Yorktown
(1781)
The final conflict of
the American Revolution was to occur in a small hamlet on the Chesapeake Bay,
in close proximity to Virginia's first Colony, Jamestown, and the seat of Royal
power in the Colony, Williamsburg.
But Virginia was far from neutral in the War of independence. It was in Williamsburg, in the House of Burgesses, where Patrick Henry gave his famous, "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. Virginia also had both very strong Loyalist sentiment as well as very strong Patriot feelings. Virginia, upon hearing of the closing of the Port of Boston, held a day of fasting humility and prayer. Yet a Virginians still felt that they were free Englishmen, enjoying all the benefits of free English society.
Events, which occurred around Williamsburg, eventually made the people more
and more sympathetic to the Patriot cause. The taking of gunpowder by Royal
Marines, the duties imposed on English goods, and the new taxes imposed on
English goods, left the colonist feeling as if they were not the masters
of their own destiny. After all they had been left to decide things for
themselves in Williamsburg, but now England was governing the colony from the
powers of Parliament in London.
Disenfranchised, many distinguished Virginians soon joined the Patriot cause. Virginia contributed George Washington, Patrick Henry, James Mason, Richard Lee, as well as a host of lawyers and politician statesmen.
The War in the South
had not been going well for the British. Despite their initial capture of the
coastal cities, and victories in established British strong holds, the British
suffered terrible losses at the Battles of Kings Mountain, Cowpens, and
Guilford Court House. Cornwallis after his last battle of Guilford was forced
to live off the land, and virtually limping back to Wilmington. He had left
Wilmington, leaving Lord Rawdon to deal with Nathaniel Greene and the various
partisan troops, and travels through Halifax, into Virginia through
Petersburg, Richmond, Williamsburg, and finally to Yorktown, where it was hoped
he could reinforce and resupply his weary troops. Sir Henry Clinton in New
York, opted to have Cornwallis extricate his troops to New York, where it is
hoped that the combined forces, could deliver the final blow to Washington, but
Cornwallis refuses, opting to stay in Virginia.
The war in the North is at a stalemate.
Washington decides that to take New York City from the British would require
a large force siege battle, and he has neither the troops nor the equipment.
Then on the 13th of August Rochambeau receives a notice that French Admiral De
Grass has left Haiti and is sailing for the Chesapeake Bay. However time is
against the Americans, as De Grasse will return to the West Indies by mid
October when the hurricane season starts. Washington and Rochambeau decide that
Virginia will be the place in order to defeat the British.
On the 21st of August, Washington and Rochambeau cause a ruse, keeping Clinton thinking that New York remains the main interest of the American Army. Washington however has begun to march his troops from New York to Virginia. Meanwhile Washington asks Lafayette to keep Cornwallis occupied in Virginia.
The British fleet under Thomas Graves is within the Chesapeake Sound by the
26th of August. De Grass and Admiral De Barras arrive off the Virginia coast on
the 5th of September, hoping to bottle up the British fleet. The French
naval forces and British naval forces have a 2-hour naval fight where the
British ships are heavily damaged. The British ships limp back to New York for
repairs.
September 9th, additional French forces depart from Admiral De Barras ships to join their American counterparts. On the 15th, Washington and some 16,000 troops are in Williamsburg awaiting the final assault orders. On the 17th Washington and Rochambeau meet De Grasse and discuss their plans for defeating Cornwallis. Washington will use siege warfare, and De Grasse will bottle up the British, preventing escape from sea.
Trenches are dug and heavy siege guns are unloaded from De Grasses ships.
The end is soon to be there for Cornwallis.
By the 28th of September the French positions have been secured around Yorktown. The balance of Washington's Army is current arriving from Williamsburg. Cornwallis is painfully aware that if reinforcements do not arrive from New York, he is doomed.
On the 30th of September, Cornwallis orders the outer works to be abandoned
under cover of nightfall. He hopes that Admiral Graves will arrive so to
extricate his entire force, and join the force in New York. Washington also
sends General de Choisy with Lauzun's Cavalry across the James River to keep
Tarltons' legion bottled up at Gloucester.
By the 1st of October, the allied forces have occupied the abandoned British positions. The Allies have also been busy constructing parallel trenches and baskets needed for the advance. There are some skirmishes outside the British redoubts, but the main focus is the siege.
By the 6th of October the first trench is only 600 yards from the main British fortification. 1500 men, labor day and night in the preparation of the trenches and defensive positions. As soon as the trench is completed it is filled with armed troops, and the French attack the outer redoubt to prevent raiding parties.
On the 9th, additional siege cannon are moved into place. A French battery
pounds a British redoubt of Fusiliers. Artillery is so severe that the British
frigates in the James River withdraw. Furthermore shots from French guns
find their mark, and 3 British ships on the James catch fire.
On the 11th, the first trench is 1000 yards long, and a second is begun, from a different angle only 300 yards from the main works. The allied artillery attack has silenced all British guns, and Cornwallis write Clinton about his untenable position. By dusk, the second allied trench is 750 yards long.
On the 14th, the decision is made to take two key positions, redoubts #9 and 10, in order to extend the trench to the James River. A French force under Col. Deux Ponts attacks one redoubt, while an American force under Col. Alexander Hamilton attacks the other. In order to keep the element of surprise, the attacks are carried out with bayonets only. Both redoubts fall and the siege line is extended to the James River.
On
the 16th, Cornwallis is desperate. He sends a sortie out against the second
trench, which allows them to spike the guns, yet French grenadiers drive, the
British back en force. The guns are returned to functionality in a few hours,
and Cornwallis attempts to get his troops across the James River with the hope
of marching them north to meet the New York Army.
Weather however has not cooperated and a storm occurs, making escape
impossible.
On the morning of the 17th, a British drummer and messenger is seen on the parapet under a flag of truce. The British officer is taken to Washington, and terms of surrender and armisist are worked out. The allied siege is suspended while Cornwallis asks to be paroled back to England, yet Washington will settle for nothing but unconditional surrender. By dusk, Cornwallis has capitulated to Washington's demands.
By the morning of the 19th, British troops march out in the surrender ceremony, between on line of French soldiers, the other line of Americans. The music the British played that day was a child's tune, a piece called "the World turned upside down." The British are reported to throw down their arms with disgust.
Cornwallis is so badly humiliated by the defeat that he does not attend the surrender ceremony. Instead General Charles O'Hara presents the sword of surrender to French General Rochambeau as if to snub the Americans, but Rochambeau directs O'Hara to Washington who directs O'Hara to General Benjamin Lincoln. Thus the American Revolution effectively ends.
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