to be furnished to carry the baggage of the officers attending the soldiers, and to surgeons when travelling on account of the sick, attending the hospitals at public expense. This was modified by the addition: “They are to be furnished if possible.” Under Article XIII, the shipping and boats in the two harbors (Yorktown and Gloucester), with all their stores, guns, tackling, and apparel, were to be delivered in their present state to an officer of the French navy appointed to take possession of them. The article gave permission for the unloading of private property, part of which had been on board for security during the siege, before the ships were transferred. Under Article XIV, no article of capitulation was to be infringed on pretense of reprisals. If there were any doubtful expressions in the articles, they were to be interpreted according to the common meaning and acceptance of the words. ==Aftermath==