American Revolution : The Battle of Yorktown The Battle of Yorktown 1781 General George Washington's resounding defeat of Lord Cornwallis's British army; causing the British to surrender and effectively ending the American Revolutionary War. Battle: YORKTOWN Date: 28th September to 19th October 1781 Place: Virginia, United States of America Combatants: Americans and French against the British American troops storming the redoubt Generals: General Washington commanded the Americans, Lieutenant General de Rochambeau commanded the French and Major General Lord Cornwallis commanded the British. Size of the armies: 8,800 Americans, 7,800 French and 6,000 British Uniforms, arms and equipment: The British wore red coats and headgear of bearskin caps, leather caps or tricorne hats depending on whether the troops were grenadiers, light infantry or battalion company men. The German infantry wore blue coats and retained the Prussian style grenadier mitre with brass front plate. The Americans dressed as best they could. Increasingly as the war progressed regular infantry regiments of the Continental Army wore blue uniform coats but the militia continued in rough clothing.

The French royal regiments of foot wore white coats. French troops advancing to attack the British lines during the Battle of Yorktown. Both sides were armed with muskets and guns. The back country riflemen carried long, small calibre rifles, weapons of considerably greater accuracy than the ordinary musket and which their owners used with proficiency.

Map of the Battle of Yorktown by John Fawkes British Infantry Officer Winner: The Americans and French British Regiments: 1 troop of 17th Light Dragoons (in Tarleton’s Legion) Royal Artillery A composite brigade of Foot Guards (comprising 1st, 2nd and 3rd Foot Guards) 17th Foot later the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and now the Royal Anglian Regiment 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers 33rd Foot now the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment 43rd later the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and now the Royal Green Jackets 71st Fraser’s Highlanders (disbanded at the end of the war) 76th Foot (disbanded at the end of the war) 80th Foot (disbanded at the end of the war) Regiment of de Voit (Anspach) Regiment of de Seybothen (Anspach) Regiment of Prince Hereditary (Hesse) Regiment of von Bose (Hesse) Tarleton’s Legion Simcoe’s Legion North Carolina Loyalists The British 23rd Regiment of Foot, the Royal Welch Fusiliers (from Tim Reese’s CD Rom of

 116 illustrations of British and American Regiments from the Revolutionary War.

French Regiments: 3 brigades of Virginia Militia Sappers and Miners The Americans storming the redoubts on 14th October 1781 during the Battle of Yorktown Account: Losing his grip on the Carolinas, Cornwallis marched his army into Virginia and seized Yorktown and Gloucester, towns on each side of the York River. With the arrival of the French fleet of Admiral De Grasse, General Washington was able to march south from New York with the joint American and French army to attack Cornwallis. The British Army marching out to surrender at the end of the Battle of Yorktown The Americans and French marched out of Williamsburg and arrived before Yorktown on 28th September 1781, forming a semi-circle around the entrenchments and putting the British under siege. Cornwallis expecting Major General Clinton to sail from New York with a relieving force had decided to remain in Yorktown rather than march south to the Carolinas or attempt to reach New York. His first move was the inexplicable one of abandoning a line of four redoubts that dominated the British positions. The Americans immediately occupied the empty redoubts.

View of Yorktown from the York River before it was destroyed during the Battle of Yorktown The Americans began formal siege operations on the eastern side of Yorktown on 30th September and on 9th October were sufficiently close to began an artillery bombardment. On 14th October the Americans and French stormed two redoubts in front of their trenches and the position of the British in Yorktown became untenable. American Continental troops capture British guns Click here or image to buy a print The British carried out a sortie on the 16th in which several guns in the two redoubts were spiked. On the same day Cornwallis attempted to pass the Guards, the 23rd and the Light Infantry across the York River to Gloucester but was thwarted by a storm. General George Washington With no sign of Clinton’s relief and with inadequate supplies of artillery ammunition and food, on 19th October 1781 Cornwallis’ army marched out of Yorktown and surrendered.

A contemporary French representation of the Battle of Yorktown Click here or image to buy a print Casualties: 6,000 British surrendered to the Americans and French with 10 stands of German and British colours, 240 pieces of artillery, small arms, ammunition and equipment. The casualties during the siege had been 500 British, 80 Americans and 200 French. General George Washington reviews the captured British army at the Battle of Yorktown. Follow-up: The capitulation of the British to the Americans and French ended the fighting in the war and led to the Peace Treaty that acknowledged the independence of the American states. Clinton’s relieving force arrived in the Chesapeake on 24th October. Cornwallis's British army surrenders to General Washington at Yorktown Anecdotes and traditions: The British bands are reputed to have played “The world turned upside down” as the troops marched out to surrender. After the surrender the American and French officers entertained the British officers to dinner, other than Tarleton with whom the Americans refused to eat, due to the atrocities committed by his troops in North and South Carolina.

The British army surrendering at Yorktown History of the British Army by Sir John Fortescue The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward General Washington at Yorktown The Battle of Yorktown - October 6-19, 1781 The Battle of Yorktown October 6-19, 1781 The Battle of Yorktown is important because it was the last battle of the Revolutionary war. Yorktown, now Williamsburg, Virginia, is a river port near the Chesapeake Bay. The Battle of Guilford Court House took place on March 15, 1781. Even though neither the British nor the Patriots won this battle, the British troops were worn out and they were forced to retreat. British General Charles Cornwallis moved his troops to to the coast of North Carolina. British General Henry Clinton ordered him to stay in the Carolinas and support the British troops there. General Cornwallis decided not to remain in the Carolinas and instead moved his troops to Yorktown, Virginia. There he took over the command from Loyalist General Benedict Arnold. Here the British troops were low on reinforcements and supplies, and were waiting for more to come from New York City.

At the same time, General Washington was planning to attack New York with the help of the French, who had been convinced by Benjamin Franklin to join the Patriots. Because the British knew the Patriots' plan to attack New York, they did not send reinforcements to General Cornwallis in Yorktown. Actually, General Cornwallis was ordered to bring all his men to New York, but again he did not obey orders. Instead, all 7,500 of his men stayed in Yorktown. There was a major naval battle at Chesapeake Bay, Maryland between the French protecting the Patriots and the British in September. The British were badly beaten and retreated to New York. On October 6, 1781, with the help of the French, the Continental Army attacked General Cornwallis and his men at Yorktown. All together the French and the colonists were over 16,000 men. Finally, on October 17th the British sent a fleet from New York to help General Cornwallis and his men, but by that time it was too late. The British were outnumbered and had hardly any food. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton had delivered a letter from General Washington to General Cornwallis.

