July-Dec 1781: Sea Battle, Siege, and Victory at Yorktown VA  

Preparing to Sail for for the Chesapeake

Second Battle off the Virginia Capes

1781 Aug -- A French fleet of twenty-eight ships-of-the-line (about a quarter of the naval power of France) under the command of Admiral* de Grasse started north from the Caribbean, bound for Yorktown VA. 1781 Aug 25: As it passed by Charlotte SC the French fleet came across and captured four British ships. One was a corvette named the Queen Charlotte, whose passengers included British Lt. Col. Rawdon. This ship is noted again on Sept 12 and See Sept 17. On this same day a British fleet under the command of Adm. Samuel Hood, which had followed a course parallel to the French fleet, hoping to confront the French fleet outside the Chesapeake Bay, accidentally arrived there before the French fleet. When Hood saw no French warships he concluded that the French fleet had sailed north to New York City and ordered his fleet north to defend that city. Three days later the French Fleet arrived at the Chesapeake Bay and anchored in a 13-mile line from Cape Charles to Cape Henry to blockade the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. * = in 1781 de Grasse held the rank of Lieutenant général des armées navales. This roughly corresponds to the rank of Admiral in the U.S. navy in 2013. 1781 Sep 5: Second Battle off the Virginia Capes An augmented British fleet of 19 ships-of-the-line (about one-fifth of the total British fleet), now under Adm. Graves, returned from New York City to relieve the British garrison at Yorktown. Discovering the British fleet at the last moment, 24 French ships-of-the-line hastily sailed out into the Atlantic -- beyond the Virginia Capes -- where the fleet could maneuver better to fight the British fleet. Four French ships-of-the-line remained behind to block any effort by Cornwallis' troops to escape. The wind was light, and the British battle signals were confusing, so few British ships got into good positions to engage the enemy. In several days of battle the French inflicted significant damage on the British fleet, which returned to New York. Continued at Sept 12. Casualties: 321 French dead and estimated same (321) British dead [Ref: Colonial National Park - Yorktown history page]

1781 Sept 11: Admiral Barras' squadron from Newport arrived in the Chesapeake Bay with the modern French siege guns.

1781 Sept 12: The main French fleet under Adm. de Grasse returned from the battle to the bay. There were now 36 ships of the line, nine frigates, and five corvettes available to protect the Chesapeake Bay from British naval interference. One of the corvettes was the Queen Charlotte, recently captured from the British. The British army at Yorktown -- badly outnumbered and with limited food and ammunition -- was now doomed to defeat unless it could break through the allied land lines or perhaps a new British naval expedition from New York could relieve them.

1781 Sept 16: General Washington, General Rochambeau, General Knox (U.S. artillery), Colonel Duportail (U.S. engineers), Major-General Chastellux, and Washington's aides (David Cobb, Lt.Col. Tench Tighlman, and Lt.Col. Jonathan Trumbull) boarded the French-captured corvette Queen Charlotte at Jamestown VA for a conference on Sept 17 with Adm. de Grasse aboard his flagship, the Ville de Paris [City of Paris]. That ship was anchored at the center of a line of French ships-of-the-line spread out in a line across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay from Cape Henry on the south to Cape Charles, 13 miles to the north (roughly one ship every 600 yards). The generals considered the options for capturing the British army in Yorktown at minimum cost and how the French fleet might be used to relieve other U.S. cities that were occupied by the British (Charleston SC and Savannah GA). Bad sailing conditions after the meeting caused extensive delays during the return trip, so the generals did not get back to Williamsburg until September 24. Web Resources: The Virginia Campaign and the Blockade and Seige of Yorktown 1781 [US Army], a complete 200-page description, including illustrations and maps. The Battle Off the Virginia Capes, by Michael J. Crawford [U.S. Naval Historical Center] de Grasse and Yorktown, by Dr. Robert A. Selig [americanrevolution.org] Lieutenant général des armées navales de Grasse and the Battle off the Capes, by Dr. Robert A. Selig [an article from Patriots of the American Revolution]

