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diff --git a/old/54080-8.txt b/old/54080-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2b68eda..0000000 --- a/old/54080-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2744 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Yorktown and the Siege of 1781, by Charles E. Hatch - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Yorktown and the Siege of 1781 - -Author: Charles E. Hatch - -Release Date: January 31, 2017 [EBook #54080] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YORKTOWN AND THE SIEGE OF 1781 *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, MFR and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - [Illustration: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR · March 3, 1849] - - UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR - Stewart L. Udall, _Secretary_ - - NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - Conrad L. Wirth, _Director_ - - - _HISTORICAL HANDBOOK NUMBER FOURTEEN_ - -This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing the -historical and archeological areas in the National Park System, -administered by the National Park Service of the United States -Department of the Interior. It is printed by the Government Printing -Office and may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, -Washington 25, D. C. Price 25 cents - - - - - YORKTOWN - and the Siege of 1781 - - - _by Charles E. Hatch, Jr._ - - [Illustration: Quill pen, inkwell, and paper] - - NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES No. 14 - Washington, D. C., 1954 (Revised 1957) - - - - -_The National Park System, of which Colonial National Historical Park is -a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic -heritage of the United States for the benefit and inspiration of its -people._ - - [Illustration: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE · DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR] - - - - - _Contents_ - - - _Page_ - THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN 1 - Battle of Green Spring 6 - The British Move to Yorktown 7 - SIEGE OF YORKTOWN 9 - Strategy of the Siege 9 - Battle of the Virginia Capes 11 - Assembly of the Allied Armies 15 - Investment of Yorktown 18 - British Position 18 - Opening of the Siege 21 - Gloucester Side 22 - First Allied Siege Line 23 - Second Allied Siege Line 25 - Capture of Redoubts No. 9 and No. 10 25 - Last Days of the Siege 27 - Negotiation and Surrender 30 - The Sequel 31 - THE "TOWN OF YORK" 32 - GUIDE TO THE AREA 39 - Battlefield Tour 40 - "Town of York" 47 - HOW TO REACH YORKTOWN 50 - COLONIAL PARKWAY 51 - ABOUT YOUR VISIT 51 - ADMINISTRATION 52 - CLOSELY RELATED AREAS 52 - SUGGESTED READINGS 53 - Appendix 1--CORNWALLIS' PAROLE 55 - Appendix 2--ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION 56 - - [Illustration: _The reconstructed Grand French Battery--a strong - link in the First Allied Siege Line._] - - [Illustration: Colonial home] - - -_On the level fields outside the small colonial village of Yorktown -occurred one of the great decisive battles of world history and one of -the most momentous events in American history. Here, on October 19, -1781, after a prolonged siege, Lord Cornwallis surrendered his British -Army to an allied French and American Army force under George -Washington, virtually ending the American Revolution and assuring -American independence. While hostilities did not formally end until 2 -years later--on September 3, 1783, when the treaty was signed--in -reality the dramatic victory at Yorktown had ended forever the -subservience of the American colonies to England. Because of this -victory the United States became truly a free and independent nation._ - - - - - _The Virginia Campaign_ - - -At Yorktown, in the early autumn of 1781, Gen. George Washington, ably -assisted by the Count de Rochambeau of the French Army and supported by -the Count de Grasse of the French Navy, forced the capitulation of -Lieutenant General Earl Cornwallis. On October 19, the allied French and -American forces accepted the surrender of the British troops in what was -the climax of the last major British field operation of the American -Revolution--the Virginia Campaign. - -The early campaigns, except the decisive repulse of British arms in the -Carolinas in 1776, were fought mostly in the New England and Middle -Atlantic colonies. After 1778, most activity was to the south. In 1780 -and early 1781, Lord Cornwallis led his victorious British Army out of -Charleston and through the Carolinas; not, however, without feeling the -effective use of American arms at Kings Mountain (October 7, 1780) and -at Cowpens (January 17, 1781). On March 15, 1781, he was at Guilford -Courthouse in north-central North Carolina and there Gen. Nathanael -Greene accepted his challenge to battle. - -The battle of Guilford Courthouse was a British victory which left the -victor weakened to the extent that he was unable to capitalize on his -success. Cornwallis' loss in officers and men was so heavy that his army -was "crippled beyond measure." In April, he decided to move to -Wilmington, N. C., on the coast, for the avowed purpose of recruiting -and refitting his exhausted force. Thus the stage was set for the final -campaign of the war. - -Cornwallis' next move changed the strategy of the Southern Campaign. He -did not believe himself strong enough for field action out of Wilmington -and declined to return to Charleston and South Carolina. According to -his own statement, "I was most firmly persuaded, that, _until_ Virginia -was reduced, we could not hold the more southern provinces, and that -after its reduction, they would fall without much difficulty." He made -this decision alone, and Commanding General Sir Henry Clinton in New -York never approved. On April 25, he marched from Wilmington, reaching -Petersburg, Va., on May 20, where he formed a junction with Gen. William -Phillips who commanded the British forces already in the State. - -By this time there was already a considerable concentration of troops in -Virginia. Gen. Alexander Leslie had been sent there with a detachment of -troops in October 1780, but he had gone on to join Cornwallis in South -Carolina. Shortly thereafter, another British force under Benedict -Arnold was sent to operate in the area. To contain Arnold's force, or at -least to watch it, Washington had dispatched the Marquis de Lafayette to -Virginia to work in conjunction with the Baron von Steuben, and later -with Greene. Clinton then countered by sending Phillips with a large -detachment to join Arnold. As a result of these and other moves, but by -no prearranged plan, the stage was set in May 1781, for Virginia to be -the battleground. From the British point of view the subjugation of the -province was the tempting prize. For the Americans, the goal was to -prevent this, and prevent it they did. The strategy of Yorktown was in -the making, but had not yet taken form. - -Cornwallis, leading a reasonably well-supplied and able field force of -more than 5,300 troops, was opposed by Lafayette, commanding a small -force not strong enough to risk battle. Lafayette had been ordered by -Greene to remain in Virginia, take command of the troops there, and -defend the State. Even though Lafayette expected reinforcements from the -Pennsylvania Line under Gen. Anthony Wayne, it would not give him battle -strength or even enable him to resist seriously the progress of the -enemy. Consequently, the young general's first move was to apply in -every direction for more men and supplies. - -In the meantime, Cornwallis prepared to force the issue. He selected his -field force and dispatched the remaining units to the British base at -Portsmouth. After assuring the commander there that he would reinforce -him further should a French fleet appear in Chesapeake Bay, he put his -army in motion toward that of Lafayette. On May 24, he reached a point -on the James River opposite Westover, about 24 miles below Richmond, and -began to cross the river. At this point General Leslie arrived with -reinforcements, further augmenting British strength. With these men, -Cornwallis planned first to dislodge Lafayette from Richmond and then to -employ his light troops in the destruction of magazines and stores -destined for use by American forces in Virginia and farther south. - - [Illustration: _The Marquis de Lafayette (Gilbert du Mortier) - commanded a division of Continental troops at Yorktown._] - -Lafayette, with his small army of about 3,250 men, did not attempt a -stand at Richmond, but withdrew northward. The role of this youthful -commander was "that of a terrier baiting a bull." He had a heavy -responsibility and was faced by an experienced commander in the person -of Cornwallis. In the weeks that followed, Lafayette distinguished -himself. He continually repeated a series of harassing, threatening, -feinting, and retiring tactics. He retreated, usually northward, always -maintaining a position higher up the river and nearer the Potomac, thus -insuring that Cornwallis would not get between him and Philadelphia. - -While encamped in Hanover County, Cornwallis learned that Wayne was only -a few days away from a junction with Lafayette. Consequently, he -hesitated to move further from his base at Portsmouth, but decided on a -quick dash westward before withdrawing. With this in mind he dispatched -Banastre Tarleton to Charlottesville to break up the Virginia -Legislature then in session--a move that disrupted the assembly and -might have led to the capture of Governor Jefferson but for the ride of -Capt. "Jack" (John) Jouett to warn him--a ride which is reminiscent of -the better-known ride of Paul Revere. At the same time, Cornwallis sent -Simcoe to harass Von Steuben who was then at Point-of-Fork on the James -River. Von Steuben withdrew, but Simcoe was able to destroy a quantity -of arms, powder, and supplies, which had been assembled there, before he -rejoined Cornwallis. - -About June 15, with the season hot, his troops tired, and Lafayette -still evading him, Cornwallis decided that it was time to return to the -coast. He had accomplished as much as possible in the destruction of -supplies, he had found no great body of Loyalists to join him, and his -opponent was gaining strength daily. He moved east through Richmond and -proceeded down the Peninsula toward Williamsburg. Lafayette followed, -venturing closer to him all the while. - -On June 10, Wayne joined the American force with 1,000 men, and 2 days -later Col. William Campbell--one of the famous American leaders at Kings -Mountain--provided an additional 600 "mountain men." On the 19th, Von -Steuben appeared with his detachment. These reinforcements made -Lafayette's corps strong enough for more aggressive action. His strength -was now about 4,500, but heavily weighted with untrained militia and -short of arms, artillery, and cavalry. - - [Illustration: _Lieutenant General Earl Cornwallis, Commander of the - British forces which surrendered at Yorktown._] - -On June 26, there was "a smart action" at "Hot Water Plantation" -(Spencer's Ordinary), 7 miles northeast of Williamsburg, where Col. -Richard Butler with a detachment of the Pennsylvania Line engaged -Simcoe's Queen's Rangers. Following this, the British Army came to a -halt at Williamsburg, sending out patrols to various points on the York -and James Rivers, including Yorktown. - - [Illustration: THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN OF 1781] - -By this time, the controversy, or misunderstanding, between Cornwallis, -in Virginia, and Clinton, his superior, in New York, which involved -matters of strategy, the theater of operations, and troop deployment, -began to shape the direction of affairs in Virginia. Cornwallis received -instructions to take a defensive station at Williamsburg, or Yorktown, -reserve the troops needed for his protection, and send the remainder of -his army by transport to New York to help Clinton in the siege that he -expected there. In the execution of these orders Cornwallis readied his -army for a move across the James (a move for which Clinton severely -criticized him) and a march towards Portsmouth, where he could direct -the dispatch of troops to New York. - - -BATTLE OF GREEN SPRING. - -On July 4, Cornwallis broke camp at Williamsburg and moved toward -Jamestown Island, the most convenient point for crossing the James. He -sent some troops immediately across the river, but ordered the bulk of -the army to encamp on the "Main" a little beyond Glasshouse Point, -within sight of Jamestown, as a precaution in the event Lafayette should -attempt to hinder the crossing. - -Cornwallis was right--Lafayette did intend to strike the British at this -unfavorable moment. On July 6, Wayne, commanding the American advance -unit, made his way slowly toward the British encampment. Lafayette, -cautious and not wanting to be deceived about the enemy strength, went -with him to make personal observations. The young general quickly -decided that Cornwallis was laying a trap, as indeed he was, but before -he could call in his scouts and advance units, action had been joined. -Wayne, with only about 800 men and 3 field pieces, came face to face -with the major part of the British Army. To halt the advancing enemy, -Wayne called for a charge against a seemingly overwhelming force--a -brave and daring action by a leader already marked as a man of courage. -Both American and British troops fought well, but the charge stopped the -British advance momentarily. At this point Wayne called for a retreat, -which was effected with reasonable success. Marshy terrain and the -approach of darkness prevented effective pursuit by Cornwallis' units. -The British losses, killed and wounded, apparently numbered about 70 -rank and file and 5 officers. American losses approached 140 killed, -wounded, and missing. - -The engagement at Green Spring, sometimes called the "Affair Near James -Island," was a direct prelude to the struggle at Yorktown. The same -forces later faced each other over the parapets on the York. Actual -military victory, as at Guilford Courthouse, rested with the British. -The most significant result of the encounter, however, may have been the -stimulating effect on the Americans of the bravery and courage displayed -by soldiers and officers alike. It was another good test of training and -discipline--a detachment of American troops had confronted Cornwallis' -main force and again they had fought well. - - -THE BRITISH MOVE TO YORKTOWN. - -Following the action at Green Spring, Cornwallis continued his move -across the James River, and, on July 17, he was able to report by letter -to Clinton that the troops which the