Washington wrote that he wanted to stop the "useless effusion of blood." On the same day the British fleet left New York, General Cornwallis realized there was no hope for his army and sent this answer to General Washington's letter: York in Virginia, Sir, I have this moment been honoured with your Excellency's letter dated this day. The time limited for sending my answer will not admit of entering into the detail of Articles, but the basis of my proposals will be that the Garrisons of York and Gloucester shall be prisoners of War with the customary honours, and for the convenience of the individuals which I have the honour to command, that the British shall be sent to Britain and the Germans to Germany, under engagement not to serve against France, America or their Allies untill released or regularly exchanged, that all Arms and publick stores shall be delivered up to you, but that the usual indulgence of side arms to Officers and of retaining private property shall be granted to Officers & Soldiers, and that the interests of several individuals in Civil Capacities & connected with us, shall be attended to.

If Your Excellency thinks that a continuance of the suspension of hostilities will be necessary to transmit your answer I shall have no objection to the hour that you propose. I have the honor to be Your most obedient & most humble servant, Cornwallis On October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis and his 7,157 men officially surrendered to General Washington. No one knew at the time, but this was the last battle of the War. There were still some minor fights in the south where there were lots of Loyalists (colonists who remained loyal to King George III) and there were other battles on the Atlantic Ocean near England. In April 1782, the British House of Commons voted to end the war. Read Ebenezer Denny 's journal entry about the surrender of the British.

Battle of Yorktown begins - Sep 28, 1781 - HISTORY.com Battle of Yorktown begins Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1781, General George Washington, commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops, begins the siege known as the Battle of Yorktown against British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and a contingent of 9,000 British troops at Yorktown, Virginia, in the most important battle of the Revolutionary War. Earlier, in a stroke of luck for the Patriots, the French fleet commanded by Francois, Count de Grasse, departed St. Domingue (the then-French colony that is now Haiti) for the Chesapeake Bay, just as Cornwallis chose Yorktown, at the mouth of the Chesapeake, as his base. Washington realized that it was time to act. He ordered Marquis de Lafayette and an American army of 5,000 troops to block Cornwallis’ escape from Yorktown by land while the French naval fleet blocked the British escape by sea. By September 28, Washington had completely encircled Cornwallis and Yorktown with the combined forces of Continental and French troops.

After three weeks of non-stop bombardment, both day and night, from cannon and artillery, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 17, 1781, effectively ending the War for Independence. Pleading illness, Cornwallis did not attend the formal surrender ceremony, held on October 19. Instead, his second in command, General Charles O’Hara, carried Cornwallis’ sword to the American and French commanders. Although the war persisted on the high seas and in other theaters, the Patriot victory at Yorktown ended fighting in the American colonies. Peace negotiations began in 1782, and on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, formally recognizing the United States as a free and independent nation after eight years of war. Related Videos The Yorktown Campaign, October 1781 – The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army The Yorktown Campaign, October 1781 July 16, 2014 By Brigadier General Creighton W.

Abrams, USA-Ret., AHF Executive Director By the spring of 1781 and after six years of war, the British forces in America hung on to a handful of coastal bases surrounded by a largely hostile countryside. At the same time, they continued with what amounted to a global war against France and Spain. Back in England, the war was becoming both unpopular and divisive. The Americans, on the other hand, were deeply in debt and could not pay their soldiers on a regular basis. As a result, sporadic mutinies occurred. The Americans also faced shortages of food, ammunition, and other materiel, and their soldiers were becoming increasingly apathetic. Time was running out for both sides. One clear victory by either side would almost certainly decide the issue. In May 1781, GEN George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, strongly desired that the decisive battle be at the city of New York, where LTG Henry Clinton, the overall commander of British forces in America, was in immediate command of 14,000 troops placed in formidable defensive positions.

Clinton also had the support of the Royal Navy, which had made the British colonization of America possible in the first place and was now indispensable to putting down the rebellion. It transported everything–soldiers, materiel, firepower, and even strategic communications from the British government. Tactically and operationally, it enabled the British Army to move men and materiel quickly from port to port along the Atlantic coastline of America. Washington commanded a force of 10,000 (including French forces) at Peekskill, just north of New York City. When he met in late May with his key ally, LTG Rochambeau, who had arrived with 4,000 French troops the year before, they discussed two options: reinforcing the South, specifically Virginia; or attacking New York. Two months before, Washington had sent the Marquis de Lafayette to Virginia with 3,000 troops, by far the largest and richest state, to counter raids led by Benedict Arnold, now a major general in the British Army. Rochambeau, noting the comparative strength of Clinton’s forces in New York, preferred the Virginia option.

Washington, however, wanted to strike a decisive blow, and it was not clear then that sending a large force 400 miles south would achieve anything significant. LTG Charles, Lord Cornwallis, commander of British forces in the South, was there, but he would not necessarily wait to be attacked. The critical element for both options was French naval support. The Allies already had a smaller French fleet of twelve ships, carrying siege guns, at Newport, Rhode Island, but its commander, Admiral de Barras, was reluctant to go to the Chesapeake Bay and risk destruction along the way by British naval forces. Thanks to assiduous diplomatic efforts by American representatives in Paris, however, France provided more than troops and funds. They eventually consented to loaning the Americans the use of a much larger fleet during the Caribbean hurricane season–roughly from mid-July to mid-October. The plan called for the larger French fleet, twenty-six ships under Admiral de Grasse, to provide local naval superiority (thereby, in modern terms, isolating the battlefield) so that the Allied army–American and French–could successfully attack a British force on land.

Because Rochambeau could not tell Washington where the French fleet would go, nothing was decided in May, but the French Army was subsequently moved from Newport to join the Continental Army at Peekskill. Meanwhile, in Virginia, Washington’s instructions to Lafayette called for him to prevent British raids and to maintain contact with Cornwallis’s force without becoming decisively engaged, a tall order for a 24-year old with his first independent command. Fortunately for him, his opponent, Cornwallis, was by then somewhat estranged from his commander, Clinton, in New York. In fact, by May of 1781, Cornwallis was communicating directly with London, specifically with Lord Germain, the British Secretary of State for America, because he claimed he was too far from New York to get timely guidance. In addition, Cornwallis held what was called a dormant commission to assume command of all British forces in America if Clinton became incapacitated. Thus the two most important British Army commanders in America were more rivals than comrades. Their differences about how to fight the war were exacerbated by the great distance separating the two armies. To make matters worse, Clinton hated making decisions.

