Chapter II: Part 2

The bombardment was directed, too, against the British ships in the harbor with equal effect. Here “red hot shot” were used to ignite the heavily tarred rigging and ship timbers. On the night of October 10, artillery “set fire to two transport vessels and to the ship of war Charon ... [44 guns], which burned completely. The other ships anchored under York set sail in the night and went over to anchor at Gloucester, to put themselves under shelter and out of range of our fire.” Other boats, large and small, including the _Guadaloupe_ (28 guns), were hit and burned. On the night of the 11th, a British “fire ship,” designed for setting fires to enemy vessels, was struck and burned with a brilliant blaze. Against such heavy artillery fire, Cornwallis found it difficult to keep his own batteries in operation, and even the sailors and marines from the English vessels added little strength.

SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE.

The destruction caused by the superior French and American artillery, firing at ranges from 800 to 1,200 yards, was so great and the enemy batteries were so completely overpowered that Washington was soon ready to open the Second Allied Siege Line, which would bring his troops within storming distance of the enemy works. An “over the top” charge by the infantry would be the final stage of the siege should Cornwallis continue to hold out.

Work on the second line began on the night of October 11-12, about midway between the first siege line and the left front of the British works. By morning, the troops had wielded their shovels, spades, and “grubbing hoes” so effectively that the work was well advanced and casualties were few. For the next 3 days the construction continued and artillery was moved from the first line into the new positions where it could be even more deadly. The British gunners did all they could with “musketry, cannon, cannister, grapeshot, and especially, a multitude of large and small bombs and shells” to delay the work, but, although they exacted some casualties, they were not particularly successful.

At this time, however, only half of the second siege line could be undertaken. British Redoubt No. 10 near the river, a square position manned by about 70 soldiers, and Redoubt No. 9, a 5-sided strong point held by approximately 125 troops, near the road from Yorktown to the Moore House, blocked the extension of the second line on the allied right. Before work could proceed, these would have to be reduced.

CAPTURE OF REDOUBTS NO. 9 AND NO. 10.

Prior to the attacks on these redoubts, Washington had ordered a feint on the extreme left against the Fusiliers Redoubt and also a demonstration at Gloucester Point to distract the enemy. For several days before the assault, allied gunners directed fire to weaken the positions, a fire that actually was not very harmful. The attacks were made at 8 o’clock, after dark, on October 14, in one of the most dramatic and heroic moves of the siege of Yorktown, and it proved to be a definite turning point in the operations.

Redoubt No. 10 was attacked by 400 Americans drawn from Lafayette’s Light Infantry Division and commanded by Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton, who, being officer of the day, had claimed this honor, when the assignment was first given to another. He was assisted by Lt. Col. Jean-Joseph Sourbader de Gimat, Lt. Col. John Laurens, and Maj. Nicholas Fish. The detachment moved out at the prearranged signal—the burst of six shells. The American soldiers carried unloaded muskets, as they advanced in darkness, since the assignment at hand was to be done with bayonets. On reaching their objective, they charged without waiting for the removal of the abatis (an entanglement of pointed tree tops and branches which ringed the redoubt), and thereby saved a few minutes—an interval that could have been costly. Within 10 minutes the position was in American hands with a loss of 9 killed and 31 wounded, according to Hamilton’s own report.

As the Americans were moving out for their attack from the right end of the First Allied Siege Line, a party of 400 French soldiers led by Col. William Deux Ponts, with the Baron de l’Estrade second in command, launched an assault on Redoubt No. 9 from the temporary end of the second siege line. French casualties mounted when the detachment halted until the abatis was cleared. Then the cry was “on to the redoubt.” A British charge was met by musket fire and a countercharge which took the French over the top, and the redoubt was theirs. Losses, however, totaled almost 25 percent, including 15 killed. The entire operation lasted less than half an hour.

LAST DAYS OF THE SIEGE.

Immediately following the capture of the two key redoubts, troops moved up to resume work on the second siege line. Before morning, this line was extended all the way to the York River and incorporated the formerly held British Redoubts No. 9 and No. 10. Communicating trenches were opened to the First Allied Siege Line and, adjacent to Redoubt No. 9, a large American Battery was begun. On October 15, Ebenezer Wild recorded: “The works were carried on last night with such spirit that at daylight we found the parallel [line] extended quite to the river on our right and nearly completed. Batteries are erecting with great expedition.”