latter had requested were about -ready to sail from Portsmouth. Three days later, Cornwallis learned that -all plans had been drastically changed. Clinton now instructed him to -hold all of his troops and await further orders. More detailed -instructions reached Cornwallis on July 21, including strong words about -the necessity for holding a position on the peninsula--the area between -the York and James Rivers. Clinton, it seems, now thought that Yorktown -was a good location for a naval station, offering protection for large -and small ships--a vital necessity. - -In compliance with his new orders, Cornwallis ordered a careful survey -of Old Point Comfort and Hampton Roads to find the best location for -such a naval station. This was done by Lt. Alexander Sutherland, of the -Royal Engineers, who recommended against Old Point Comfort, which had -been mentioned at length in the more recent correspondence between the -British commanders in Virginia and New York as a possible location for a -base to replace Portsmouth. Cornwallis wrote to Clinton: "This being the -case, I shall, in obedience to the spirit of your Excellency's orders, -take measures with as much dispatch as possible, to seize and fortify -York and Gloucester, being the only harbour in which we can hope to be -able to give effectual protection to line of battle ships. I shall, -likewise, use all the expedition in my power to evacuate Portsmouth and -the posts belonging to it...." - -Having stated his intentions, Cornwallis began to take action. On July -30, the British transports, loaded with about 4,500 men, left Portsmouth -and set sail for Yorktown, where they arrived on the night of August 1. -On August 2, landings were made at both Yorktown and Gloucester. -Banastre Tarleton, with his men and horses, crossed Hampton Roads in -small boats and proceeded to Yorktown by road, arriving on August 7. By -the 22d, the detachment which remained at Portsmouth to level the works -completed its assignment and joined the main army. The construction of -defenses was begun immediately at Yorktown and Gloucester, a job that -Cornwallis estimated would require 6 weeks. On August 31, one of the -British soldiers wrote from "Camp Yorktown" that "Nothing but hard -labour goes on here at present in constructing & making Batteries -towards the River, & Redoubts toward the Land." Actually, the siege of -Yorktown began before this task was completed. - - [Illustration: STRATEGY OF THE SIEGE] - - - - ---Cornwallis entrenched with an army of approximately 7,500 (British, - German, and American Loyalist forces). - ---About 4,500 troops with Lafayette, including over 3,000 militia under - Thomas Nelson, Jr. - ---Approximately 8,000 troops under General Washington including a French - force of more than 4,500 commanded by the Count de Rochambeau. - ---The French fleet under the Count de Grasse which blockaded the sea - approaches to Yorktown. With de Grasse were 3,200 troops under St. - Simon. - - -Meanwhile, the Americans were still keeping watch on the British. When -the British Army moved south toward Portsmouth after the engagement at -Green Spring, Lafayette dispatched Wayne to the south side of the James -to follow Cornwallis and to attempt to check Tarleton's raiding parties -in this area. The Marquis himself took position at Malvern Hill. When -Cornwallis left Portsmouth, Lafayette supposed that his destination was -Baltimore. Acting quickly, he broke camp at Malvern Hill, and, with his -Light Infantry, moved toward Fredericksburg. When he learned that the -British were actually "digging in" at Yorktown and Gloucester, he took -position on the Pamunkey River near West Point, Va., about 30 miles -northwest of Cornwallis' position. Wayne, with the Pennsylvania Line, -remained south of the James. From this point Wayne was to have begun his -march toward Greene in the Carolinas. On August 25, however, Lafayette -learned that the Count de Grasse, with a sizeable fleet, was expected in -Virginia, and he immediately cancelled Wayne's orders for leaving the -State, requesting instead that he remain where he was pending further -instructions. - - - - - _Siege of Yorktown_ - - -STRATEGY OF THE SIEGE. - -As the year 1781 opened, Clinton continued to hold New York with a -strong force of about 10,000. Washington's force opposing him numbered -some 3,500. American leaders saw that recruiting was poor and supplies -were low. The whole civilian system on which the army depended had -proved loose and difficult, and apathy had come with a long period of -inactivity. As the year progressed, change was in the air. There was -thought of action and a plan. The commander in chief continued to be -troubled, however, by the lack of assistance to the South and the now -long-standing inability to achieve anything decisive in the North. - -New hope came when the French Government approved additional assistance -for the struggling colonies. Already a sizeable naval force was being -organized for operations in American waters. The excellent French army -corps under the Count de Rochambeau was then at Newport, R. I., to -cooperate with Washington. From February 10 to August 14, Washington was -engaged with the French in working out a plan of operations. His initial -thought, perhaps, was to invest New York should Clinton's position be -deemed vulnerable and the expected French fleet move inside Sandy Hook -for action. An alternate plan was to attempt the capture of the British -force in Virginia or to project an operation elsewhere in the South. - -On May 22, 1781, a planning conference was held at Wethersfield, Conn., -between Washington and Rochambeau and members of their staffs. A general -outline of movement was laid down; but not knowing that Cornwallis was -in Virginia or when or where to expect the French fleet under the Count -de Grasse, it was necessarily fluid. The plan called for a union of -French and American armies for a demonstration against New -York--something that might induce Clinton to call troops from the South, -thereby relieving, to some extent, the pressure there. This move, -executed in July, actually did cause Clinton to ask for troops then in -Virginia and resulted in the removal of Cornwallis to Portsmouth, -already described. - -It was early in June that Washington learned of Cornwallis' move into -Virginia. Shortly afterwards, there was more definite word of the plans -of De Grasse, although the point at which he would support military -operations was not fixed. It was during the first week in July that -Rochambeau and his army joined Washington on the Hudson, and some -opening moves were made against Clinton in New York. On July 20 -Washington entered in his diary that the uncertainties of the situation -"rendered it impracticable for me to do more than to prepare, first, for -the enterprize against New York as agreed to at Weathersfield and -secondly for the relief of the Southern States if after all my efforts, -and earnest application to these States it should be found at the -arrivl. of Count de Grasse that I had neither Men, nor means adequate to -the first object...." - -At last, on August 14, Washington received dispatches telling him that -the Count de Grasse was to sail from the West Indies with a substantial -fleet and 3,200 troops. These troops had been requested by Rochambeau in -previous dispatches to Admiral de Grasse. His destination was the -Chesapeake; he could be in the area only a short time; and he hoped -everything would be in readiness upon his arrival. Washington saw -immediately that a combined land and naval operation in Virginia was the -only possible plan, and he moved quickly to effect this insofar as he -could. - -In preliminary maneuvers every attempt was made to deceive Clinton as to -the real destination of the units that were now scheduled for operations -at Yorktown. These troops included the French Army and units from the -American Army, totaling some 8,000 men. The remainder of Washington's -force, less than 4,000, under Maj. Gen. William Heath, was left before -New York to guard West Point, N. Y., and the Highlands. - -The movement toward Virginia began on August 19, 4 days after receipt of -definite news from De Grasse. The troops used three distinct and -separate routes as far as Princeton, N. J. This was partly to confuse -Clinton, who did not fully understand what was happening, until -Washington was well under way. Few in the French and Americans camps -actually knew the objective. Jonathan Trumbull, Washington's secretary, -wrote: "By these maneuvers and the correspondent march of the Troops, -our own army no less than the Enemy are completely deceived. No movement -perhaps was ever attended with more conjectures, or such as were more -curious than this ... not one I believe penetrated the real design." - -From Princeton, the march continued to Trenton where they found there -were not enough ships available to transport the men and stores. The -decision was to continue on foot to the head of Chesapeake Bay. The -passage of the French and American troops through Philadelphia early in -September became almost a festive occasion. With the American units -leading the way, the trek continued through Chester, Pa., and -Wilmington, Del., to Head-of-Elk. It was at Chester, on September 5, -that Washington learned that the Count de Grasse had arrived in the -Chesapeake Bay with 28 ships of the line, a number of frigates and -sloops, and 3,200 troops. At that time these troops, under the Marquis -de St. Simon, had already debarked at Jamestown for union with -Lafayette's growing force. - -On September 8, Washington, Rochambeau, and the Chevalier de Chastellux -left to subordinates the task of preparing the allied armies for -transport down the bay by ship. They, themselves, proceeded overland to -Williamsburg, stopping en route for several days at Mount Vernon. This -was Washington's first visit to his home in 6 years. The party reached -Williamsburg on September 14, and there was "great joy among troops and -people" as Washington assumed active command of the growing American and -French forces. - - -BATTLE OF THE VIRGINIA CAPES. - -The Count de Grasse left Cape Français, on the northern coast of Haiti -in the West Indies, for the Atlantic coast and Chesapeake Bay on August -5. He had reached the West Indies in April, after a 38 days' crossing of -the Atlantic from Brest, France. There had been some contact with the -sizeable British fleet under Rear Adm. Sir Samuel Hood who, with his -superior in this theater, Sir George Rodney, did not seem willing to -bring on a general action at this time. De Grasse had moved on against -Tobago, proceeded to Santo Domingo, and reached Cape Français on July -16. - -At Santo Domingo, negotiations for land forces for use in Virginia were -completed with M. de Lillancourt, the new commander there, who agreed to -supply from the West Indies garrison a detachment from the Gatinois, -Agenois, and Touraine regiments, as well as some artillery, dragoons, -and field and siege ordnance. It was further agreed that the troops -could be maintained on the continent only until October 15, as they -might be needed in the West Indies after that time. In Havana, De -Grasse, as had been requested of him, concluded arrangements for -financial aid--a virtual necessity at this point. - -De Grasse approached the Virginia Capes on August 30, encountering the -British frigate _Guadaloupe_ and the corvette _Loyalist_ which had been -posted as lookouts. Both were pursued, the corvette being taken and the -frigate forced into the York River. The next day, the French fleet moved -into Chesapeake Bay for anchorage, individual ships having been -delegated to block the mouths of the York and the James. On September 2, -the land forces under the Marquis de St. Simon were sent up the James in -long boats for landing at Jamestown. - -Dispatches telling of the arrival of De Grasse were sent to Washington -and Rochambeau, contact having already been established with Lafayette. -De Grasse felt that there was urgent need for action, but Lafayette, -even with the reinforcements of St. Simon, thought that it would not be -wise to attack before Washington and the army under his command reached -the area. He wrote "... having so sure a game to play, it would be -madness, by the risk of attack, to give any thing to chance." Perhaps De -Grasse was wondering how he had been able to reach Virginia and -establish a blockade of Cornwallis' position without interference from -the British fleet. Such good fortune might not continue. - -The undisturbed voyage had indeed been a stroke of luck. In July, word -had been received by Rear Adm. Thomas Graves, in command of the British -naval units at New York, that a convoy, with valuable aid for the -American cause, had sailed for America and that it was important that it -be intercepted. This led him to put to sea, believing that Rodney, in -the West Indies, would take steps to cover any movement of the French -fleet of De Grasse which was known to be in that area. As a -precautionary measure, however, he sent some light craft on -reconnaissance south along the Atlantic coast. - - [Illustration: _Count de Grasse, Admiral of the French fleet in the - Battle of the Virginia Capes and in the blockade of Yorktown in - September-October 1781. (From a painting in the U. S. Naval Academy, - Annapolis, Md.)