Instead, he made suggestions to his subordinates and, when the war reached a critical period in September and October, on debilitating councils of war. On 20 May, about the same time Washington and Rochambeau were conferring in New York, Cornwallis arrived in Petersburg, Virginia, with 7,000 troops to begin his Virginia campaign. Simultaneously he received suggestions from Clinton to establish a naval base near Portsmouth, which he ignored. Instead, Cornwallis conducted a series of successful raids. A month later, on 26 June, he arrived in Williamsburg and received two unusually direct letters from Clinton. The letters disparaged Cornwallis’s raids and, more importantly, ordered him to send six regiments of infantry back to New York, where Clinton believed Washington intended to attack. The letters also ordered Cornwallis to use the remainder of his force to establish a naval base on the Chesapeake. He decided to comply and move his force south across the James River near Green Spring Farm, and then through Suffolk to Portsmouth, where he could embark the six regiments.

Siège de Yorktown, by Auguste Couder Lafayette, now joined by MG Anthony Wayne in command of 1,000 Pennsylvanians, had maintained contact with Cornwallis. When he saw that Cornwallis was about to cross the James River, he decided to attack the British rear guard on 6 July. Cornwallis anticipated the attack and set a trap by making it look as though his main body had crossed the river. In reality, the bulk of his forces remained on the north side. Lafayette fell for the ruse and was soundly defeated, but managed to extricate most of his troops. Because Cornwallis dutifully continued to move toward Suffolk and away from Lafayette’s force, Lafayette, knowing that the Americans badly needed victories, claimed that he had won the battle. While it was a relatively minor action, the Battle of Green Spring was important because it demonstrated what Cornwallis was capable of and what he could have done later if he and Clinton had been more in accord. When he arrived at Portsmouth, he received another surprisingly direct letter from Clinton on 20 July. He was ordered to disembark troops immediately and proceed to nearby Old Point Comfort to establish a naval base.

After careful reconnaissance and the advice of both his engineers and his naval commander, he selected Yorktown as a better location. From that point until his formal surrender on 19 October, Cornwallis gave every indication that he would do what he was told and would take no initiative of his own. The outcome, as far as he was concerned, was in Clinton’s hands. On 2 August, he disembarked his entire force at Yorktown and spent the next two months (until the Allies arrived on 28 September) fortifying his position. He also placed a force across the James River at Gloucester Point. Because Cornwallis never envisioned the debacle to come, the defenses around Yorktown were not very strong, nor was any attempt made to engage the nearby American force under Lafayette. Instead, he sent sarcastic letters to Clinton. Clinton was generally satisfied that Cornwallis was finally complying with his instructions and ignored the innuendoes. Neither Clinton nor Cornwallis seems to have realized that, with roughly 22,000 troops in New York and Yorktown– roughly eighty percent of all their forces–they were essentially occupying two naval bases, but with very little naval support.

Admiral Graves, the newly arrived commander of Royal naval forces in America, was in New York with five ships. The rest of his force was in the Caribbean under Admiral Sir George Rodney, who was ill and about to return to England. Before he set sail for home, Rodney sent fourteen ships under Admiral Sir Samuel Hood towards the Chesapeake. In the meantime, the two British land forces were vulnerable because they could not reinforce each other, nor could each be easily resupplied. The situation was even more dire for Cornwallis because if he were to fall under siege, he lacked the firepower and adequate supplies of ammunition to hold out for any length of time. Washington, clearly the superior general to either of his opponents and never inclined to the kind of self-indulgence both Clinton and Cornwallis were prone to, better understood the importance of naval forces, despite the fact that he had none under his command. The best he could hope for was to borrow someone else’s, if only for a limited period, to neutralize those of the British.

Consequently, when Rochambeau informed him on 14 August that the French were sending a fleet of twenty-four ships, but only to the Chesapeake, Washington immediately decided to seek a decisive victory in the South. Five days later, he split his force, leaving 3,500 men in Peekskill under MG William Heath to keep an eye on Clinton, and set out with 2,000 Continentals and 4,500 troops under Rochambeau for southern Virginia, approximately 400 miles away. Washington also notified MG Henry Knox in Philadelphia and ordered him to begin moving his artillery south. To deceive Clinton of his real objective and allow him a head start, Washington continued to demonstrate that New York was his real objective. This plan worked until 30 August, when Clinton realized what the Americans were doing. Three days later, he sent a message to Cornwallis telling him of the Americans’ movements and that he would send reinforcements by sea. Washington also sent instructions to Lafayette ordering him to maintain contact with Cornwallis and, if at all possible, to keep him one place.

At least one historian, Barbara Tuchman, has argued that the decisive battle of the Yorktown campaign was a naval engagement which took place at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, while Washington and his force of 6,500 Continentals and French marched towards southern Virginia. It was certainly crucial, because it temporarily gave the Allies an edge they had to have for the land battle. While Admiral de Grasse was the hero of the 5 September encounter, he had help from the inept Admiral Graves. Admiral Hood, serving under Graves, had actually reached the Chesapeake first with fourteen ships on 21 August. When he saw neither British nor French naval forces, he proceeded to New York to join Graves, arriving on 28 August. At Hood’s urging, Graves joined him with five ships and the combined forces headed back to the Chesapeake on 31 August. Admiral de Grasse had already arrived at the Chesapeake on 30 August and was in the process of foraging and disembarking the 3,000 troops with his ships.

The other French fleet, Admiral de Barras’ twelve ships, which carried siege guns for the land battle, had left Newport on 25 August, hoping somehow to get to the Chesapeake by heading out into the Atlantic and thereby avoiding the Royal Navy. When Graves and Hood arrived at the Chesapeake on 5 September, de Grasse was caught by surprise because he was expecting de Barras. Leaving two ships back with his sailors and officers who were ashore foraging, he immediately sent his fleet back out of the Chesapeake to do battle. The British fleet under Graves had several advantages–they were already in the right formation; they had the wind at their backs; their ships were copper-bottomed and therefore faster in the water; and they were skilled at close combat, which countered the numerical superiority (24 to 19) of the French. But they also had Graves in command. He decided to follow British Fighting Instructions and promptly changed his formation in a way that allowed the French to place effective fire on their lead ships and kept Hood to the rear and out of the fight. After two hours, the French had inflicted more damage than the British but had not won the battle.

