The Battle of Yorktown was the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. American and French forces fought against the British army led by General Cornwallis. The French fleet under Admiral de Grasse blocked the British army. After a long bombardment, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington on October 19, 1781. The victory was declared on the American side, and the Revolutionary War was about to come to a decisive conclusion in America’s favor.
The 1781 Battle of Yorktown was the last major land battle during the American Revolutionary War. It began on September 28, 1781 and ended on October 19, 1781. During the Battle of Yorktown, American forces were joined by the French in a fight against the British army. General George Washington led American troops, General Comte de Rochambeau led French soldiers, and General Lord Cornwallis commanded the British army.
It all began in the late summer of 1781, as Washington and Rochambeau had just received word that Cornwallis was encamped at Yorktown, Virginia. Accordingly, they hurried from New York to rendezvous with the French fleet which was under the command of Admiral Comte de Grasse. When Washington and his men arrived, they managed to block the British army.
When the battle of Yorktown was really underway, the British general, Cornwallis, called for reinforcements from his troops. The French and American armies began a long bombardment. However, the French artillery was very accurate. As reinforcements were never sent to Cornwallis and the French and Americans continued their bombardments by the French and Americans, doubt began to form in Cornwallis’ mind. Then, two key hill fortifications were lost after a night attack. This spelled the end and surrender was inevitable.
There were many patriots during the short 1781 Battle of Yorktown. For one, Thomas Nelson, who signed the Declaration of Independence, encouraged Washington to fire on his own estate, as Cornwallis was headquartered there. Thanks to the patriotism of Nelson and many like him, victory was declared on the American side for the Battle of Yorktown.
Cornwallis surrendered to Washington on October 19, 1781. At the end of the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, 8,000 British soldiers were taken prisoner. There were only a few casualties. Cornwallis did not meet formally with Washington and never attended the surrender ceremony. Furthermore, the Revolutionary War was about to come to a decisive conclusion in America’s favor.
As an interesting side note, five days after the 1781 Battle of Yorktown ended, the British fleet arrived, but too late to help the British Army defeat the Americans and French. One hundred years after the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, a ceremony took place in 1881. Ships of the United States Navy were sent to Chesapeake Bay. Even today, Cornwallis’ sword that was taken during the surrender is on display in the White House, because without the Battle of Yorktown, who knows if the Americans would ever have defeated the British in the battle for independence.
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