_] - -Graves left Sandy Hook, off New York harbor, on July 6. He was still at -sea when a sloop reached New York with dispatches from Rodney telling of -De Grasse's fleet and the fact that at least a part of it was destined -for North America. Rodney further reported that if the situation should -require him to send a squadron to contact the French that he would order -it to "make the Capes of Virginia," proceed along the Capes of the -Delaware, and move on to Sandy Hook. Not finding Graves, the commander -of the sloop put to sea to locate him, but was attacked by a privateer -and forced ashore. Thus, Graves did not get word of De Grasse from -Rodney until he himself returned to New York on August 18. - -Needing repairs, Graves did not want to sail again until his fleet was -in readiness. Another matter that was troubling him was the French -squadron of eight ships under Admiral De Barras at Newport; and it was -tentatively agreed that when he was at full strength joint operations -would be undertaken against that station. Then, on August 28, Rear Adm. -Samuel Hood anchored off Sandy Hook with the greater part of the West -Indies fleet. Rodney, suffering from poor health, had turned over his -command to Hood and sailed for home, but one of his last acts had been -to dispatch Hood northward along the Atlantic coast with comprehensive -instructions to act against, or to head off, De Grasse. Hood, on August -25, had entered the Chesapeake and found no enemy, since he had sailed -in advance of De Grasse. From Virginia he had continued on to New York. -Thus Hood had missed De Grasse, and the latter was now in the -Chesapeake. - - [Illustration: _The_ VILLE DE PARIS. - _A model of the flagship of the Count de Grasse during his - operations in Virginia waters in the autumn of 1781._] - -An intelligence report was received about this time by the British that -De Barras had sailed from Newport with his entire squadron and that he, -too, was headed for Virginia. Immediate action was imperative. Graves -assumed command of the entire British fleet, now made up of Hood's ships -and all of his own that were ready for duty. On August 31, he sailed -south, hoping to intercept either De Barras or De Grasse, or of engaging -them both. - -On the morning of September 5, Graves approached the capes of the -Chesapeake. The French fleet was sighted and a signal was made to form a -line of battle. By noon, his ships were getting to their stations. The -fleet was divided into three divisions, with Graves directing operations -from his flagship, the _London_, of 98 guns. Division commanders were -Rear Adm. Samuel Hood and Rear Adm. Francis Samuel Drake. - -Meanwhile, in the French fleet, De Grasse ordered all hands to prepare -for action. The tide was right by noon, and, even though 90 officers and -1,800 men were not aboard, his ships got under way and moved out into -the Atlantic to allow more room for maneuver. De Grasse commanded from -his flagship, the _Ville de Paris_, a 110-gun ship, and deployed his -fleet in three sections, commanded respectively by Le Sieur de -Bougainville, De Latouche-Treville, and Le Sieur de Monteil. Action -began about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and continued for 2-1/2 hours, -when darkness necessitated a cease-fire order. A French account of the -battle related that: - - At four o'clock the van, commanded by M. de Bougainville, began the - action with a very brisk fire and successively the ships of the line - of battle took part. Only the eight leading ships of the English line - took any great part in the fight. The combat was violent here. For the - most part the center of their fleet and their rear held themselves at - half a cannon shot without inclining to engage. The wind failed the - nine last vessels of our line entirely.... At five o'clock the winds - having continued to vary up to four points placed again the French van - too much to windward. Count de Grasse desired ardently that the action - be general, and in order to have the enemy at command there he ordered - his van to bear down a second time. That of Admiral Graves was very - abused, and that admiral profited by the advantage of the wind which - rendered him master of distance, in order to avoid being attacked by - the French rear-division which was making every effort to reach him - and his center. Sunset ended this battle.... The first fifteen ships - in the French line were the only ones to participate in the battle.... - -It was later learned that the "ship London commanded by Admiral Graves -had been so well raked by the Ville de Paris that they [the English] had -been obliged to change all its masts." - -In the action, 24 French ships of the line, carrying approximately 1,700 -guns and 19,000 seamen, were opposed by 19 British ships of the line, -having about 1,400 guns and 13,000 seamen. Casualties for the British -were 90 killed and 246 wounded. The French counted about 200 in killed -and wounded. Several English ships were damaged, and one, the -_Terrible_, had to be sunk several days after the engagement. - -During the night of September 5-6, the two fleets remained close -together. At a conference on the _London_, on the 6th, Graves decided -that with a number of his ships disabled it would be too hazardous to -renew the action. He also declined Hood's suggestion to try to slip into -the Chesapeake. De Grasse, having stopped the British and having -inflicted considerable damage, likewise hesitated to renew the -engagement. On the 7th and 8th, the two fleets remained from 2 to 5 -leagues apart. Meanwhile, a northeast wind was carrying them south. On -the 9th, they were below Albemarle Sound, and by the next day the -British fleet was off Cape Hatteras. It was on the 9th that De Grasse -lost sight of the British and, fearing that a change of wind might -prevent it, sailed toward the Chesapeake Bay, which he reached on the -11th. On the 10th, De Barras reached Virginia with his squadron from -Newport, R. I., and entered the bay, later to join De Grasse. Admiral -Graves followed De Grasse northward, realizing that the situation was -now out of hand. On September 14, he sailed from the Virginia coast for -New York, where he intended to "... use every possible means for putting -the Squadron into the best state for service...." His departure had -momentous consequences for Cornwallis. - -The Battle of the Virginia Capes, as the action of September 5 has come -to be called, was a most important phase of the siege of Yorktown. At a -critical point the French had seized control of the sea and had sealed -in the British at Yorktown. This prevented the evacuation of Cornwallis -and ended his hopes of reinforcement and supply. The next phase of the -combined operation against Cornwallis was encirclement by land. Already -this was being accomplished. - - -ASSEMBLY OF THE ALLIED ARMIES. - -On September 7, Lafayette moved his force from the Pamunkey River to -Williamsburg where he could at least temporarily block any movement that -Cornwallis might make up the peninsula. His army was substantially -enlarged the next day by the more than 3,000 troops under St. Simon, who -had arrived with De Grasse and landed at Jamestown. On September 14, -Washington arrived at Lafayette's headquarters in Williamsburg for a -"joyful reunion" with the young French general and to assume direct -command of the operations in the Virginia theater. - -The combined French and American forces, which Washington had left at -the head of the Chesapeake early in September, found a shortage of -shipping also at Head-of-Elk. It was necessary to use most of the -vessels available for the transport of ordnance and stores, with the -result that the bulk of the troops had to march on to Baltimore and -Annapolis to embark. On September 15, Washington wrote to De Grasse -about the transport of his army. The French admiral had anticipated this -need, and had already dispatched the transports brought to the area from -Newport by De Barras plus some frigates which had been seized--enough to -accommodate about 4,000 troops. - - [Illustration: _Count de Rochambeau, Commander of the French wing of - the allied armies which besieged Yorktown._] - -On September 17, Washington, with Rochambeau, Chastellux, Henry Knox, -and the Chevalier Duportail, visited De Grasse aboard the _Ville de -Paris_ to pay their respects and to confer on the joint operation now in -progress against Cornwallis. In the discussion, Washington was able to -prevail on De Grasse to extend his stay in Virginia waters past the -October 15 deadline which he had originally set. He agreed to remain at -least through the month of October. He did not, however, approve plans -to move ships into the York River. - -By September 22, when Washington returned to Williamsburg, parts of the -allied armies from the North had arrived, having landed along College -Creek and at other points on the James. Included among the troops, too, -was a force under M. de Choisy which had come down from Newport with De -Barras. Late in the same day other parts of the convoy, which De Grasse -had sent up the bay, began to arrive, and De Grasse was able to write: -"Everything is entering the river today, even your artillery." Landing -operations continued for several days with much of the artillery being -put ashore at Trebell's Landing below College Creek. - -About this time the allied commanders learned that the English fleet in -New York had been augmented by the arrival of a squadron under Adm. -Robert Digby. This led to apprehension on the part of De Grasse and -increased the need for haste in operations against Yorktown. De Grasse -debated the need of putting to sea--a turn of events that caused -Washington moments of "painful anxiety." In the end, however, De Grasse -was persuaded against this move, and he remained in the bay. -Nevertheless, the need for immediate land action had become imperative. - -By September 27, the organization of the allied French and American -armies assembled at Williamsburg had been completed. There were three -parts--American Continentals (approximately 5,200), French auxiliaries -(about 7,500), and American militia (over 3,000). The Continentals were -grouped in three divisions, commanded respectively by Major General -Lafayette, Major General von Steuben, and Major General Lincoln. In -addition to his divisional duties, Lincoln also commanded the American -wing. Detachments of artillery, with siege and field pieces, several -companies of sappers and miners, and other units, were under the command -of Brig. Gen. Henry Knox of Massachusetts. There was a cavalry grouping -too, under Col. Stephen Moylan of Pennsylvania. - -The French wing of the allied armies made up approximately one-half of -the total land forces which opposed the British. Commanded by the Count -de Rochambeau, it included 7 infantry regiments grouped in 3 brigades. -The cavalry was under the Duke de Lauzun and the artillery under Colonel -d'Aboville. The French engineers were headed by Colonel Desandrouins and -Lieutenant Colonel Querenet, both of whom were instrumental in the -preparation of an excellent set of siege plans. - - [Illustration: _Gen. George Washington, Commander in Chief of the - allied French and American forces at Yorktown. (From the Peale - portrait in the State House, Annapolis, Md.)_] - -The third component of the allied armies was the militia, chiefly from -Virginia, commanded by Gen. Thomas Nelson, Jr., a native of Yorktown, -who was supported by Brig. Gen. George Weedon, Brig. Gen. Robert Lawson, -and Brig. Gen. Edward Stevens. - - -INVESTMENT OF YORKTOWN. - -On September 27 all was in readiness for the movement of the allied -armies against the British position at Yorktown and an "Order of Battle" -was drawn up. At 5 o'clock in the morning of September 28 the French and -American units, on instruction from Washington, their commander in -chief, began to move toward Yorktown. The Continentals, followed by the -French troops, formed the left column and the militia, the right. The -route lay over the principal highways down the peninsula. At the -"Halfway House," midway between Williamsburg and Yorktown, the American -regulars moved off to the right, while the French continued on the more -direct route. - -About noon both sections approached Yorktown, and contact was made with -British pickets who fell back. Lt. Col. Robert Abercrombie's Light -Infantry, covering the British right, first gave the alarm, and some -shots were exchanged with Tarleton's Legion, which covered the British -left, as the American and French troops reached the approaches to -Yorktown. By nightfall, the allied units reached temporary positions -along Beaverdam Creek within a mile of the main enemy posts. At this -point, orders were issued that "The whole army, officers and soldiers, -will lay on their arms this night." - -The investment of Yorktown, which began so auspiciously on the 28th, was -more securely established during the 2 days that followed. On the 29th, -the American wing moved more to the east (right) and nearer to the -enemy, while both French and American units spread out to their -designated campsites, forming a semicircle around Yorktown from the York -River on the northwest to Wormley Creek, a tributary of the York, on the -south and east. Reconnoitering was extended within cannon range of the -enemy's works, and several skirmishes developed with British patrols. -There was also some minor action at Moore's Dam over Wormley Creek, -where the British had thrown up temporary positions. - - -BRITISH POSITION. - -When the British entered Yorktown in August 1781, the town, one of the -most important in the lower Chesapeake region, was described by one of -the soldiers as: - - This Yorktown, or Little-York, is a small city of approximately 300 - houses; it has, moreover, considerable circumference. It is located on - the bank of the York River, somewhat high on a sandy but level ground. - It has 3 churches, 2 reformed English and 1 German Lutheran, but - without steeples, and 2 Quaker meeting houses, and a beautiful court - or meeting house, which building, like the majority of the houses, is - built of bricks. Here stood many houses which were destroyed and - abandoned by their occupants. There was a garrison of 300 militia men - here, but upon our arrival they marched away without firing a shot - back to Williamsburg, which is 16 English miles from here. - - We found few inhabitants here, as they had mostly gone with bag and - baggage into the country beyond. - -The task confronting Cornwallis was the fortification of this town and -Gloucester Point, just across the York, as a base. In early August, he -had little reason to expect that 2 months later he would be besieged. -Nevertheless, on arrival in Yorktown he turned to the task at hand with -vigor. As the days passed, Cornwallis began to realize that enemy forces -were assembling around him. - -In planning his defense, he established a line of fortifications, close -in about the town, supported by small enclosed earthworks, or redoubts, -and batteries. Just in advance of the main line he constructed two -positions, Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10, to command the high ground in that -sector. Along the York-Hampton Road he strengthened the main line by -extending it outward on the highway in the form of a point, or wedge, -that was called the "Horn-Work." In the inner and principal line, he had -10 redoubts and 14 batteries in which were mounted some 65 guns, the -largest being 18-pounders. Some of this ordnance came from the British -ships anchored offshore in the York. - -The British outer line utilized the protective features of ravines and -creeks. Close on the west of Yorktown was Yorktown Creek. On the east, -but at a greater distance, ran Wormley Creek. These creeks, with their -marshes and irregular terrain, constituted rather formidable barriers to -the rapid advance of troops. The area between the headwaters of these -two creeks, however, was a weak link. This high ground, less than half a -mile wide, carried the road from