With this turn of events, Cornwallis knew that he must act and act quickly or all would be lost. The web had tightened; and the destruction of his positions, plus sickness and casualties among his troops, made his situation critical, even perilous. Against the fully operating allied second line, he would be unable to hold out for 24 hours.

On the night of October 15-16, Cornwallis ordered an attack against the second line. This was launched, 350 strong, under Lt. Col. Robert Abercrombie at a point near the center of the line. It was a gallant sortie, yet it accomplished little, for, within a few hours, the guns which had been spiked by the British were again firing upon Yorktown.

On the night of October 16-17, Cornwallis ordered all of his effectives moved across the river to Gloucester Point. This, he thought, might enable him to make a breakthrough, which could be followed by a quick march north toward New York. The effort was futile. He was handicapped by a shortage of small boats, and a storm about midnight further interfered with the operation.

Early on the morning of the 17th he recalled those who had crossed the river. Later that morning he held a council with his officers, and at 10 o’clock a drummer in red, accompanied by an officer, was sent to a point on the parapet on the south side of Yorktown to beat a “parley.”

Cornwallis’ situation was hopeless. Casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) during the siege, it seems, numbered about 552 for the British, 275 for the French, and 260 for the Americans. Of these totals, more than one-fourth were killed in action. Yorktown was surrounded at close range, relief had not yet come, and the enemy was superior in men and firepower. In short, his position was untenable. Surrender was now the only alternative. Cornwallis himself reported: “We at that time could not fire a single gun.... I therefore proposed to capitulate.”

High-resolution Map]

1. VISITOR CENTER
2. REDOUBT NO. 9
3. AMERICAN BATTERY NO. 2 (SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE)
4. REDOUBT NO. 10
5. AMERICAN SECTOR (FIRST ALLIED SIEGE LINE)
6. AMERICAN APPROACH ROAD
7. MOORE HOUSE
8. MOORES MILL DAM
9. LINCOLN’S HEADQUARTERS SITE
10. LAFAYETTE’S HEADQUARTERS SITE
11. SURRENDER FIELD
12. SURRENDER ROAD
13. ENCAMPMENT DRIVE
A. VON STEUBEN’S HEADQUARTERS SITE
B. ROCHAMBEAU’S HEADQUARTERS SITE
C. WASHINGTON’S HEADQUARTERS SITE
D. FRENCH CEMETERY
E. FRENCH ARTILLERY PARK
F. FRENCH ARMY ENCAMPMENT
G. BRITISH OUTER WORKS
14. GRAND FRENCH BATTERY
15. NATIONAL CEMETERY
16. SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE
17. YORKTOWN
A. SITE OF SECRETARY NELSON’S HOUSE
B. VICTORY MONUMENT
C. CORNWALLIS CAVE
D. NELSON HOUSE
18. FUSILIERS REDOUBT

NEGOTIATION AND SURRENDER.

When the British flag of truce was seen by the allied officers on the morning of the 17th, the incessant and devastating artillery fire ceased. It had been continuous since October 9, except for short intervals when batteries were being shifted or a flag of truce was passing between the lines. Cornwallis’ letter, which was transmitted immediately to Washington, read: “I propose a cessation of hostilities for twenty four hours, and that two officers may be appointed by each side, to meet at Mr. Moore’s house, to settle terms for the surrender of the posts of York and Gloucester.”

Washington replied that he would grant the British general 2 hours in which to submit definite terms. At about 4:30 p. m., Cornwallis replied. Washington found his proposals satisfactory in part, and in his reply stated that the British could expect that: “The same Honors will be granted to the Surrendering Army as were granted [by the British] to the [American] Garrison of Charles Town [in 1780].”

Arrangements were concluded for the differences of opinion to be ironed out during a meeting of commissioners at the home of Augustine Moore in the rear of the first siege line. The commissioners (Lt. Col. Thomas Dundas and Maj. Alexander Ross, representing the British; the Viscount de Noailles, the French; and Lt. Col. John Laurens, the Americans) met there on October 18 and, after a heated and prolonged session, drafted the Articles of Capitulation. On the morning of the 19th, Washington reviewed the draft and, after some modification, had the articles transcribed. The document was then sent to Cornwallis for his signature, with a deadline of 11 a. m. Cornwallis duly signed, as did Capt. Thomas Symonds, representing the British naval units in the York. The allied commanders, Washington and Rochambeau, appear to have signed the document in captured British Redoubt No. 10. The Count de Barras, designated to act in place of the Count de Grasse for the French fleet, also signed for the allies.