For the next four days the two fleets sailed side by side out into the Atlantic without re-engaging. When de Grasse, having kept the British fleet at bay and given, he hoped, de Barras a chance to get into the Chesapeake, turned back, Graves decided to head back to New York to refit, leaving Hood in a towering rage. De Grasse arrived in the Chesapeake on 12 September and found de Barras safely in the bay. Thus Graves had not only failed to eliminate the threat from de Grasse’s force, he had failed to locate and destroy a much smaller force that carried the critical siege guns. The Allies now controlled the Chesapeake Bay, and Cornwallis was trapped. Washington, who constantly sought information about the location and status of the French fleet during the long march south, was absolutely delighted when heard the good news. He now realized, perhaps more than anyone that the end was in sight. But he had to act quickly, because the Royal Navy could return. In fact, Clinton intended to order the British fleet to return to the Chesapeake area with 4,000 troops under his personal command to reinforce Cornwallis. Furthermore, de Grasse would not stay indefinitely.

He had, however, promised Washington that he would stay in the Chesapeake until the end of October. Washington’s entire force of roughly 14,000 troops assembled at Williamsburg on 26 September and moved immediately to Yorktown, arriving on the 28th to begin the siege. While he had proved himself a skilled general over the course of the war, siege warfare was not Washington’s forte. Therefore, he wisely let Rochambeau and Baron von Steuben, the German officer who provided invaluable assistance to the American cause, conduct the planning, since both had extensive experience in siege operations. Planning for the siege of British forces at Yorktown became much easier when Cornwallis decided on 29 September to withdraw his forces from all but one of the outer defenses and to concentrate his forces primarily in the ten redoubts–strongpoints just outside the town itself–he had constructed during August and September. He did so largely because he had received several messages from Clinton telling him that help, in the form of Graves’ fleet and 4,000 troops, was on the way and would depart New York on 5 October.

Fortunately for the Allies, Admiral Graves could not be induced to set out to sea again until he had completely repaired the damage from 5 September. Despite Clinton’s regular messages of encouragement and promised help (now twenty-eight ships and 7,000 troops), reinforcements did not leave New York until 19 October, the day of Cornwallis’s surrender. The siege of Yorktown was conducted skillfully and rapidly. First, the Allies seized the abandoned defensive line and converted it to their own purpose. With an abundance of manpower, they then dug–primarily at night and done quickly to minimize exposure to British artillery–the “first parallel,” a long and deep trench about 1,000 meters long and 600 to 800 meters from the British defenses. Then artillery, including French siege guns and everything Henry Knox brought, was moved into battery positions within the trenchline. On 9 October, artillery from the French on the left and the Americans on the right opened up. The Allies rate of fire quickly reached 4,000 rounds per day, battering the beleaguered British forces within Yorktown.

On 11 October the Allies began work on the second parallel, only 300 meters from the British lines. Because the second parallel ran directly into Redoubts 9 and 10, the Allies attacked both — the French against Redoubt 9 and the Americans, led by LTC Alexander Hamilton, against Redoubt 10–on the night of 14 October. In less than thirty minutes, the Americans and French seized both positions. For the next sixty hours, the artillery fire inflicted against the British troops in the town, from 100 guns and mortars in both parallels and other positions, was horrific. By then, most civilians had been sent out of Yorktown, not to ensure their safety, but to reduce the number of mouths to feed. British counterfire, initially impressive but never fully effective, was overwhelmed by the Allies’ superiority in number of artillery pieces and amounts of ammunition. Yorktown, 14 October 1781, by H. Charles McBarron (U.S. Army Center of Military History) By the morning of 17 October, Cornwallis decided that his position was untenable and that he could not hold out until Clinton finally arrived.

Moreover, there was a strong possibility that Clinton’s reinforcements would never reach Yorktown, especially since French naval forces controlled the Chesapeake. Therefore, Cornwallis sent out a white flag to request an armistice and to begin negotiating a surrender. This took two days because Cornwallis demanded more than Washington was willing to grant him, plus he was trying to buy time for Clinton to arrive, which Washington understood. Finally, on the afternoon of 19 October, the American and French forces assembled outside the entrance to Yorktown. Cornwallis, unable to endure the mortification of having to surrender, sent his deputy, BG Charles O’Hara to carry out the surrender. When O’Hara tried to surrender to Rochambeau, the French general directed him to Washington, who, realizing that it was not Cornwallis, pointed him to MG Benjamin Lincoln, his second in command. When news of Cornwallis’s surrender reached London on 25 November, the Prime Minister, Lord North, knew immediately that the war was over, declaring, “Oh God. It is all over. It is all over.” On 5 March 1782, Parliament passed a bill authorizing the government to make peace with America.

Lord North resigned fifteen days later. While it took the Americans another two years of skillful diplomacy after Yorktown to win their independence in a formal peace treaty, the war was won with the British defeat at Yorktown. Through perseverance, skilled leadership from officers such as George Washington, and help from their French allies, the American Army won a great victory against the most powerful nation of that time period. Furthermore, the Yorktown Campaign demonstrated how much the American Army had improved in a relatively short period of time, in addition to providing an early successful example of the employment of joint and multinational forces. For additional information on the Yorktown Campaign, please read: Thomas N. Fleming, The Last Drum: The Siege of Yorktown, 1781; Barbara Tuchman, The First Salute; and Brendan Morrissey, Yorktown 1781: The World Turned Upside Down.

Bottom of Form Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown - Oct 19, 1781 - HISTORY.com Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a French and American force at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing the American Revolution to a close. Previously, Cornwallis had driven General George Washington’s Patriot forces out of New Jersey in 1776, and led his Recoats in victory over General Horatio Gates and the Patriots at Camden, South Carolina, in 1780. His subsequent invasion of North Carolina was less successful, however, and in April 1781, he led his weary and battered troops toward the Virginia coast, where he could maintain seaborne lines of communication with the large British army of General Henry Clinton in New York City. After conducting a series of raids against towns and plantations in Virginia, Cornwallis settled in Yorktown in August.