Yorktown to Hampton. To control this, -British engineers laid out four redoubts and some gun emplacements. On -the west side of Yorktown Creek, near the point where a road to -Williamsburg crossed, a large star-shaped work was built. This, manned -by a part of the Royal Welch Fusiliers (23d) Regiment, was known as the -Fusiliers Redoubt. These positions, some works at Moore's Mill Dam, and -the two creeks constituted the British outer line at Yorktown. - -The village at Gloucester Point, across the river, was fortified with a -single line of entrenchments with 4 redoubts and 3 batteries. In the -York River, between Yorktown and Gloucester, there were British -transports, supply boats, and some armed vessels, notably the _Charon_ -and _Guadaloupe_. - -Behind his lines, Cornwallis had a force of some 7,500 troops, most of -them seasoned veterans. To aid his gunners, all buildings, trees, and -other obstructions in front of his main line were removed for a distance -of 1,000 yards. All roads were blocked, and the completion of fixed -positions was pushed. - - [Illustration: _The Fusiliers Redoubt (reconstructed), a position - which supported the right side of the British main line._] - -Cornwallis had begun to feel the pinch of the French fleet blockade even -before the allied armies reached Yorktown. On September 11, one of his -soldiers wrote: "We get terrible provisions now, putrid ship's meat and -wormy biscuits that have spoiled on the ships. Many of the men have -taken sick here with dysentery or the bloody flux and with diarrhea. -Also the foul fever is spreading, partly on account of the many -hardships from which we have had little rest day or night, and partly on -account of the awful food; but mostly, the nitrebearing water is to -blame for it." Sickness and also a lack of officers were to remain a -severe handicap for the British. - -Cornwallis continued to keep in touch by letter with Clinton in New -York. On September 16, he had received word that Clinton was planning to -move south with a sizeable force to aid him. When he received this word, -Cornwallis decided against any offensive action and so wrote to Clinton. -On September 29, a dispatch from New York, written on the 24th, told of -ship repairs and a strengthened British fleet, as well as the -preparation of reinforcements for Cornwallis' Virginia garrison. Clinton -continued: "There is every reason to hope we start from hence the 5th -October." - -About 10 o'clock on the night of September 29, Cornwallis made an -important decision which he described in a letter to Clinton: "I have -this evening received your letter of the 24th, which has given me the -greatest satisfaction. I shall retire this night within the works, and -have no doubt, if relief arrives in any reasonable time, York and -Gloucester will be both in possession of his Majesty's troops." This -decision to abandon his outer line without a fight definitely shortened -the siege of Yorktown. It was a move for which Cornwallis has been -criticized and an advantage which the allied armies quickly seized. - - -OPENING OF THE SIEGE. - -Washington wrote of the morning of September 30: "... we discovered, -that the Enemy had evacuated all their Exterior Line of Works, and -withdrawn themselves to those near the body of the Town. By this Means -we are in possession of very advantageous Grounds, which command, in a -very near Advance, almost the whole remaining line of their Defence." -Even before Washington had written, American and French units had moved -into these works. Within the day, the construction of an additional -redoubt and a battery was begun in this sector. - -On the morning of the 30th, while these moves were being made on the -south side of Yorktown, on the extreme west a French unit from St. -Simon's command drove in the British pickets in the vicinity of the -Fusiliers Redoubt. A sharp skirmish resulted, with several -casualties--an action that enabled the allies to take a more -advantageous position in this quarter. - -One event only marred the successful moves of the 30th. Col. Alexander -Scammell, of New Hampshire, a well-known soldier with much service, was -wounded during the early morning while reconnoitering with a small party -south of Yorktown. He died from his wound a week later in the base -hospital in Williamsburg. - - [Illustration: _American Battery No. 2._] - -In the first days of October, the allies completed their surveying and -planning and pushed the construction and collection of siege material -which consisted of gabions (wickerwork-like baskets to be filled with -earth to support embankments); fascines (long bundles of sticks of wood -bound together for use in filling ditches, strengthening ramparts, -etc.); fraises (pointed stakes to be driven into embankments in an -upright or inclined position); and saucissons (large fascines). There -was some delay while the heavy guns were being transported from the -landing points on the James. Perhaps James Thacher penned an accurate -short description when he wrote on October 1-2: "Heavy cannon and -mortars are continually arriving, and the greatest preparations are made -to prosecute the siege in the most effectual manner." By October 6, -however, the work of reconnoitering the abandoned British positions -south of Yorktown and constructing supporting works there was complete. -All was in readiness for the next move--construction of the First Allied -Siege Line. - -Throughout this interval the British had maintained a steady and -effective artillery fire which tended to slow the work of the allies. -The journals of the siege are full of accounts, such as that written by -Lt. William Feltman on October 2: "A continual cannonading this whole -day at our fatigue parties. One Maryland soldier's hand shot off and one -militia man killed." Behind the British lines feverish activity -continued, and there was fear of a general "alarm." Ships were sunk in -the river immediately in front of the town to block any allied landing -attempt from that quarter. Cornwallis' positions were not complete, nor -were his magazines. Every available man was on the line to help in the -construction, particularly the large force of Negro labor which the -British general had acquired. To complicate the picture for Cornwallis, -smallpox was taking its toll. - - [Illustration: _View of Gloucester Point, across the York River from - Yorktown, before construction of the Coleman Memorial Bridge._] - - -GLOUCESTER SIDE. - -Even though Washington was directing his principal force against -Yorktown where the main British force was located, it was necessary that -he take measures to contain the enemy post at Gloucester Point on the -north side of the river. This would close a possible means of escape for -Cornwallis and halt the heavy foraging parties that were sweeping the -Gloucester countryside. The first allied force here was 1,500 militia -under Brig. Gen. George Weedon. By September 28, Weedon had been -reinforced by the Duke de Lauzun's Legion of 600, half of them mounted. -Several days later, 800 marines were landed from the French fleet and -Brigadier General Choisy was assigned to command the whole. By early -October, the British garrison on the Gloucester side had grown and -included both Simcoe's and Tarleton's cavalry, as well as ground units. - -On October 3, as Choisy moved down toward Gloucester Point to tighten -his lines and to force the enemy into their fixed positions on the -point, a brief but spirited encounter occurred at "the Hook," near -present Hayes Store, in which the daring cavalry leaders, Lauzun and -Tarleton, had major roles. Casualties numbered about 16 for the allies -and perhaps 50 for the British. The allies succeeded in holding the -ground. The British withdrew behind their works where they remained -until the end of the siege. - - -FIRST ALLIED SIEGE LINE. - -By the evening of October 6 all was in readiness for the opening of the -First Allied Siege Line--a series of positions which, together with -terrain advantages, completely encircled the British works and brought -men and artillery within firing range of the enemy. The first line was -based on the York River southeast of Yorktown and extended westward just -above the headwaters of Wormley Creek, across the York-Hampton Road, to -Yorktown Creek, which in a real sense functioned as a continuation of -the line. The first line was about 2,000 yards long and was supported by -four redoubts and five batteries. Its average distance from the main -British works was about 800 yards, although, on the right, this was -somewhat greater because of two detached British Redoubts, Nos. 9 and -10. About half of this line, the right or York River end, was assigned -to American units; the left was built and manned by the French. - -At dusk on October 6, more than 4,000 allied troops paraded and marched -to their assigned stations. The entrenching party, 1,500 strong, -carrying knapsacks, guns, and bayonets, as well as shovels, found a line -of split pine strips already on the ground. They had been placed by the -engineers to mark the line where the digging was to begin. Twenty-eight -hundred soldiers lay under arms close at hand to repel attack should it -come. Evidently the British were caught unawares, for their guns were -not particularly active. The night was dark and cloudy, with a gentle -rain falling--a factor which may have aided the troops who were being -directed by General Lincoln and the Baron de Viomenil. By morning, the -work was well advanced, enough to give those in the trenches protection -from British gunners. - -During the next few days, with precision and dispatch, unit followed -unit on fatigue duty as the trenches, redoubts, and batteries were -brought to perfection. Major General von Steuben, one of the few -veterans of siege warfare in the American wing, had a leading role in -planning and constructing the siege works. Brigadier General Knox, with -the American artillery, played a significant part, too, since effective -gunnery was a prime prerequisite to success in the operation. - -While the main line was taking form south of Yorktown, the French -constructed a trench and battery between the York River and one of the -branches of Yorktown Creek west of town. This closed a possible point of -break-through for the enemy, partly encircled the Fusiliers Redoubt, and -permitted the installation of ordnance at a point where it could, and -did, sweep the British ships anchored in the river. This French battery -on the left, with its four 12-pounders and six mortars and howitzers, -was the first to go into action, firing about 3 o'clock on October 9. -Two hours later, an American battery southeast of Yorktown added its six -18- and 24-pounders, four mortars, and two howitzers to the bombardment. -Washington, seemingly, fired the first round from this battery with -telling accuracy. On October 10, other batteries, including the Grand -French athwart the York-Hampton Road, were completed and began firing. -For the next 2 days there was no let-up in the concentrated and -methodical bombardment of Yorktown, with Gen. Thomas Nelson, reportedly, -even directing fire against his own home. - -The effect was terrible as charge after charge was sent pounding into -the British works or went ricocheting or skipping along the ground. -Enemy batteries were knocked out or were slowly silenced. Cornwallis' -headquarters were all but demolished and he himself narrowly escaped -with his life at one point. All the while, the tempo of the cannonade -mounted. Johann Conrad Doehla, a soldier in the British Army, wrote: - - Tonight [October 9] about tattoo the enemy began to salute our left - wing and shortly afterward our entire line with bombs, cannons, and - howitzers.... Early this morning [October 10] we had to change our - camp and pitch our tents in the earthworks, on account of the heavy - fire of the enemy.... One could ... not avoid the horribly many cannon - balls either inside or outside the city ... many were badly injured - and mortally wounded by the fragments of bombs which exploded partly - in the air and partly on the ground, their arms and legs severed or - themselves struck dead.... [October 11] One saw men lying nearly - everywhere who were mortally wounded.... I saw bombs fall into the - water and lie there for 5, 6-8 and more minutes and then still explode - ... fragments and pieces of these bombs flew back again and fell on - the houses and buildings of the city and in our camp, where they still - did much damage and robbed many a brave soldier of his life or struck - off his arm and leg. - -Such was the bombardment of Yorktown as described by one participant and -testified to by others who witnessed it. The fire had been devastating. -Its effect was reported first-hand to the allied leaders by Secretary -Thomas Nelson, who, "under a flag of truce," was permitted by the -British to leave Yorktown and seek the allied lines. - -The bombardment was directed, too, against the British ships in the -harbor with equal effect. Here "red hot shot" were used to ignite the -heavily tarred rigging and ship timbers. On the night of October 10, -artillery "set fire to two transport vessels and to the ship of war -Charon ... [44 guns], which burned completely. The other ships anchored -under York set sail in the night and went over to anchor at Gloucester, -to put themselves under shelter and out of range of our fire." Other -boats, large and small, including the _Guadaloupe_ (28 guns), were hit -and burned. On the night of the 11th, a British "fire ship," designed -for setting fires to enemy vessels, was struck and burned with a -brilliant blaze. Against such heavy artillery fire, Cornwallis found it -difficult to keep his own batteries in operation, and even the sailors -and marines from the English vessels added little strength. - - -SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE. - -The destruction caused by the superior French and American artillery, -firing at ranges from 800 to 1,200 yards, was so great and the enemy -batteries were so completely overpowered that Washington was soon ready -to open the Second Allied Siege Line, which would bring his troops -within storming distance of the enemy works. An "over the top" charge by -the infantry would be the final stage of the siege should Cornwallis -continue to hold out. - -Work on the second line began on the night of October 11-12, about -midway between the first siege line and the left front of the British -works. By morning, the troops had wielded their shovels, spades, and -"grubbing hoes" so effectively that the work was well advanced and -casualties were few. For the next 3 days the construction continued and -artillery was moved from the first