The Battle of Yorktown
September 8 to October 19 1781. It is the Americans and French against the British. The Americans dressed as good as they could for this Battle. Both sides had muskets and guns. The back rifle men carried long caliber rifles that had better accuracy.
General George Washington commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops begin the siege known as the Battle of Yorktown. General Lord Charles Cornwallis had a troop of 9,000 British Troops. This was the most important battle in the Revolutionary War.
Cornwallis had chosen Yorktown at the mouth of Chesapeake as his base. Washington had realized it was time to act. He ordered Marquis de Lafayette and an American army of 5,000 troops to block Cornwallis. They sent the troops to block him from escape from Yorktown by land while the French naval fleet blocked the British escape by sea. After 3 weeks of non-stop bombardment, both day and night, Cornwallis finally surrenders to George Washington in the field of Yorktown on October 17, 1781. This marked the end of the War of Independence. General Cornwallis did not go to the surrender ceremony (held on October 18) just because he was that embarrassed to surrendering. Instead General Cornwallis O'Hare carried Cornwallis's sword to the French and American commanders.
General George Washington commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops begin the siege known as the Battle of Yorktown. General Lord Charles Cornwallis had a troop of 9,000 British Troops. This was the most important battle in the Revolutionary War.
Cornwallis had chosen Yorktown at the mouth of Chesapeake as his base. Washington had realized it was time to act. He ordered Marquis de Lafayette and an American army of 5,000 troops to block Cornwallis. They sent the troops to block him from escape from Yorktown by land while the French naval fleet blocked the British escape by sea. After 3 weeks of non-stop bombardment, both day and night, Cornwallis finally surrenders to George Washington in the field of Yorktown on October 17, 1781. This marked the end of the War of Independence. General Cornwallis did not go to the surrender ceremony (held on October 18) just because he was that embarrassed to surrendering. Instead General Cornwallis O'Hare carried Cornwallis's sword to the French and American commanders.