The British immediately began fortifying the town and the adjacent promontory of Gloucester Point across the York River Washington instructed the Marquis de Lafayette, who was in Virginia with an American army of around 5,000 men, to block Cornwallis’ escape from Yorktown by land. In the meantime, Washington’s 2,500 troops in New York were joined by a French army of 4,000 men under the Count de Rochambeau. Washington and Rochambeau made plans to attack Cornwallis with the assistance of a large French fleet under the Count de Grasse, and on August 21 they crossed the Hudson River to march south to Yorktown. Covering 200 miles in 15 days, the allied force reached the head of Chesapeake Bay in early September. Meanwhile, a British fleet under Admiral Thomas Graves failed to break French naval superiority at the Battle of Virginia Capes on September 5, denying Cornwallis his expected reinforcements. Beginning September 14, de Grasse transported Washington and de Rochambeau’s men down the Chesapeake to Virginia, where they joined Lafayette and completed the encirclement of Yorktown on September 28.

De Grasse landed another 3,000 French troops carried by his fleet. During the first two weeks of October, the 14,000 Franco-American troops gradually overcame the fortified British positions with the aid of de Grasse’s warships. A large British fleet carrying 7,000 men set out to rescue Cornwallis, but it was too late. On October 19, General Cornwallis surrendered 7,087 officers and men, 900 seamen, 144 cannons, 15 galleys, a frigate and 30 transport ships. Pleading illness, he did not attend the surrender ceremony, but his second-in-command, General Charles O’Hara, carried Cornwallis’ sword to the American and French commanders. As the British and Hessian troops marched out to surrender, the British band played the song “The World Turned Upside Down.” Although the war persisted on the high seas and in other theaters, the Patriot victory at Yorktown effectively ended fighting in the American colonies.

Peace negotiations began in 1782, and on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, formally recognizing the United States as a free and independent nation after eight years of war. Related Videos The Battle of Cowpens - Cowpens National Battlefield (U.S. National Park Service) The Battle of Cowpens Battle of Cowpens by Charles McBarron The Battle of Cowpens1, January 17, 1781, took place in the latter part of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution and of the Revolution itself. It became known as the turning point of the war in the South, part of a chain of events leading to Patriot victory at Yorktown2 The Cowpens victory was won over a crack British regular army3 and brought together strong armies and leaders who made their mark on history. From the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge4 on, the British had made early and mostly futile efforts in the South, including a failed naval expedition to take Charleston in 1776. Such victories boosted Patriot morale and blunted British efforts, but, by 1779-80, with stalemate in the North, British strategists again looked south.

They came south for a number of reasons, primarily to assist Southern Loyalists5 and help them regain control of colonial governments, and then push north, to crush the rebellion6. They estimated that many of the population would rally to the Crown. In 1779-80, British redcoats indeed came South en masse, capturing first, Savannah7 and then Charleston8 and Camden 8A in South Carolina, in the process, defeating and capturing much of the Southern Continental Army9. Such victories gave the British confidence they would soon control the entire South, that Loyalists would flock to their cause. Conquering these population centers, however, gave the British a false sense of victory they didn't count on so much opposition in the backcountry10. Conflict in the backcountry, to their rear, turned out to be their Achilles' heel. The Southern Campaign, especially in the backcountry, was essentially a civil war as the colonial population split between Patriot and Loyalist. Conflict came, often pitting neighbor against neighbor and re-igniting old feuds and animosities. Those of both sides organized militia, often engaging each other.

The countryside was devastated, and raids and reprisals were the order of the day. Into this conflict, General George Washington sent the very capable Nathanael Greene to take command of the Southern army. Against military custom, Greene, just two weeks into his command, split his army, sending General Daniel Morgan southwest of the Catawba River to cut supply lines and hamper British operations in the backcountry, and, in doing so "spirit up the people". General Cornwallis, British commander in the South, countered Greene's move by sending Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton to block Morgan's actions. Tarleton was only twenty-six, but he was an able commander, both feared and hated - hated especially for his victory at the Waxhaws.11 There, Tarleton was said to have continued the fight against remnants of the Continental Army trying to surrender. His refusal, tradition says, of offering no quarter, led to the derisive term "Tarleton's Quarter". These events set the stage for the Battle of Cowpens.

On January 12, 1781, Tarleton's scouts located Morgan's army at Grindal's Shoals on the Pacolet River12 in South Carolina's backcountry and thus began an aggressive pursuit. Tarleton, fretting about heavy rains and flooded rivers, gained ground as his army proceeded toward the flood-swollen Pacolet. As Tarleton grew closer, Morgan retreated north to Burr's Mill on Thicketty Creek.13 On January 16, with Tarleton reported to have crossed the Pacolet and much closer than expected, Morgan and his army made a hasty retreat, so quickly as to leave their breakfast behind. Soon, he intersected with and traveled west on the Green River Road. Here, with the flood-swollen Broad River14 six miles to his back, Morgan decided to make a stand at the Cowpens, a well-known crossroads and frontier pasturing ground. The term "cowpens"15, endemic to such South Carolina pastureland and associated early cattle industry, would be etched in history.

The field itself was some 500 yards long and just as wide, a park-like setting dotted with trees, but devoid of undergrowth, having been kept clear by cattle grazing in the spring on native grasses and peavine16. There was forage17 at the Cowpens for horses, and evidence of free-ranging cattle for food. Morgan, too, since he had learned of Tarleton's pursuit, had spread the word for militia18 units to rendezvous at the Cowpens. Many knew the geography some were Overmountain men who had camped at the Cowpens on their journey to the Battle of Kings Mountain.19 Camp was made in a swale between two small hills, and through the night Andrew Pickens' militia drifted into camp. Morgan moved among the campfires and offered encouragement; his speeches to militia and Continentals alike were command performances. He spoke emotionally of past battles, talked of the battle plan, and lashed out against the British. His words were especially effective with the militia the "Old Waggoner"20 of French and Indian War days and the hero of Saratoga21, spoke their language.