line into the new positions where it -could be even more deadly. The British gunners did all they could with -"musketry, cannon, cannister, grapeshot, and especially, a multitude of -large and small bombs and shells" to delay the work, but, although they -exacted some casualties, they were not particularly successful. - -At this time, however, only half of the second siege line could be -undertaken. British Redoubt No. 10 near the river, a square position -manned by about 70 soldiers, and Redoubt No. 9, a 5-sided strong point -held by approximately 125 troops, near the road from Yorktown to the -Moore House, blocked the extension of the second line on the allied -right. Before work could proceed, these would have to be reduced. - - -CAPTURE OF REDOUBTS NO. 9 AND NO. 10. - -Prior to the attacks on these redoubts, Washington had ordered a feint -on the extreme left against the Fusiliers Redoubt and also a -demonstration at Gloucester Point to distract the enemy. For several -days before the assault, allied gunners directed fire to weaken the -positions, a fire that actually was not very harmful. The attacks were -made at 8 o'clock, after dark, on October 14, in one of the most -dramatic and heroic moves of the siege of Yorktown, and it proved to be -a definite turning point in the operations. - - [Illustration: _Representative objects recovered at the site of - British Redoubt No. 9 during the archeological exploration that - preceded its reconstruction._] - -Redoubt No. 10 was attacked by 400 Americans drawn from Lafayette's -Light Infantry Division and commanded by Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton, -who, being officer of the day, had claimed this honor, when the -assignment was first given to another. He was assisted by Lt. Col. -Jean-Joseph Sourbader de Gimat, Lt. Col. John Laurens, and Maj. Nicholas -Fish. The detachment moved out at the prearranged signal--the burst of -six shells. The American soldiers carried unloaded muskets, as they -advanced in darkness, since the assignment at hand was to be done with -bayonets. On reaching their objective, they charged without waiting for -the removal of the abatis (an entanglement of pointed tree tops and -branches which ringed the redoubt), and thereby saved a few minutes--an -interval that could have been costly. Within 10 minutes the position was -in American hands with a loss of 9 killed and 31 wounded, according to -Hamilton's own report. - -As the Americans were moving out for their attack from the right end of -the First Allied Siege Line, a party of 400 French soldiers led by Col. -William Deux Ponts, with the Baron de l'Estrade second in command, -launched an assault on Redoubt No. 9 from the temporary end of the -second siege line. French casualties mounted when the detachment halted -until the abatis was cleared. Then the cry was "on to the redoubt." A -British charge was met by musket fire and a countercharge which took the -French over the top, and the redoubt was theirs. Losses, however, -totaled almost 25 percent, including 15 killed. The entire operation -lasted less than half an hour. - - -LAST DAYS OF THE SIEGE. - -Immediately following the capture of the two key redoubts, troops moved -up to resume work on the second siege line. Before morning, this line -was extended all the way to the York River and incorporated the formerly -held British Redoubts No. 9 and No. 10. Communicating trenches were -opened to the First Allied Siege Line and, adjacent to Redoubt No. 9, a -large American Battery was begun. On October 15, Ebenezer Wild recorded: -"The works were carried on last night with such spirit that at daylight -we found the parallel [line] extended quite to the river on our right -and nearly completed. Batteries are erecting with great expedition." - -With this turn of events, Cornwallis knew that he must act and act -quickly or all would be lost. The web had tightened; and the destruction -of his positions, plus sickness and casualties among his troops, made -his situation critical, even perilous. Against the fully operating -allied second line, he would be unable to hold out for 24 hours. - -On the night of October 15-16, Cornwallis ordered an attack against the -second line. This was launched, 350 strong, under Lt. Col. Robert -Abercrombie at a point near the center of the line. It was a gallant -sortie, yet it accomplished little, for, within a few hours, the guns -which had been spiked by the British were again firing upon Yorktown. - -On the night of October 16-17, Cornwallis ordered all of his effectives -moved across the river to Gloucester Point. This, he thought, might -enable him to make a breakthrough, which could be followed by a quick -march north toward New York. The effort was futile. He was handicapped -by a shortage of small boats, and a storm about midnight further -interfered with the operation. - -Early on the morning of the 17th he recalled those who had crossed the -river. Later that morning he held a council with his officers, and at 10 -o'clock a drummer in red, accompanied by an officer, was sent to a point -on the parapet on the south side of Yorktown to beat a "parley." - -Cornwallis' situation was hopeless. Casualties (killed, wounded, and -missing) during the siege, it seems, numbered about 552 for the British, -275 for the French, and 260 for the Americans. Of these totals, more -than one-fourth were killed in action. Yorktown was surrounded at close -range, relief had not yet come, and the enemy was superior in men and -firepower. In short, his position was untenable. Surrender was now the -only alternative. Cornwallis himself reported: "We at that time could -not fire a single gun.... I therefore proposed to capitulate." - - [Illustration: YORKTOWN BATTLEFIELD - COLONIAL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK - VIRGINIA - - High-resolution Map] - - 1. VISITOR CENTER - 2. REDOUBT NO. 9 - 3. AMERICAN BATTERY NO. 2 (SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE) - 4. REDOUBT NO. 10 - 5. AMERICAN SECTOR (FIRST ALLIED SIEGE LINE) - 6. AMERICAN APPROACH ROAD - 7. MOORE HOUSE - 8. MOORES MILL DAM - 9. LINCOLN'S HEADQUARTERS SITE - 10. LAFAYETTE'S HEADQUARTERS SITE - 11. SURRENDER FIELD - 12. SURRENDER ROAD - 13. ENCAMPMENT DRIVE - A. VON STEUBEN'S HEADQUARTERS SITE - B. ROCHAMBEAU'S HEADQUARTERS SITE - C. WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS SITE - D. FRENCH CEMETERY - E. FRENCH ARTILLERY PARK - F. FRENCH ARMY ENCAMPMENT - G. BRITISH OUTER WORKS - 14. GRAND FRENCH BATTERY - 15. NATIONAL CEMETERY - 16. SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE - 17. YORKTOWN - A. SITE OF SECRETARY NELSON'S HOUSE - B. VICTORY MONUMENT - C. CORNWALLIS CAVE - D. NELSON HOUSE - 18. FUSILIERS REDOUBT - - [Illustration: _The restored Moore House where the Articles of - Capitulation for the British Army were drafted._] - - -NEGOTIATION AND SURRENDER. - -When the British flag of truce was seen by the allied officers on the -morning of the 17th, the incessant and devastating artillery fire -ceased. It had been continuous since October 9, except for short -intervals when batteries were being shifted or a flag of truce was -passing between the lines. Cornwallis' letter, which was transmitted -immediately to Washington, read: "I propose a cessation of hostilities -for twenty four hours, and that two officers may be appointed by each -side, to meet at Mr. Moore's house, to settle terms for the surrender of -the posts of York and Gloucester." - -Washington replied that he would grant the British general 2 hours in -which to submit definite terms. At about 4:30 p. m., Cornwallis replied. -Washington found his proposals satisfactory in part, and in his reply -stated that the British could expect that: "The same Honors will be -granted to the Surrendering Army as were granted [by the British] to the -[American] Garrison of Charles Town [in 1780]." - -Arrangements were concluded for the differences of opinion to be ironed -out during a meeting of commissioners at the home of Augustine Moore in -the rear of the first siege line. The commissioners (Lt. Col. Thomas -Dundas and Maj. Alexander Ross, representing the British; the Viscount -de Noailles, the French; and Lt. Col. John Laurens, the Americans) met -there on October 18 and, after a heated and prolonged session, drafted -the Articles of Capitulation. On the morning of the 19th, Washington -reviewed the draft and, after some modification, had the articles -transcribed. The document was then sent to Cornwallis for his signature, -with a deadline of 11 a. m. Cornwallis duly signed, as did Capt. Thomas -Symonds, representing the British naval units in the York. The allied -commanders, Washington and Rochambeau, appear to have signed the -document in captured British Redoubt No. 10. The Count de Barras, -designated to act in place of the Count de Grasse for the French fleet, -also signed for the allies. - -The articles provided that the troops, seamen, and marines should -surrender as prisoners of war. Officers were to retain their sidearms -and private papers and property. The soldiers were to be kept in prison -camps in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Cornwallis and certain of -the officers were to be allowed freedom on parole and the sloop -_Bonetta_ was to be made available for the British commander to carry -dispatches to Sir Henry Clinton, after which she was to be surrendered. - -At noon on October 19, two redoubts southeast of Yorktown were occupied -by allied troops--one by an American unit and the other by a French -detachment. At 2 p. m., the British Army, clad in a new issue of -uniforms and led by Brigadier General O'Hara (Cornwallis was ill), -marched out from Yorktown along the York-Hampton Road to the tune of an -old British march titled "The World Turned Upside Down." - -In the vicinity of the present national cemetery, O'Hara reached the -head of the allied column. It appears that he sought first the Count de -Rochambeau, but was referred to Washington. Washington, in turn, sent -him to Major General Lincoln, who accepted his sword--the token of -defeat and surrender--and then returned it. Following this, the British -Army marched down Surrender Road between columns of allied troops, -Americans on the British left (east) and French on the British right -(west), to Surrender Field where the formal surrender was effected. "... -we came directly onto a level field or large meadow, where ... we ... -marched one regiment after another, stacked muskets and lay down all -arms ...", wrote one of the British soldiers. Thus, the siege of -Yorktown ended, the climax of the Revolution had passed, and America -could look forward toward a free and independent status. A new nation -had been born! - - -THE SEQUEL. - -After the surrender, the British units returned to Yorktown. After 2 -days' rest, the rank and file and junior officers were marched off to -prison camps in western Virginia and Maryland. Both Washington and -Rochambeau invited their distinguished prisoners to their tables, and -for several days camp dinners were the fashion, the English attending as -guests. The American units of the Allied armies took up the return march -to the Hudson about November 1. The French, for the most part, remained -on the peninsula until spring and then left for Rhode Island, having -wintered in Yorktown, Williamsburg, Hampton, and other nearby points. De -Grasse sailed for the West Indies shortly after the siege was over. The -British expedition, which was to relieve Cornwallis, reached Virginia -waters late in October, too late to be of any use. - - - - - _The "Town of York"_ - - -Yorktown had its origin in the Virginia Port Act of 1691--one of the -legislative measures by which British colonial authorities and Virginia -leaders sought to force urban development in the colony. It specified -that 50 acres should be procured for a port to serve York County and -that it would be upon "Mr. Benjamin Reads land." This was a part of the -Capt. Nicholas Martiau property (originally patented about 1635) which, -by 1691, had descended through Martiau's daughter, Elizabeth, and George -Read to their son, Benjamin Read. The 50 acres were situated at the -point where the York River narrows to about half a mile. There had been -a ferry here for many years. Maj. Lawrence Smith was engaged to make the -survey, and a plat made by him is still preserved in the official -records of York County. - -Although Yorktown (variously called Port of York, Borough of York, York, -Town of York, and Yorktown) was not established until 1691, the area -around Yorktown had been well known to the English for generations. The -river itself had been explored, and frequently visited, by Capt. John -Smith and his fellow settlers at Jamestown. They came most frequently by -water, but it was not until the 1630-32 period that early Virginians -began to push overland from the James River and to establish homes on -the banks of the York. Among the men who braved the Indians, the -forests, and natural enemies to establish homes on the creeks and -tidewaters above and below Yorktown were Capt. John West (who became -Governor in 1635), Capt. John Utie, Capt. Robert Felgate, and, a little -later, Henry Lee. The Indians before them had seen, and recognized, the -strategic value and beauty of this location. Chief Powhatan was residing -on the north side of the river, above Gloucester Point, when Smith first -saw him in 1607, and the Chiskiack Indians lived on the south side near -present-day Yorktown until pressure from the white man caused them to -move. - -Nicolas Martiau, a French Huguenot, first received a grant of land in -the Yorktown area. It was a part of this tract, which originally lay -between the holdings of Gov. Sir John Harvey and the estate of Richard -Townsend, that in 1691 was acquired and laid out into the original 85 -lots of Yorktown. Through the marriages of his descendants, Martiau -became the earliest-known American ancestor of George Washington. A -granite marker in his honor now stands on Ballard Street. - -The earliest settlers on the York pointed the way for others who came in -increasing numbers in the years that followed. The population grew to -such an extent that in 1634 a county was laid out to embrace the -settlements which had been made on the York (those around later Yorktown -and those on the Back and Poquoson Rivers some miles to the southeast). -Designated Charles River Shire, it was one of Virginia's eight original -shires (counties). At that time, the York River was known as the -Charles, this having replaced the Indian name of Pamunkey. About 1643, -the name of the river was changed to York, from which both town and -county take their name. - -About 2 miles southeast of