The articles provided that the troops, seamen, and marines should surrender as prisoners of war. Officers were to retain their sidearms and private papers and property. The soldiers were to be kept in prison camps in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Cornwallis and certain of the officers were to be allowed freedom on parole and the sloop _Bonetta_ was to be made available for the British commander to carry dispatches to Sir Henry Clinton, after which she was to be surrendered.

At noon on October 19, two redoubts southeast of Yorktown were occupied by allied troops—one by an American unit and the other by a French detachment. At 2 p. m., the British Army, clad in a new issue of uniforms and led by Brigadier General O’Hara (Cornwallis was ill), marched out from Yorktown along the York-Hampton Road to the tune of an old British march titled “The World Turned Upside Down.”

In the vicinity of the present national cemetery, O’Hara reached the head of the allied column. It appears that he sought first the Count de Rochambeau, but was referred to Washington. Washington, in turn, sent him to Major General Lincoln, who accepted his sword—the token of defeat and surrender—and then returned it. Following this, the British Army marched down Surrender Road between columns of allied troops, Americans on the British left (east) and French on the British right (west), to Surrender Field where the formal surrender was effected. “... we came directly onto a level field or large meadow, where ... we ... marched one regiment after another, stacked muskets and lay down all arms ...”, wrote one of the British soldiers. Thus, the siege of Yorktown ended, the climax of the Revolution had passed, and America could look forward toward a free and independent status. A new nation had been born!

THE SEQUEL.

After the surrender, the British units returned to Yorktown. After 2 days’ rest, the rank and file and junior officers were marched off to prison camps in western Virginia and Maryland. Both Washington and Rochambeau invited their distinguished prisoners to their tables, and for several days camp dinners were the fashion, the English attending as guests. The American units of the Allied armies took up the return march to the Hudson about November 1. The French, for the most part, remained on the peninsula until spring and then left for Rhode Island, having wintered in Yorktown, Williamsburg, Hampton, and other nearby points. De Grasse sailed for the West Indies shortly after the siege was over. The British expedition, which was to relieve Cornwallis, reached Virginia waters late in October, too late to be of any use.

_The “Town of York”_

Yorktown had its origin in the Virginia Port Act of 1691—one of the legislative measures by which British colonial authorities and Virginia leaders sought to force urban development in the colony. It specified that 50 acres should be procured for a port to serve York County and that it would be upon “Mr. Benjamin Reads land.” This was a part of the Capt. Nicholas Martiau property (originally patented about 1635) which, by 1691, had descended through Martiau’s daughter, Elizabeth, and George Read to their son, Benjamin Read. The 50 acres were situated at the point where the York River narrows to about half a mile. There had been a ferry here for many years. Maj. Lawrence Smith was engaged to make the survey, and a plat made by him is still preserved in the official records of York County.

Although Yorktown (variously called Port of York, Borough of York, York, Town of York, and Yorktown) was not established until 1691, the area around Yorktown had been well known to the English for generations. The river itself had been explored, and frequently visited, by Capt. John Smith and his fellow settlers at Jamestown. They came most frequently by water, but it was not until the 1630-32 period that early Virginians began to push overland from the James River and to establish homes on the banks of the York. Among the men who braved the Indians, the forests, and natural enemies to establish homes on the creeks and tidewaters above and below Yorktown were Capt. John West (who became Governor in 1635), Capt. John Utie, Capt. Robert Felgate, and, a little later, Henry Lee. The Indians before them had seen, and recognized, the strategic value and beauty of this location. Chief Powhatan was residing on the north side of the river, above Gloucester Point, when Smith first saw him in 1607, and the Chiskiack Indians lived on the south side near present-day Yorktown until pressure from the white man caused them to move.

Nicolas Martiau, a French Huguenot, first received a grant of land in the Yorktown area. It was a part of this tract, which originally lay between the holdings of Gov. Sir John Harvey and the estate of Richard Townsend, that in 1691 was acquired and laid out into the original 85 lots of Yorktown. Through the marriages of his descendants, Martiau became the earliest-known American ancestor of George Washington. A granite marker in his honor now stands on Ballard Street.