He knew how to motivate them even proposing a competition of bravery between Georgia and Carolina units. By the time he was through, one soldier observed that the army was "in good spirits and very willing to fight". But, as one observed, Morgan hardly slept a wink that night. Dawn at the Cowpens on January 17, 1781, was clear and bitterly cold. Morgan, his scouts bearing news of Tarleton's approach, moved among his men, shouting, "Boys, get up! Benny's 22 coming! Tarleton, playing catch up, and having marched his army since two in the morning, ordered formation on the Green River Road for the attack. His aggressive style was made even now more urgent, since there were rumors of Overmountain men on the way, reminiscent of events at Kings Mountain. Yet he was confident of victory: he reasoned he had Morgan hemmed in by the Broad, and the undulating park-like terrain was ideal for his dragoons23. He thought Morgan must be desperate, indeed, to have stopped at such a place.

Perhaps Morgan saw it differently: in some past battles, Patriot militia had fled in face of fearsome bayonet charges - but now the Broad at Morgan's back could prevent such a retreat. In reality, though, Morgan had no choice - to cross the flood-swollen Broad risked having his army cut down by the feared and fast-traveling Tarleton. Tarleton pressed the attack head on, his line extending across the meadow, his artillery in the middle, and fifty Dragoons on each side. It was as if Morgan knew he would make a frontal assault - it was his style of fighting. To face Tarleton, he organized his troops into three lines. First, out front and hiding behind trees were selected sharpshooters. At the onset of battle they picked off numbers of Tarleton's Dragoons, traditionally listed as fifteen24, shooting especially at officers, and warding off an attempt to gain initial supremacy. With the Dragoons in retreat, and their initial part completed, the sharpshooters retreated 150 yards or more back to join the second line, the militia commanded by Andrew Pickens.

Morgan used the militia well, asking them to get off two volleys and promised their retreat to the third line made up of John Eager Howard's25 Continentals, again close to 150 yards back. Some of the militia indeed got off two volleys as the British neared, but, as they retreated and reached supposed safety behind the Continental line, Tarleton sent his feared Dragoons after them. As the militia dodged behind trees and parried saber slashes with their rifles, William Washington's 26 Patriot cavalry thundered onto the field of battle, seemingly, out of nowhere. The surprised British Dragoons, already scattered and sensing a rout, were overwhelmed, and according to historian Babits, lost eighteen men in the clash. As they fled the field, infantry on both sides fired volley after volley. The British advanced in a trot, with beating drums, the shrill sounds of fifes, and shouts of halloo. Morgan, in response, cheering his men on, said to give them the Indian halloo back. Riding to the front, he rallied the militia, crying out, "form, form, my brave fellows!

Old Morgan was never beaten!" Now Tarleton's 71st Highlanders27, held in reserve, entered the charge toward the Continental line, the wild wail of bagpipes adding to the noise and confusion. A John Eager Howard order for the right flank to face slightly right to counter a charge from that direction, was, in the noise of battle, misunderstood as a call to retreat. As other companies along the line followed suite, Morgan rode up to ask Howard if he were beaten. As Howard pointed to the unbroken ranks and the orderly retreat and assured him they were not, Morgan spurred his horse on and ordered the retreating units to face about, and then, on order, fire in unison. The firing took a heavy toll on the British, who, by that time had sensed victory and had broken ranks in a wild charge. This event and a fierce Patriot bayonet charge in return broke the British charge and turned the tide of battle. The re-formed militia and cavalry re-entered the battle, leading to double envelopment28 of the British, perfectly timed. British infantry began surrendering en masse. Tarleton and some of his army fought valiantly on; others refused his orders and fled the field.

Finally, Tarleton, himself, saw the futility of continued battle, and with a handful of his men, fled from whence he came, down the Green River Road. In one of the most dramatic moments of the battle, William Washington, racing ahead of his cavalry, dueled hand-to-hand with Tarleton and two of his officers. Washington's life was saved only when his young bugler29 fired his pistol at an Englishman with raised saber. Tarleton and his remaining forces galloped away to Cornwallis' camp. Stragglers from the battle were overtaken, but Tarleton escaped to tell the awful news to Cornwallis. The battle was over in less than an hour. It was a complete victory for the Patriot force. British losses were staggering: 110 dead, over 200 wounded and 500 captured. Morgan lost only 12 killed and 60 wounded, a count he received from those reporting directly to him. Knowing Cornwallis would come after him, Morgan saw to it that the dead were buried - the legend says in wolf pits -- and headed north with his army.

Crossing the Broad at Island Ford30, he proceeded to Gilbert Town31, and, yet burdened as he was by the prisoners, pressed swiftly northeastward toward the Catawba River, and some amount of safety. The prisoners were taken via Salisbury32 on to Winchester, Virginia. Soon Morgan and Greene reunited and conferred, Morgan wanting to seek protection in the mountains and Greene wanting to march north to Virginia for supplies. Greene won the point, gently reminding Morgan that he was in command. Soon after Morgan retired from his duty because of ill health- rheumatism, and recurring bouts of malarial fever. Now it was Greene and his army on the move north. Cornwallis, distressed by the news from Cowpens, and wondering aloud how such an inferior force could defeat Tarleton's crack troops, indeed came after him. Now it was a race for the Dan River33 on the Virginia line, Cornwallis having burned his baggage34 and swiftly pursuing Greene. Cornwallis was subsequently delayed by Patriot units stationed at Catawba River35 crossings. Greene won the race, and, in doing so, believed he had Cornwallis where he wanted -- far from urban supply centers and short of food.

Returning to Guilford Courthouse36, he fought Cornwallis' army employing with some success, Morgan's tactics at Cowpens. At battle's end, the British were technically the winners as Greene's forces retreated. If it could be called a victory, it was a costly one: Five hundred British lay dead or wounded. When the news of the battle reached London, a member of the House of Commons said, "Another such victory would ruin the British army". Perhaps the army was already ruined, and Greene's strategy of attrition was working. Soon, Greene's strategy was evident: Cornwallis and his weary army gave up on the Carolinas and moved on to Virginia. On October 18, 1781, the British army surrendered at Yorktown. Cowpens, in its part in the Revolution, was a surprising victory and a turning point that changed the psychology of the entire war. Now, there was revenge - the Patriot rallying cry Tarleton's Quarter 37. Morgan's unorthodox but tactical masterpiece had indeed "spirited up the people", not just those of the backcountry Carolinas, but those in all the colonies.