Yorktown is a tidal inlet, Wormley Creek, -named for Christopher Wormley, a local property owner and a member of -the council of colonial Virginia. On the west side of this inlet, a -little town (perhaps best described as a small settlement) took form. It -seemingly grew up around "Yorke Fort," built on the point formed by -Wormley Creek and York River. In 1633, "Yorke" was selected as a -receiving point, and stores were ordered built to serve this settlement -and that of Chiskiack just up the river. "Yorke" was separate and -distinct from present Yorktown, but actually a direct antecedent. Early -courts convened here, and there were a church and a courthouse with its -customary instruments of justice (stocks, a pillory, and a ducking -stool). The tomb of Maj. William Gooch here is one of the oldest -existing dated tombs in the United States. - -In establishing his survey of Yorktown in 1691, Lawrence Smith proceeded -to the high bluffs above the river and laid out 85 half-acre lots -arranged along a principal street (Main Street) running parallel with -the river and seven streets which intersected Main. Many of the original -street names still remain, as do original lot lines. In proceeding to -the high ground to make the survey, a strip of land, described in 1691 -as "a Common Shore of no value," was left between the town and the -river. This area actually proved of considerable value. Here, Water -Street took form as the second Yorktown street running parallel with the -river. Along it developed wharves, loading places, ships, stores, -lodging accommodations, and considerable miscellaneous development. It -was officially made a part of the town in 1738, but designated a commons -until surveyed into lots in 1788. - -Yorktown's history has been continuous since 1691, although its -prosperous era of growth was not destined to extend beyond the colonial -period. Soon after its establishment lots were taken up, homes began to -appear, and a number of vigorous families settled in the town. Public -activities for the county were soon concentrated here. In 1697, the -meeting place for York County Court was moved to a building on Lot 24, -and this lot still functions for county purposes. About the same time, -too, the York Parish Church was erected on Lot 35. - -The excellent harbor in the York River, plus restrictive legislation on -trade, stimulated the growth of the town as the framers of the Port Act -had hoped. It became a tobacco port of first importance as it drew on -the crops grown on the plantations round about. None was better known, -perhaps, than the famous "E. D." brand grown on the Digges estate (later -Bellfield) just above Yorktown. Ships came singly and in fleets to get -hogsheads of tobacco which had been duly examined by the inspectors -provided through the Colonial Government. Warehouses and wharves were -busy with tobacco shipments, and later in the century, with other crops. -Incoming freight for the town residents, plantation owners, and others -included clothing of latest fashion, wines and liquor, furniture, -jewelry and silver plate, riding gear and coaches, swords and firearms, -books, and slaves for the fields and kitchens. This was the trade that -made Yorktown a thriving business center in the 18th century--a port -that led in Chesapeake Bay commerce until it was later outstripped by -its rivals. - -Yorktown stood overlooking the York River, with the better homes, inns, -and public buildings on the bluffs in the town proper. Below the bluffs -on the waterfront wharves, warehouses, small stores, and drinking places -predominated. Along the water's edge, too, were establishments such as -that of Charles Chiswell, who was given a patent for land there on which -to build accommodations "for his greater Conveniency in Victualing His -Majesties Ships of War according to his Contract." - - [Illustration: _Yorktown in 1754. From a sketch (now in the - Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Va.) drawn by a British Naval - Officer._] - -When fully extended and at peak prosperity, colonial Yorktown must have -been a rather pleasant little town. At best, its population very likely -never exceeded 3,000--a small number by present standards, yet sizeable -for that period. An English visitor who stopped here in 1736 wrote of -it: - - You perceive a great Air of Opulence amongst the Inhabitants, who have - some of them built themselves Houses, equal in Magnificence to many of - our superb ones at _St. James's_.... Almost every considerable Man - keeps an Equipage.... The Taverns are many here, and much - frequented.... The Court-House is the only considerable publick - Building, and is no unhandsome Structure.... The most considerable - Houses are of Brick; some handsome ones of Wood, all built in the - modern Taste; and the lesser Sort, of Plaister. There are some very - pretty Garden Spots in the Town; and the Avenues leading to - Williamsburg, Norfolk, &c., are prodigiously agreeable. - -Between 1691 and 1781, fortunes were made at Yorktown in the tobacco -trade. But not everyone was a wealthy merchant or prosperous planter. -There were men of all types and classes on the streets, in the taverns, -and on the wharves--merchants, planters, planter-merchants, propertied -yeomen, unsuccessful merchants, shopkeepers and innkeepers in large -number, indentured servants, and slaves. Apprentices rose to become -partners, as in the case of Augustine Moore in the Nelson firm. In 1781, -he was the owner of the Moore House, where the Articles of Capitulation -were drafted. - -The more prominent families were united by marriage with all the noted -Tidewater families. The most famous son of Yorktown was Thomas Nelson, -Jr., signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia, -and commander of the militia at the siege of 1781. His remains rest in -the churchyard of Grace Church in Yorktown. - -From the point of view of growth and prosperity, Yorktown was at its -peak about 1750. The shops continued busy and the wharves full, perhaps -for another quarter of a century; yet, even before the Revolution, -evidences of decline were discernible. Whatever commercial good fortune -may have been expected for the town was rendered difficult by the -destruction and waste that came with the siege of 1781. Other forces of -decline, however, were also at work. Rival points of trade, because of -location, took much of the produce that might have come to Yorktown. The -soil of the surrounding country was worn thin, and the center of tobacco -culture moved southwest. All in all, it meant that Yorktown would not -continue to grow. - -The events of September and October 1781 gave Yorktown its position of -first rank in the story of the American Revolution, yet its earlier and -less publicized history in that war is both interesting and significant. -The leaders of opinion in Yorktown were merchants who stood to suffer -much as supporters of the patriotic cause. Their losses were heavy in -many cases, but they stood behind the Revolution practically to a man. - -As early as July 18, 1774, York County had called a meeting "to consider -what was to be done in the present distressed and alarming situation of -affairs throughout the _British_ Colonies in _America_." Five months -later there was a miniature "tea party" in the Yorktown harbor. In 1775, -Thomas Nelson, Jr., and Dudley Digges were named as delegates to the -Virginia Convention of that year. In 1776, Nelson went on to the -Continental Congress, became a signer of the Declaration of -Independence, and in 1781 was elected Governor of Virginia. Other -Yorktown personalities prominent on the political scene during the -Revolution include David Jameson, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in -1781; Thomas Everard, a commissioner of accounts from 1776 to 1781; -Dudley Digges, councilor and leader; Jaquelin Ambler, a councilor and -then, in 1781, State Treasurer; and Thomas Nelson, Sr., made Secretary -of the Commonwealth in 1776. - -In the spring of 1775, Governor Dunmore of Virginia became fearful of -the vulnerability of the powder stores in Williamsburg and, during the -night of April 20-21, he had them moved secretly to the man-of-war, -_Fowey_, anchored off Yorktown. This was the spark that set off the -Revolution in Virginia. Then came Patrick Henry's march on Williamsburg -and more alarm. At this point Dunmore became greatly disturbed. He sent -his family aboard the _Fowey_, still at Yorktown, and he himself set up -headquarters on this warship in the harbor on June 6. The assembly -refused to meet in Yorktown, as Dunmore suggested, and proceeded to do -business without the governor. It was mid-July before Dunmore finally -left Yorktown harbor, thus ending royal government in Virginia. - -The enlistment of troops soon got under way in York County. The first -move was for two companies of minutemen. The one with Yorktown men was -to be captained by William Goosley. The council ordered Yorktown to be -garrisoned in June 1776, since the strategic location and value of the -port were recognized from the very beginning. These troops were soon -sent elsewhere, however, and the barracks at Yorktown were often -woefully empty. The garrison apparently continued active until the -British occupied the town in 1781. The battery built here and manned, -first in 1776, to protect the town and "to command the River," -particularly the means of "trade and commerce," suffered varying -fortunes, but mostly, it seems, from "too little and too late." In 1777, -a troop hospital was set up in the town in time to render service in the -smallpox epidemic of that year. - -From 1776 to mid-1781, Yorktown residents heard the drums roll, became -familiar with the tread of marching columns, and witnessed periodic -scares of attack and invasion. They contributed supplies, work, money, -men, and life. They saw trade decline, "hard times" set in, property -wantonly destroyed by thoughtless troops, and received the varying news -of war with rejoicing, or with sorrow. - -In the winter of 1779-80, French war vessels used the York River and may -have found some comfort in the guns of the Yorktown fort. In March 1781, -Lafayette stepped ashore here, after his trip down the bay at the -beginning of his operations in Virginia. The raid on Yorktown by -Lieutenant Colonel Simcoe and his Queen's Rangers in April of the same -year was a foretaste of what was soon to come, as was Cornwallis' -preliminary inspection of the post on June 28. There was little active -campaigning, however, and the full meaning of conquest and occupation by -the enemy was not understood until the advance units of Cornwallis' army -entered the town in August 1781. - -When the siege of 1781 was over, Yorktown quickly entered upon its -decline. The damages of the siege had been devastating, trade fell off, -and citizens--even whole families--moved away. It quickly became a -village with no major commercial or business activity. In this category -it has continued. Its history in the 19th century was punctuated by only -an occasional significant event or development. - - [Illustration: _A park historian tells visitors about this original - siege cannon overlooking the York River. (Courtesy, Thomas L. - Williams.)_] - - [Illustration: _The Ship Exhibit--a section of a gun deck and a part - of the Captain's Cabin (reconstructed) of the 44-gun British - frigate_ CHARON.] - -In 1814, a great fire began on the waterfront and swept into the town -destroying many of the old buildings, rich in colonial associations. -Lafayette visited Yorktown in 1824, and there was a celebration in -commemoration of the events of 43 years earlier. By 1840 the sandy beach -before the town had begun to attract visitors, as it does today, in -increasing numbers. In 1862, there was a second siege of Yorktown--a -lesser engagement in the Civil War. Many of the fortifications built -then still stand. Being much more massive, they are in sharp contrast -with the earlier Revolutionary works. In the early 20th century, -residential suburban development around Yorktown was begun with a great -flourish, but did not take hold. - -The Centennial Celebration staged at Yorktown in 1881 once more brought -the town into national prominence. Large crowds journeyed to the little -village to attend and to participate in exercises which extended over a -period of several days. Fifty years later, in 1931, there was the larger -Sesquicentennial Celebration. Visitors came from far and near to -participate in this extensive observance of the American and French -victory at Yorktown. Another major observance was in 1957 when Yorktown -contributed its part to the year-long activities marking the 350th -anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, 20 miles away, in 1607. - - - - - _Guide to the Area_ - - -At Yorktown, the National Park Service is seeking to preserve and to -interpret all surviving features and reminders of the 18th century and -to restore the scene as closely as possible to what it was in -1781--before and during the siege. Accordingly, development has included -the reconstruction and restoration of buildings, fortifications, roads, -and other features after prolonged historical research. Where needed, -archeological excavations have revealed additional information on -location and identification. In addition to the program affecting the -area administered by the Service, every effort is made to encourage -private building and development in the neighborhood to follow a pattern -that will add to and enhance the picture and the atmosphere which are -being sought. - -The following numbers correspond to those on the guide map (pages 28 and -29): - - -1. VISITOR CENTER. It is suggested that you stop first at the Visitor -Center located high above the York River and nestled in a curve of -existing fortifications. It is on the southeast edge of town with -convenient connection to the Colonial Parkway. Park personnel is -available here to assist you in planning your visit, as well as an -information desk, literature, a series of exhibits including -_Washington's Tent_, and several dioramas. An introductory program of -slides and motion pictures is featured. Included, too, is the _Ship -Exhibit_--a reconstructed section of a gundeck and of the captain's -cabin of a British 44-gun frigate, the _Charon_, which was sunk at -Yorktown in 1781. It aids in the display of objects salvaged from the -river. On the roof of the Visitor Center is an _observation deck_ where -you can view the town, the battlefield, and the river. Adjacent to the -building are old existing embarkments on which are Revolutionary War -artillery pieces. One is the _Lafayette Cannon_, a piece taken from the -British at Yorktown