America 250: Washington’s Army and Allies Begin Decisive Siege of Yorktown

On Sept. 28, 1781, American and French forces began to dig entrenchments that would enable them to besiege the British at Yorktown. It was the beginning of what would be not the last battle, but the most decisive battle in the closing years of the American Revolution.

Gen. George Washington had been at a numerical disadvantage during much of the Revolution, and often at a disadvantage in terms of geography or supplies compared to the British, so to face off against the British at Yorktown with the advantage of besiegers and the numerical addition of French troops must have been extra satisfying. As the Army Heritage Center put it, the Patriots had been "perpetually short of money and supplies," and only the "deep belief in the cause and an enduring faith in their leader" kept Washington's men still in the field. 

It had been six years since the shot heard round the world and five years since the Declaration of Independence, and the Americans had experienced both many victories and many defeats in that time. Despite all the power of the British Empire, the plucky Patriots had managed to keep their cause alive. At last, Washington and his men, reinforced by French soldiers and ships, could trap and wear down their old foe Lord Cornwallis.

Washington, ever the brilliant spymaster, had prepared false papers and huge brick ovens in camp to make the British think he was settling in New York and going after Sir Henry Clinton's army rather than Cornwallis. But while a small force stayed to keep up the illusion, Washington and the French Comte de Rochambeau marched for Yorktown in Virginia. Some historians now believe that the work of slave-turned-Patriot double agent James Armistead Lafayette was essential to the ultimate victory at Yorktown, and you can read more about him here.

The Army Heritage Center explains that it didn’t take long for Cornwallis to realize that his position was dangerous:

The French fleet reached the Chesapeake Bay at the end of August and dropped off 3,000 French troops to wait for Washington and Rochambeau. On September 5, the French engaged the British fleet in the Battle of the Capes. The British were defeated and returned to New York to repair their ships.  The French fleet remained in the Chesapeake to establish a blockade.  By the end of September, approximately 17,600 American and French soldiers had gathered in Williamsburg to attack the 8,300 British soldiers in Yorktown. Cornwallis realized his predicament and sent word to Clinton asking for help.

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American Battlefield Trust states more specifically that the Americans and French arrived at the area around Yorktown on September 28 and immediately started their siege preparations.

14 Oct 1781 Yorktown, VA. Lt Col Alexander Hamilton’s light infantry stormed Redoubt 10 while Col Guillaume de Deux-Ponts French attacked Redoubt 9. Both are taken, thus advancing Allied lines, closing the ring on Gen Cornwallis’s forces. #RevWar #History #AmRev pic.twitter.com/DBqwtJHgvQ

— S.W. O'Connell (@SWOConnell) October 14, 2024

Cornwallis and the British had built a series of redoubts, which are a type of temporary fortification, and of which you can see an artist's illustration above. These redoubts provided yet another line of defense outside the town itself. So Washington knew his men would have to build a series of trenches, such as the one I photographed in the picture on this piece. Washington himself would ultimately fire the first official cannon shot of the Battle of Yorktown. American Battlefield Trust says:

With the help of French engineers, American and French troops begin to dig a series of parallel trenches, which bring troops and artillery close enough to inflict damage on the British. Feverishly working night and day, soldiers of the combined forces employ spades and axes to create a perimeter line of trenches that will trap the British. As the work on the parallels continues, the British attempt to disrupt Allied operations by using what little artillery they have left. Their attempts prove futile.

The British would not officially surrender until October 19, but already in September the Americans and French were proving that they were a formidable enemy, a force to be reckoned with. When the British would surrender weeks later, they played "The World Turned Upside Down," because the Americans achieved what a few years before seemed impossible: decisive victory against the British Empire.

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