In the process, he gave Tarleton and the British a "devil of a whipping". Glossary 1 Battle of Cowpens - At the Cowpens, a frontier pastureland, on January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan led his army of tough Continentals and backwoods militia to a brilliant victory over Banastre Tarleton's battle-hardened force of British regulars. Located in present-day South Carolina north of Spartanburg. 2 Yorktown - On October 18, 1781, the British under General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American and French troops under General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. 3 British regular army - Regular, trained and uniformed soldiers of the British Army, as distinguished from Loyalist (Tory) militia. 4 Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge - On February 27, 1776, patriot militia defeated a larger force of Loyalists. The battle was crucial because it ended royal authority in North Carolina and delayed a full-scale British invasion of the South. 5 Southern Loyalists - Those of the southern colonial population remaining loyal to the Crown. Also referred to as Tories. 6 rebellion - The British term for the American Revolution.

Those involved were termed "rebels" by the British. 7 Savannah - The British captured this Georgia coastal town on December 29, 1778. 8 Charleston - On May 12, 1780, British forces under Clinton forced the surrender of the Charleston militia and Continentals under the command of General Benjamin Lincoln. The victory was a major setback for American forces in the South. 8A Camden - Fought on August 16, 1780, near Camden, South Carolina, the Battle of Camden was a disastrous defeat for the Patriots. Gates, the American general, gained a reputation as a "fool and coward" for his actions and fleeing the battle site. Reports of the results made Banastre Tarleton a national hero in Britain. 9 Southern Continental Army - Those regular, trained, and uniformed soldiers of the American army stationed in the South, as distinguished from local militia in each colony. 10 backcountry - South Carolina area west of the coastal area, especially west of Camden. Today, referred to as the Upcountry or Upstate.

11 Waxhaws - On May 29, a1780, Tarleton's Legion overtook and defeated Colonel Abraham Buford and his Third Virginia Continentals as they returned through the Waxhaws area toward North Carolina after the fall of Charleston. (Known also today as Buford's massacre) There is some contention over the origin of the name Waxhaws. It was the name of Native Americans of the region, derived, some historians, believe, from native language. Others believe it is an English corruption of the original and described not only the Native Americans of the region but also the waxy-looking haw and "hawfields", (shrubs, either Black Haw (vibernum prunifolium) or hawthorns (crataegus linnaeus) prominent in the region. The Waxhaw settlement, just off the Great Wagon Road, today covers parts of both Carolinas in an area southeast of Charlotte. 12 Pacolet River - An upstate South Carolina river with its headwaters in North Carolina flowing through present-day Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties before it empties into the Broad.

The armies of Daniel Morgan and Banastre Tarleton crossed the flood-swollen Pacolet as they journeyed toward the Cowpens. 13 Thicketty Creek - An upstate South Carolina creek, a tributary of the Broad River. Most likely named for the thick plant growth along its banks. Daniel Morgan and his army camped along Thicketty before their hurried departure for the Cowpens. 14 Broad River - A river beginning in the mountains of North Carolina flowing southeast and joining with the Saluda River at present-day Columbia to form the Congaree River. Morgan, his army, and British prisoners crossed the Broad after the Battle of Cowpens. British General Cornwallis crossed the Broad in pursuit. 15 "cowpens" - A term, endemic to South Carolina, referring to open-range stock grazing operations of the colonial period. These were usually cleared areas, 100 to 400 acres in extent. Many, in eastern South Carolina, were known for their native cane- brakes. Piedmont pastures, though less numerous, often contained peavine. 16 peavine - A native legume found often in piedmont South Carolina cowpens.

17 forage - Food for animals or humans. Also, the search for food for animals or humans. 18 militia - Part-time soldiers, subject to colonial (state) authority, they sometimes fought with the Continental or standing army in battles such as Camden, Cowpens, and Guilford Courthouse. Thought unreliable by some Continental officers, they proved themselves at the Battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens. 19 19 Battle of Kings Mountain - The Overmountain men and other militia defeated British loyalists at Kings Mountain in upstate South Carolina on October 7, 1780. 20 "Old Waggoner" - Affectionate name given to General Morgan who began his military career as a wagon driver in the French and Indian War. 21 Saratoga - In fierce battles on September 19 and October 7, 1777, American forces under General Horatio Gates defeated the British under General John Burgoyne. This victory encouraged France to enter the war to assist the Americans. Saratoga is in upstate New York. 22 "Benny" - Daniel Morgan's derisive name for Banastre Tarleton.

23 dragoon - A mounted infantryman, who often rode his horse into battle and dismounted to fight. Used synonymously with cavalrymen, both of whom could fight on horseback or dismounted. 24 15 - Dr. Lawrence E. Babits in his book, A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens,believes this figure is wrong and has been perpetuated by writers over the years. 25 John Eager Howard - Native Marylander and Revolutionary War officer who distinguished himself at the Battle of Cowpens. He was subsequently elected governor of Maryland (1788-91), and at one time owned much of the land that was to become Baltimore. 26 William Washington - Patriot Lieutenant Colonel of a cavalry unit, who distinguished himself at Cowpens. He was second cousin, first-removed to George Washington. 27 71st Highlanders - Two battalions of highland Scottish troops raised by England and sent to America in 1775. 71st Highlanders fought at Charleston, Camden, and Cowpens, among other battles.

At Cowpens, Tarleton initially kept his Highlanders in reserve, but, as the advance faltered, he ordered them into action against the American right. The Highlanders bore the brunt of the last dramatic events of the Battle. 28 double envelopment - Envelopment is an attack on the enemies flank, rear, and sometimes the front. Double envelopment would entail attack or a surrounding on both flanks, hence all sides. 29 bugler - William Washington's bugler was very likely African-American. A famous painting by Ranney dipicts him so. Apparently the bugler didn't file a pension, and Washington didn't leave behind written papers of his own role or of anyone else's role in the Revolution. His surname was possibly Ball, Collins, or Collin, but an exact name hasn't been verified. 30 Island Ford - A normally low-water crossing point on the Broad River, reached by Island Ford Road. When Morgan, his army, and his prisoners crossed on January 17, the water was high from heavy rains and flooding. 31 Gilbert Town - Presently, Rutherfordton, North Carolina.