by troops under the command of the Marquis de -Lafayette and later recognized by him in 1824 when he saw it at the -Watervliet Arsenal in New York. - - - - - Battlefield Tour. - - -A self-guiding auto tour begins and ends at the Visitor Center. Along -the drive are the major points of interest which are briefly described -below. The complete tour is some 15 miles long but you can take a -shorter tour of the 5-mile inner loop. It embraces the battlegrounds, -the French and American encampment areas, and the village of Yorktown. -The route is marked by uniform signs. - - -2. REDOUBT NO. 9 (reconstructed). A detachment of 400 French soldiers -distinguished itself on the night of October 14 by storming this British -strong point. The fall of this redoubt, and its neighbor, Redoubt No. -10, which was stormed by the Americans on the same night, was a decisive -action of the siege. - - -3. AMERICAN BATTERY NO. 2, SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE. Erected after the -capture of Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10, it was one of the most important -positions of the second siege line. There are several original artillery -pieces mounted in this reconstructed battery. - - [Illustration: _French sailors visit British Redoubt No. 9 which - their countrymen captured in 1781._] - - [Illustration: _The Lafayette Cannon--a 12-pounder made by W. Bowen - in 1759._] - - -4. REDOUBT NO. 10. Close to the edge of the riverbank, a small part of -the moat of this siege position is preserved and the parapet has been -rebuilt. This is all that now remains. The rest of the position has been -destroyed by erosion of the cliffs in the years since 1781. It was -captured from the British on the night of October 14 in a bayonet attack -led by Alexander Hamilton. Among those who distinguished themselves was -Sgt. William Brown who later was the recipient of one of the first -Purple Heart awards ever made. This award then was made only for -extraordinary bravery in action. - -Five days after its capture, the allied leaders met in Redoubt No. 10 -and affixed their signatures to the Articles of Capitulation which -already had been signed by the British commanders. This is, perhaps, the -most memorable spot on the Yorktown Battlefield. - - -5. AMERICAN SECTOR, FIRST ALLIED SIEGE LINE. The route now leads -across the field, open as in 1781, between the allied lines. Part of the -reconstructed communicating trench is visible. The next stop is in the -American sector of the first siege line at a point where the Americans -began to build their entrenchments (partly reconstructed). - - -6. AMERICAN APPROACH ROAD. The tour now follows the road used by the -American troops as they approached the fighting line. It passes the -location of their temporary supply depot. It is of interest to note that -the road is well down in a ravine and this gave protection from -shellfire. It led to the encampment area where troops bivouacked and -lived. Before crossing Wormley Creek, however, the road turns back -toward the York River. - - -7. MOORE HOUSE. Here in the private home of Augustine Moore on October -18, 1781, commissioners met to draft the Articles of Capitulation. -Constructed about 1725, the restored house is furnished as a home of the -1776-81 period. It is open daily. - - -8. MOORES MILL DAM. On the return from the Moore House the tour -crosses Wormley Creek over a dam where Augustine Moore had a grist mill, -as part of his 600-acre plantation. Ice for storage was probably cut -here in winter. - - [Illustration: _Mill dam road across Wormley Creek._] - -The marked drive now passes through a section of the American -encampment. Markers identify the more significant sites including: - - -9. BENJAMIN LINCOLN'S HEADQUARTERS SITE and 10. LAFAYETTE'S HEADQUARTERS SITE. - - [Illustration: _"Surrender Room" in Moore House where the Articles - of Capitulation were drafted._] - - -11. SURRENDER FIELD. The next stop is at the south end of the field -where the British laid down their arms as called for in the Articles of -Capitulation. A sweeping view of a part of this field is possible from a -raised platform especially designed for the purpose. In front of this is -the trace of the old Warwick Road and bounding it on the right is the -still existing York-Hampton Road. It was along the latter that the -British troops marched out from Yorktown and this section of it is now -known as Surrender Road. - - -12. SURRENDER ROAD. From Surrender Field it is possible to go directly -back to Yorktown. It is suggested, however, that the route through the -encampment area and to the British outer works be chosen. - - -13. ENCAMPMENT DRIVE. Here the road passes through historically -interesting, and scenically beautiful, countryside. This is the only -access to such areas as: - -A. _Von Steuben's Headquarters Site._ Major General von Steuben, like -Lincoln and Lafayette, commanded a division of American troops. - -B. _Rochambeau's Headquarters Site._ Rochambeau commanded the French -Army under Washington. - -C. _Washington's Headquarters Site._ This is reached by a spur road from -the main tour drive. The ford, restored to use as it was in 1781, is -safe for vehicular travel. - -D. _French Cemetery._ This is thought to be the burial site of a number -of the French soldiers killed during the siege. - -E. _French Artillery Park._ This was a place for repairing and storing -cannon. Existing ground evidences indicate the manner in which carriages -were parked. - -F. _French Army Encampment._ - - [Illustration: _The French Cemetery in the battlefield encampment - area. The cross marks the traditional burial site._] - -G. _British Outer Works._ Cornwallis constructed several positions -between the headwaters of Yorktown and Wormley Creeks as a part of his -outer line. One of these has been partly reconstructed and is visible -from the tour road. Another is _an original position which remains -undisturbed_. A spur road from the main tour route gives access to it in -the area known as "Long Neck." - - -14. GRAND FRENCH BATTERY. This position was the largest and one of the -most effective in the First Allied Siege Line. A part of it, including -gun platforms and magazines (powder and ammunition storage points), has -been reconstructed. The artillery now mounted here (a trench mortar, -siege cannon, mortars, and howitzers) are types used in the -Revolutionary period. Some of the pieces were actually used at Yorktown -during the siege. - - -15. NATIONAL CEMETERY. Established in 1866, this is chiefly a burial -ground for Union soldiers killed in the vicinity in the Civil War. - - -16. SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE. This is another point on the same -encircling line that came to include British Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10. - - -17. YORKTOWN. The tour now enters Yorktown proper where the British -army was encamped and in which it made its stand. The old Civil War line -rings the town today and under it is the British line of 1781. - - [Illustration: _The figure of "Liberty" atop the Yorktown Victory - Monument. Sculptured by Oskar J. W. Hansen._] - - [Illustration: _The Nelson House where Cornwallis may have had his - headquarters in the last days of the siege._] - -A. _Site of Secretary Nelson's House._ Here Cornwallis had his -headquarters when the siege opened. He remained until allied artillery -forced him out. Secretary Thomas Nelson was, for many years, Secretary -of the Colony of Virginia. The site has been marked by the Yorktown -Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. - -B. _Victory Monument._ Authorized by Congress in 1781, the shaft was not -begun until 1881 (completed 3 years later) as a part of the Yorktown -Centennial Celebration. The original figure of "Liberty" was damaged by -lightning in 1942 and replaced by a new figure in 1956. - -C. _Cornwallis Cave._ This natural cave in a marl cliff was undoubtedly -used by the British in 1781. Staff conferences could have been held here -late in the siege. - -D. _Nelson House._ This residence is believed to have been Cornwallis' -headquarters in the last days of the siege. It was built prior to 1745 -by "Scotch Tom" Nelson and was later the home of his grandson, Gen. -Thomas Nelson, Jr. The house has cannonballs imbedded in its east wall -that are thought to have been fired during the siege of 1781. - - [Illustration: OLD HOUSES AND OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST - IN THE - "TOWN OF YORK"] - - [Illustration: _The West House--owned by the Digges family for a - long time._] - - -18. FUSILIERS REDOUBT. Located on the west side of Yorktown, it -protected the road to Williamsburg. Because of erosion of the bluffs at -this point, it has been possible to reconstruct only a part of the -original position. - - -"TOWN OF YORK" Much of the old has continued, or is being recaptured, -in Yorktown and many of its buildings and sites have their individual -messages. In the following text, the letters correspond to those on the -map of the "Town of York," page 46. - -A. _West House._ This residence is one of the few remaining colonial -frame structures in Yorktown. Its inner timbers bear the scars of -artillery fire to which it was subjected in 1781. It is thought to date -from the mid-18th century. - -B. _Archer Cottage._ Below the bluffs is a small cottage thought to be -of colonial origin and to have been property of the Archer family. This -is the only surviving structure in this once busy waterfront section of -the port of Yorktown. - -C. _Remains of Town Wharf._ Rock piles and some of the timber crib of -the public wharf which served Yorktown before the Revolution can be seen -at exceptionally low tide near the foot of Read Street. - - [Illustration: _Grace Church. In the foreground are the Nelson - family tombs, including Thomas Nelson, Jr.'s._] - -D. _Digges House._ This brick dwelling, constructed early in the 18th -century, stands at the once busy corner of Main and Read Streets. - -E. _Somerwell House._ This restored residence, built, it is thought, -before 1707 by Mungo Somerwell, was at one time a part of the Lightfoot -family holdings. - -Many of the fine old homes are no longer standing, such as the Lightfoot -mansion that is shown so prominently on the sketch of Yorktown made from -a vessel in the harbor about 1754 (see pages 34 and 35). The Buckner -residence in the west end of town, a second Lightfoot townhouse, two of -the spacious home of the Nelsons, and the Ambler dwelling have long -since been destroyed, except for foundation remains below ground. - -F. _Grace Church._ This church, in York-Hampton Parish, is the oldest in -Yorktown. It has been active since its construction about 1697. The -present structure incorporated much of the original native marl walls. -This church was used for various military purposes in the two wars that -engulfed Yorktown, but parish organization has continued unbroken and -services are held regularly. In its churchyard lie the remains of -prominent men of Yorktown and of many others less well known. The church -is normally open every day. - - [Illustration: _Richard Ambler's storehouse is better known as the - "Customhouse" because he was a customs collector at Yorktown for - many years._] - -G. _Medical Shop._ This reconstructed shop is across Main Street from -Swan Tavern. - -H. _York County Courthouse._ This structure, the fifth such to stand on -Lot 24 in Yorktown, was completed in 1955. Although not a -reconstruction, it does capture some of the architectural flavor of the -time. It serves the town and county, as buildings on the lot have done -since 1697. - - [Illustration: _The Sessions House._] - -I. _Swan Tavern Group._ This group of reconstructed buildings, including -the tavern, kitchen, stable, smokehouse, and privy, all stand on -original foundations. One of the characteristics of colonial Yorktown -was the large number of its inns and taverns. The Swan, opened for -business in 1722, was the most noted of all. - -J. "_Customhouse._" Directly across the street from the Digges House, -this structure appears to have been built prior to 1733 and to have -begun its history as Richard Ambler's "large brick storehouse." It has -been acquired and restored by the Comte de Grasse Chapter, Daughters of -the American Revolution, and now serves them as a chapter house. The -building, on occasion, is open to visitors. - -K. _Edmund Smith House._ This brick residence is south of the Nelson -House and faces Nelson Street. It dates from about 1730. - -L. _Ballard House._ Also located on Nelson Street, this cottage, -sometimes called "Pearl Hall," presumably was built by John Ballard. - -M. _Sessions House._ This house is the oldest building still standing in -Yorktown. It was built in the late 17th century, and is named for its -builder and first owner--Thomas Sessions. - -Many of the houses mentioned here are private homes which are sometimes -open during Garden Week and other special occasions. These old homes add -charm to Yorktown and do much to preserve a quiet dignity along the -narrow, shaded streets far removed from the busy thoroughfares of a -20th-century town. - -For those interested in geology, mention should be made of the famous -_Yorktown Cliffs_, particularly those in the area between Yorktown and -the Moore House. In the steep banks eroded by the river, extensive and -significant deposits of seashells are visible. These are of marine life -that existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Tertiary Period millions of -years ago. - - - - - _How to Reach Yorktown_ - - -Yorktown is on U. S. 17 and is located 106 miles south of Fredericksburg -and 32 miles north of Norfolk, Va. The approach from the north is from -Gloucester Point by a bridge over the York River. U. S. 60 and State -Route 168 pass a few miles to the west and are connected with Yorktown -by State Route 238. The nearest rail terminal is 5 miles away at Lee -Hall. Buses of the Greyhound Lines connect with Yorktown, and special -sightseeing buses operate from Williamsburg. - - [Illustration: _The Colonial Parkway with the York River on the - left._] - - - - - _Colonial Parkway_ - - -The most interesting approach to Yorktown is from Williamsburg by car -over the Colonial Parkway. This highway, combining scenic beauty and -historical interest, is a part of Colonial National Historical Park and -connects Yorktown and Jamestown, two of the principal areas in the park, -by way of Williamsburg. From Yorktown it follows the high ground along -the south side of the York River for approximately 5 miles and then -turns inland to traverse forested countryside into -Williamsburg--Virginia's 18th-century capital. The route then is south -to the