The Allies Display Their Might

Military Units Involved in the Siege

The Siege and Surrender

1781 Oct 3:  Battle of the Hook at Gloucester Point VA -- - French Brig. Gen. de Choisy with French troops and a battalion of 800 Virginia militiamen clashed with 1,000 men under British Lt. Col. Dundas at Gloucester VA -- across the York River from Yorktown. The ring of allied forces prevented the British from foraging for supplies outside of their defensive perimeter and prevented an easy breakout from the siege. The major battle action was a clash of Lauzun's Legion with Tarlton's light cavalry. "Virginia Militia Battle Tarleton" artist: David R. Wagner (used with the artist's permission) 1781 Oct 6 - In the dark of night some 1,500 allied troops started digging the first ring of trenches to encircle Yorktown. Colonel Jean Nicholas Desandrouins -- the Chief French Engineer -- and Brigadier General Louis le Bègue de Presle Duportail -- the Chief U.S. Engineer -- designed the siege-works and redoubts for Yorktown. the Yorktown Siege [Durf McJoynt] lists the regiments that came with Adm. de Grasse and the ships that carried them, describes the siege and lists the resources of each side in some detail. A Private's Experience at Yorktown -- a participant's memoir, with questions. the Yorktown Siege [Colonial National Historic Park] lists the units present, gives a timeline, and lists the names of those who died during both the sea battle and seige. On Oct 9 the French siege guns, American cannon, and a few guns from the French fleet began a twenty-four hour bombardment of the British garrison. On Oct 11 work started on a second ring of trenches, closer to the British defenses. On the evening of Oct 14 two redoubts that stood in the way of completing the trenches were attacked and captured. Now allied cannon could be mounted in those redoubt so as to fire at the remaining British defenses at point-blank range. Seizure of Redoubts 9 and 10 (night of Oct 14) [Expédition Particuliére] -- extracts from historical texts and the memoirs of French officers. "Night Assault by French Troops (Redoubt #9)" artist: David R. Wagner (used with the artist's permission) Yorktown - Assault on Redoubt #10 from "Soldiers of the American Revolution", by H. Charles McBarron, U.S. Army Center for Military History For a larger version copy to your address bar http://www.history.army.mil/downloads/SOAR/Yorktown-640.bmp On the night of October 16 the British army in Yorktown attempted to evacuate across the York River, hoping to mount a breakout attack from Gloucester VA (just across the York River from Yorktown). This evacuation failed due to bad weather. On the morning of Oct 17 a drummer-boy appeared on the British ramparts, beating the pattern for a parley (a cease-fire that would allow a British officer to bring a message to the commander of the allied forces). General Cornwallis requested a discussion of the terms of surrender. This was swiftly accomplished. The allies had achieved victory with minimal losses. "And the Guns Fell Silent, 1781" artist: David R. Wagner (used with the artist's permission) On October 19 the British troops marched out between a long line of Continental and French troops to surrender their standards (flags) and to ground their arms (place their muskets in piles). Gen. Cornwallis declined to participate in the surrender and grounding of arms, sending instead the second in command, Gen. O'Hara, to present his sword to the the commander of the victors as a token of surrender. O'Hara offered the sword to Gen. Rochambeau, who directed him to Gen. Washington, who directed him to Gen. Benjamin Lincoln -- who had been forced to surrender Charleston SC to the British in 1780 May. Thus the sword was presented by a senior subordinate of Cornwallis to a senior subordinate of Washington. Land battle casualties: Battle Deaths: 30 American, 60 French, and 160 British. The British surrendered 7,087 officers and soldiers, 144 cannon, 900 seamen, a frigate, 15 galleys, and 30 transport ships.