Gilbert Town was a small settlement in 1781 a few miles north of Rutherfordton's present site. 32 Salisbury - An early town in the North Carolina piedmont known for its Confederate prison and National Cemetery, today, but lesser known for its Revolutionary War prison, most likely established in the latter years of the war. There is no evidence the prisoners from the Battle of Cowpens were imprisoned there. 33 Dan River - A river separating North Carolina and Virginia. 34 baggage - Military supplies such as tents, tools, and rations carried in wagons. Burning the baggage (and wagons) allowed an army to travel faster. 35 Catawba River - River originating in the mountains of North Carolina, flowing eastward, before turning south into South Carolina, where is known as the Wateree, and, further east, the Santee. Morgan crossed the Catawba west of present-day Charlotte, North Carolina. 36 Battle of Guilford Courthouse - On March 15, 1781, a British army under Cornwallis attacked Nathanael Greene's patriot forces at Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina (part of present-day Greensboro).

Although Greene's forces were forced to retire from the field; the British were badly battered with many men killed or wounded. 37 "Tarleton's Quarter" - Since it was said that Tarleton gave no quarter (opportunity to surrender) at the Waxhaws, "Tarleton's Quarter" came to mean no quarter at all. The Battle of Yorktown 1781 The Battle of Yorktown 1781 General George Washington's resounding defeat of Lord Cornwallis's British army; causing the British to surrender and effectively ending the American Revolutionary War. Battle: YORKTOWN Date: 28th September to 19th October 1781 Place: Virginia, United States of America Combatants: Americans and French against the British American troops storming the redoubt Generals: General Washington commanded the Americans, Lieutenant General de Rochambeau commanded the French and Major General Lord Cornwallis commanded the British.

Size of the armies: 8,800 Americans, 7,800 French and 6,000 British Uniforms, arms and equipment: The British wore red coats and headgear of bearskin caps, leather caps or tricorne hats depending on whether the troops were grenadiers, light infantry or battalion company men. The German infantry wore blue coats and retained the Prussian style grenadier mitre with brass front plate. The Americans dressed as best they could. Increasingly as the war progressed regular infantry regiments of the Continental Army wore blue uniform coats but the militia continued in rough clothing. The French royal regiments of foot wore white coats. French troops advancing to attack the British lines during the Battle of Yorktown. Both sides were armed with muskets and guns. The back country riflemen carried long, small calibre rifles, weapons of considerably greater accuracy than the ordinary musket and which their owners used with proficiency.

Map of the Battle of Yorktown Winner: The Americans and French British Regiments: 1 troop of 17th Light Dragoons (in Tarletonï¿½s Legion) Royal Artillery A composite brigade of Foot Guards (comprising 1st, 2nd and 3rd Foot Guards) 17th Foot later the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and now the Royal Anglian Regiment 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers 33rd Foot now the Duke of Wellingtonï¿½s Regiment 43rd later the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and now the Royal Green Jackets 71st Fraserï¿½s Highlanders (disbanded at the end of the war) 76th Foot (disbanded at the end of the war) 80th Foot (disbanded at the end of the war) Regiment of de Voit (Anspach) Regiment of de Seybothen (Anspach) Regiment of Prince Hereditary (Hesse) Regiment of von Bose (Hesse) Tarletonï¿½s Legion The British 23rd Regiment of Foot, the Royal Welch Fusiliers French Regiments: Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment of Foot

 Soissonois Regiment of Foot Lafayetteï¿½s Light Infantry Muhlenburgï¿½s Brigade Hazenï¿½s Canadian Regiment 1st New York Regiment 3 brigades of Virginia Militia Sappers and Miners The Americans storming the redoubts on 14th October 1781 during the Battle of Yorktown Account: Losing his grip on the Carolinas, Cornwallis marched his army into Virginia and seized Yorktown and Gloucester, towns on each side of the York River.

With the arrival of the French fleet of Admiral De Grasse, General Washington was able to march south from New York with the joint American and French army to attack Cornwallis. The British Army marching out to surrender at the end of the Battle of Yorktown The Americans and French marched out of Williamsburg and arrived before Yorktown on 28th September 1781, forming a semi-circle around the entrenchments and putting the British under siege. Cornwallis expecting Major General Clinton to sail from New York with a relieving force had decided to remain in Yorktown rather than march south to the Carolinas or attempt to reach New York. His first move was the inexplicable one of abandoning a line of four redoubts that dominated the British positions. The Americans immediately occupied the empty redoubts. View of Yorktown from the York River before it was destroyed during the Battle of Yorktown The Americans began formal siege operations on the eastern side of Yorktown on 30th September and on 9th October were sufficiently close to began an artillery bombardment. On 14th October the Americans and French stormed two redoubts in front of their trenches and the position of the British in Yorktown became untenable.

The British carried out a sortie on the 16th in which several guns in the two redoubts were spiked. On the same day Cornwallis attempted to pass the Guards, the 23rd and the Light Infantry across the York River to Gloucester but was thwarted by a storm. General George Washington With no sign of Clintonï¿½s relief and with inadequate supplies of artillery ammunition and food, on 19th October 1781 Cornwallisï¿½ army marched out of Yorktown and surrendered. A contemporary French representation of the Battle of Yorktown Casualties: 6,000 British surrendered to the Americans and French with 10 stands of German and British colours, 240 pieces of artillery, small arms, ammunition and equipment. The casualties during the siege had been 500 British, 80 Americans and 200 French. General George Washington reviews the captured British army at the Battle of Yorktown. Follow-up: The capitulation of the British to the Americans and French ended the fighting in the war and led to the Peace Treaty that acknowledged the independence of the American states. Clintonï¿½s relieving force arrived in the Chesapeake on 24th October.

Cornwallis's British army surrenders to General Washington at Yorktown Anecdotes and traditions: ï¿½ The British bands are reputed to have played ï¿½The world turned upside downï¿½ as the troops marched out to surrender. ï¿½ After the surrender the American and French officers entertained the British officers to dinner, other than Tarleton with whom the Americans refused to eat, due to the atrocities committed by his troops in North and South Carolina. The British army surrendering at Yorktown References: ï¿½ History of the British Army by Sir John Fortescue ï¿½ The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward General Washington at Yorktown The British surrender at Yorktown by Jean Le Barbier

Question: In which US state did the Battle of Yorktown take place in 1781?
Answer: Virginia