James and along this river to Jamestown. Parking overlooks have -been provided at vantage points and markers carry informative messages -about history and locality. There is a picnic ground adjacent to the -roadway about midway between Yorktown and Williamsburg. - - - - - _About Your Visit_ - - -The Yorktown Visitor Center is on the southeast edge of Yorktown. -Literature is available here, and attendants, on request, will outline -self-guided tours of the battlefield. The center is open daily except -Christmas Day. - -The Moore House is open daily, except during the winter season, and -there is an attendant on duty to assist you. There is a nominal -admission charge which is waived for children under 12 years of age and -for groups of school children 18 years of age or under when accompanied -by adults assuming responsibility for their safety and orderly conduct. - -No regularly scheduled guided tours of the battlefield are offered, but -arrangements for guide service, especially for educational groups, may -be made in advance. There is no charge for this service. - -_Yorktown Day_ (October 19) is observed each year with a special program -and patriotic exercises. - -In Yorktown there are several small restaurants, a number of tourist -homes, and two small hotels. There is a picnic area of limited capacity -along the river below the Yorktown Victory Monument, but trailer courts -and organized camping facilities are not available. - - - - - _Administration_ - - -The Yorktown Battlefield is a part of Colonial National Historical Park, -which also includes the major part of Jamestown Island, together with -some of the adjacent area, the Colonial Parkway, and the Cape Henry -Memorial at Cape Henry, Va. The park was first established as a national -monument by Presidential proclamation in 1930 and given its present -designation by act of Congress in 1936. - -The battlefield, except for areas in private ownership, is administered -by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. At -present, park holdings in the battlefield embrace about 4,175 acres. - -Headquarters for the entire park are in Yorktown, and all communications -relating to the area should be addressed to the Superintendent, Colonial -National Historical Park, Yorktown, Va. - - - - - _Closely Related Areas_ - - -Other areas in the South included in the National Park System connected -with the Revolutionary War are: Kings Mountain National Military Park, -S. C.; Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, N. C.; Cowpens -National Battlefield Site, S. C.; and Moores Creek National Military -Park, N. C. - -Closely related to Yorktown and Jamestown, both geographically and -historically, is Williamsburg (Virginia)--a national shrine of -outstanding significance and interest. Much of the heart of the old -18th-century section of the city has been restored, or reconstructed, -including the palace of the royal governors and the capitol building. -Arts and craft shops have been developed, as well as an extensive -educational program, making it possible to observe and study many -aspects of life as it was in the 80-year period when Williamsburg was -the capital of Virginia after the removal of the seat of government from -Jamestown in 1699. The restoration of the town is being made possible -through the generosity of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and it is -administered by Colonial Williamsburg as a nonprofit, educational, and -inspirational shrine "That the Future May Learn from the Past." - - - - - _Suggested Readings_ - - - Doehla, Johann Conrad. "The Doehla Journal." _William and Mary College - Historical Quarterly_, 2nd Series, Vol. 22, pp. 229-274. - Hatch Charles E., Jr. "The Moore House: A National Shrine." _William - and Mary Historical Quarterly_, 2nd Series, Vol. 21, pp. - 293-317. October 1941. - ----, and Pitkin, Thomas M. _Yorktown, Climax of the Revolution._ - National Park Service Source Book Series No. 1, Superintendent - of Documents, Washington, D. C. 1941. - Johnson Henry P. _The Yorktown Campaign and The Surrender of - Cornwallis, 1781._ Harper & Brothers, New York. 1881. - Landers, H. L. _The Virginia Campaign and the Blockade and Siege of - Yorktown, 1781._ Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. - C. 1931. - Willcox, William B. "The British Road to Yorktown: A Study in Divided - Command." _American Historical Review_, Vol. 52, pp. 1-35. - October 1946. - - - - - _Appendix 1_ - - - CORNWALLIS' PAROLE[1] - -Charles Earl Cornwallis Lieutenant General [of his Brita]nnick Majesty's -Forces.________ - - -Do acknowledge myself a Prisoner of War to the [United] States of -America, & having permission from His [Excellen]cy General Washington, -agreeable to Capitulation, to proceed to New York & Charlestown, or -either, & to Europe. - -Do pledge my Faith & Word of Honor, that I will not do or say any thing -injurious to the said United States or Armies thereof, or their Allies, -untill duly exchanged; I do further promise that Whenever required, by -the Commander in Chief of the American Army, or the Commissary of -Prisoners for the same, I will repair to such place or places as they or -either of them may require.________ - -Given under my Hand at York Town 28th day of October 1781________ - - Cornwallis - - - - - _Appendix 2_ - - - ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION[2] - -Articles of Capitulation settled between his Excellency General -Washington Comander in Chief of the combined Forces of America & -France--His Excellency The Count de Rochambeau Lieutenant General of the -Armies of the King of France--Great Cross of the Royal & Military Order -of St. Louis--Commanding the Auxiliary Troops of his most Christian -Majesty in America--And -His Excellency- the Count de Grasse Lieutenant -General of the Naval Armies of his Most Christian Majesty, Commander of -the Order of St. Louis, comand^g in Chief the Naval Army of France in -the Chesapeak--on the One Part--And His Excellency The Right Hon^ble -Earl Cornwallis Lieu. General of His Britannick Majesty's Forces, -Commanding the Garrisons of York & Gloucester and Thomas Symonds Esq^r -Commanding his Britannick Majesty's Naval forces in York River in -Virginia on the other part. - -Article 1^st - -The Garrisons of York & Gloucester including the Officers and Seamen of -his Britannic Majesty's Ships as well as other Mariners, to surrender -themselves Prisoners of War to the Combined Forces of America & -France--The Land Troops to remain prisoners to the United States. The -Navy to the naval Army of his Most Christian Majesty-- - -Article - 1^st - - Granted-- - -Article 2^nd - -The artillery, Arms, Accoutrements, Military Chest and public Stores of -every Denomination, shall be delivered, unimpaired, to the Heads of -Departments appointed to receive them-- - -Article 2^d - - Granted.-- - -Article 3^d - -At 12 ^oClock this Day the two Redoubts on the left Flank of York to be -delivered--the one to a Detachment of American Infantry--the other to a -Detachment of French Grenadiers--The Garrison of York will march out to -a place to be appointed in front of the posts at 2 ^oClock precisely, -with Shouldered Arms. Colours cased and Drums beating a British or -German March.--they are then to ground their Arms, & return to their -Encampment, where they will remain untill they are dispatched to the -place of their Destination.--Two Works on the Gloucester Side will be -delivered at One ^oClock to Detachments of French & American Troops -appointed to possess them.--The Garrison will march out at three ^oClock -in the Afternoon--The Cavalry with their Swords drawn, Trumpets sound^g -& the Infantry in the Manner prescribed for the Garrison of York--they -are likewise to return to their Encampments untill they can be finally -marched off.-- - -Article 3^d - - Granted.-- - -Article 4^th - -Officers are to retain their Side Arms--both Officers & Soldiers to keep -their private property of every kind, and no part of their Baggage or -papers to be at any Time subject to search or Inspection.--The Baggage & -papers of officers & Soldiers taken during the Siege, to be likewise -preserved for them. It is understood that any Property obviously -belonging to -any of- the Inhabitants of these States, in the possession -of the Garrison, shall be subject to be reclaimed-- - -Article 4^th - - Granted.-- - -Article 5^th - -The Soldiers to be kept in Virginia, Maryland, or Pennsylvania, & as -much by Regiments as possible, and supplyed with the same Rations or -Provisions as are Allowed to Soldiers in the Service of America:--A -field officer from each Nation, viz--British, Anspach & Hessian, & other -Officers on parole, in the proportion of One to fifty Men, to be allowed -to reside near their respective Regiments, to visit them frequently and -be witnesses of their Treatment--And that there Officers may receive & -deliver Cloathing and other Necessaries for them for which passports are -to be granted when applied for - -Article 5^th - - Granted-- - -Article 6^th - -The General, Staff & other Officers not employed as mentioned in the -above Article, & who choose it, to be permitted to go on parole to --England- Europe, to N York, or to any other American maritime posts, at -present in possession of the British Forces, at their own Option, & -proper Vessels to be granted by the Count de Grasse to carry them under -flags of Truce to New York within ten Days from this Date, if possible, -& they to reside in a District to be agreed upon hereafter, untill they -embark--The Officers of the civil Departments of the Army & navy to be -included in this Article.--passports to go by Land, to be granted to -those, to whom Vessels cannot be furnished.-- - -Article 6^th - - Granted.-- - -Article 7^th - -Officers to be allowed to keep Soldiers as Servants according to the -common practice of the Service.--Servants not Soldiers are not to be -considered as prisoners & are to be allowed to attend their Masters. - -Article 7^th - - Granted - -Article 8^th - -The Bonetta Sloop of War to be equipped & navigated by its present -Captain and Crew & left entirely at the Disposal of L^d Cornwallis, from -the Hour that the Capitulation is signed, to receive an Aid de Camp to -carry Dispatches to Sir H^ry Clinton--and such Soldiers as he may think -proper to send to N York to be permitted to sail without Examination, -when his Dispatches are ready. His Lordship engaging on his part, that -the Ship shall be delivered to the Order of the Count de Grasse if she -escapes the Dangers of the Seas--that she shall not carry off any public -Stores--Any part of the Crew, that may be deficient on her Return, & the -Soldiers passengers, to be accounted for on her Delivery-- - -Article 8^th - - Granted-- - -Article 9^th - -The Traders are to preserve their Property, & to be allowed three Months -to dispose of, or remove them--And those Traders are not to be -considered as prisoners of War-- - -Article 9^th - -The Traders will be allowed to dispose of their Effects--the Allied Army -having the right of pre-emption--The Traders to be considered as -prisoners of War on parole-- - -Article 10^th - -Natives or Inhabitants of different parts of this Country at present in -York or Gloucester are not to be punished on Acc^o of having joined the -British army-- - -Article 10^th - -This Article cannot be assented to--being altogether of civil Resort-- - -Article 11^th - -Proper Hospitals to be furnished for the Sick & Wounded--they are to be -attended by their own Surgeons on parole, and they are to be furnished -with Medicines & Stores from the American Hospitals-- - -Article 11^th - -The Hospital Stores now in York and Gloucester shall be delivered for -the Use of the British Sick & wounded--Passports will be granted for -procuring them further Supplies from N York as Occasion may require--& -proper Hospitals will be furnished for the reception of the Sick & -wounded of the two Garrisons-- - -Article 12^th - -Waggons to be furnished to carry the Baggage of the Officers attending -the Soldiers, and to Surgeons when travelling on Acc^o of the -Sick--attending the Hospitals at public Expense - -Article 12^th - -They will be furnished if possible-- - -Article 13^th - -The Shipping & Boats in the two Harbours, with all their Stores, Guns, -Tackling, & Apparel shall be delivered up in their present State, to an -officer of the Navy, appointed to take possession of them--previously -unloading the private property part of which had been on board for -Security during the Siege. - -Article 13^th - - Granted. - -Article 14^th - -No Article of the Capitulation to be infringed on pretext of Reprisal, & -if there be any doubtful Expressions in it, they are to be interpreted, -according to the common Meaning & Acceptation of the Words.-- - -Article 14^th - - Granted.-- - -Done at York in Virginia this 19^th day of October 1781 - - Cornwallis - Tho^s Symonds - -[Done in the trenches before York Town in Virginia October 19 1781. - - G. Washington - Le Comte de Rochambeau - Le Comte de Barras, en mon nom - & celui de Comte de Grasse] - - - U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1961 OF--520228 - - - - - Footnotes - - -[1]In the Virginia State Library. - -[2]From the Washington Papers, Library of Congress. - - -NATIONAL PARK SERVICE -HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES - -(Price lists of National Park Service publications may be obtained from -the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D.C.) - - Antietam - Bandelier - Chalmette - Chickamauga and Chattanooga Battlefields - Custer Battlefield - Custis-Lee Mansion, the Robert E. Lee Memorial - Fort Laramie - Fort McHenry - Fort Necessity - Fort Pulaski - Fort Raleigh - Fort Sumter - George Washington Birthplace - Gettysburg - Guilford Courthouse - Hopewell Village - Independence - Jamestown, Virginia - Kings Mountain - The Lincoln Museum and the House Where Lincoln Died - Manassas (Bull Run) - Montezuma Castle - Morristown, a Military Capital of the Revolution - Ocmulgee - Petersburg Battlefields - Richmond Battlefields - Saratoga - Scotts Bluff - Shiloh - Statue of Liberty - Vanderbilt Mansion - Vicksburg - Wright Brothers - Yorktown - - [Illustration: _Restored French Battery, showing siege guns in - position_] - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook - is public-domain in the country of publication. - ---Corrected a few palpable typos. - ---In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by - _underscores_. - ---In the text version only, text with a line through it, is delimited by - -hyphens-. - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Yorktown and the Siege of 1781, by Charles E. 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