Aftermath of the Siege

Impact of the News, Proposed Followup Attacks for 1782 News of the victory caused joyous celebrations in the U.S. and satisfaction in the French court, but it was a bitter pill for the British court and Parliament to swallow. Although it was a setback for the British no one considered that Yorktown would be the last battle of the war. In a letter to Admiral de Grasse on October 28, 1781, General Washington proposed several alternatives by which the allied armies and the French fleet could defeat or force the withdrawal of British troops from U.S. territory. See GW letter to dG, 1781-10-28 [Expédition Particuliére] Many Wounded French Sailors Were Sent to Boston 1781 Oct: The Massachusetts Legislature "Requested the Selectmen of Boston to provide a hospital for the wounded seamen belonging to the Marine of France, and of such as are sick of distempers not infectious, in such part of town as will least expose the health of its inhabitants." The Boston Selectmen approved the use of Faneuil Hall for merchants to entertain French officers for "protecting the Trade of the Commonwealth". They also approved the use by the French of the hospital in the western part of Boston. On 1781 Oct 31 a report to Selectmen said that the French were burying their dead within the hospital inclosure. 1781 Nov: Immediately after the British surrender at Yorktown, General George Washington and the American forces returned to their camp outside New York so as to prevent the large British force there from breaking out into the countryside. The Hessian prisoners were escorted to prison camps in Fredrick MD where the local population spoke German. Prisoners from the British army were put in camps guarded by Americans around Charlottesville VA. Some officers (such as Tarleton) who feared retribution from the Americans were permitted to be placed in French custody.

1781 Nov: The French fleet led by Admiral de Grasse started south, carrying some American reinforcements to be dropped off with the U.S Southern Army under Gen. Nathaniel Greene. They also carried Saint-Simon's French Corps to continue the struggle against the British in the Caribbean. Adm de Barass' fleet returned to Boston. Two French artillery companies took the siege artillery to West Point VA (25 miles NW of Yorktown), where it could be under the protection of La Villesbrunne's squadron of three ships.

1781 Nov 6 -- The Boston Selectmen received a request to provide quarters for some French troops, and on Nov 16 the Selectmen permitted the French to erect a building (in addition to the hospital at New Boston) to further accommodate their sick and wounded seamen. On Nov 26 the Selectmen visited West Boston and gave directions for placing the building.

1781 Nov 21 -- Lieutenant général des armées navales de Grasse's forces re-capture St. Eustatius from the British (West Indies).

1781 Nov to 1782 June -- General Rochambeau and most of his French army remained in the area of York, Gloucester and Williamsburg VA during the winter of 1781-82 to discourage further invasions and to reduce the burden of securing food farther north. Lauzun's Legion was encamped at Hampton VA (15 miles SE of Yorktown) until February 1782. From then until June it remained at Charlotte Courthouse (65 miles SW of Petersburg) so as to support U.S. Gen. Greene's army in North Carolina. For details, see French Army 1781-82 Winter Camps in Virginia [Expédition Particuliére]

Reference Resources

Yorktown: Climax of the Revolution (National Park Service, Source Book Series No. 1) describes the siege in detail. The Virginia Campaign and the Blockade and Siege of Yorktown 1781 [US Army], a complete 200-page description, including illustrations and maps. The Battle Off the Virginia Capes, by Michael J. Crawford [U.S. Naval Historical Center] de Grasse and Yorktown, by Dr. Robert A. Selig [americanrevolution.org] Admiral de Grasse and the Battle of the Capes, by Dr. Robert A. Selig [ \an article in Patriots of the American Revolution; no longer posted on the Web] Rochambeau Map Collection [Library of Congress] Search for "map Grasse Graves" to get a zoom-able map of the French fleet positions. The Terms of Surrender at Yorktown For information and a link for ordering a three-hour DVD of the 225th anniversary ( in October 2006) re-enactment of the siege and surrender at Yorktown see W3R®-US Merchandise page. See our Bibliography for: Greene, Hallahan, Landers