The earliest settlers on the York pointed the way for others who came in increasing numbers in the years that followed. The population grew to such an extent that in 1634 a county was laid out to embrace the settlements which had been made on the York (those around later Yorktown and those on the Back and Poquoson Rivers some miles to the southeast). Designated Charles River Shire, it was one of Virginia’s eight original shires (counties). At that time, the York River was known as the Charles, this having replaced the Indian name of Pamunkey. About 1643, the name of the river was changed to York, from which both town and county take their name.

About 2 miles southeast of Yorktown is a tidal inlet, Wormley Creek, named for Christopher Wormley, a local property owner and a member of the council of colonial Virginia. On the west side of this inlet, a little town (perhaps best described as a small settlement) took form. It seemingly grew up around “Yorke Fort,” built on the point formed by Wormley Creek and York River. In 1633, “Yorke” was selected as a receiving point, and stores were ordered built to serve this settlement and that of Chiskiack just up the river. “Yorke” was separate and distinct from present Yorktown, but actually a direct antecedent. Early courts convened here, and there were a church and a courthouse with its customary instruments of justice (stocks, a pillory, and a ducking stool). The tomb of Maj. William Gooch here is one of the oldest existing dated tombs in the United States.

In establishing his survey of Yorktown in 1691, Lawrence Smith proceeded to the high bluffs above the river and laid out 85 half-acre lots arranged along a principal street (Main Street) running parallel with the river and seven streets which intersected Main. Many of the original street names still remain, as do original lot lines. In proceeding to the high ground to make the survey, a strip of land, described in 1691 as “a Common Shore of no value,” was left between the town and the river. This area actually proved of considerable value. Here, Water Street took form as the second Yorktown street running parallel with the river. Along it developed wharves, loading places, ships, stores, lodging accommodations, and considerable miscellaneous development. It was officially made a part of the town in 1738, but designated a commons until surveyed into lots in 1788.

Yorktown’s history has been continuous since 1691, although its prosperous era of growth was not destined to extend beyond the colonial period. Soon after its establishment lots were taken up, homes began to appear, and a number of vigorous families settled in the town. Public activities for the county were soon concentrated here. In 1697, the meeting place for York County Court was moved to a building on Lot 24, and this lot still functions for county purposes. About the same time, too, the York Parish Church was erected on Lot 35.

The excellent harbor in the York River, plus restrictive legislation on trade, stimulated the growth of the town as the framers of the Port Act had hoped. It became a tobacco port of first importance as it drew on the crops grown on the plantations round about. None was better known, perhaps, than the famous “E. D.” brand grown on the Digges estate (later Bellfield) just above Yorktown. Ships came singly and in fleets to get hogsheads of tobacco which had been duly examined by the inspectors provided through the Colonial Government. Warehouses and wharves were busy with tobacco shipments, and later in the century, with other crops. Incoming freight for the town residents, plantation owners, and others included clothing of latest fashion, wines and liquor, furniture, jewelry and silver plate, riding gear and coaches, swords and firearms, books, and slaves for the fields and kitchens. This was the trade that made Yorktown a thriving business center in the 18th century—a port that led in Chesapeake Bay commerce until it was later outstripped by its rivals.

Yorktown stood overlooking the York River, with the better homes, inns, and public buildings on the bluffs in the town proper. Below the bluffs on the waterfront wharves, warehouses, small stores, and drinking places predominated. Along the water’s edge, too, were establishments such as that of Charles Chiswell, who was given a patent for land there on which to build accommodations “for his greater Conveniency in Victualing His Majesties Ships of War according to his Contract.”

When fully extended and at peak prosperity, colonial Yorktown must have been a rather pleasant little town. At best, its population very likely never exceeded 3,000—a small number by present standards, yet sizeable for that period. An English visitor who stopped here in 1736 wrote of it:

You perceive a great Air of Opulence amongst the Inhabitants, who have
some of them built themselves Houses, equal in Magnificence to many of
our superb ones at _St. James’s_.... Almost every considerable Man
keeps an Equipage.... The Taverns are many here, and much
frequented.... The Court-House is the only considerable publick
Building, and is no unhandsome Structure.... The most considerable
Houses are of Brick; some handsome ones of Wood, all built in the
modern Taste; and the lesser Sort, of Plaister. There are some very
pretty Garden Spots in the Town; and the Avenues leading to
Williamsburg, Norfolk, &c., are prodigiously agreeable.

Between 1691 and 1781, fortunes were made at Yorktown in the tobacco trade. But not everyone was a wealthy merchant or prosperous planter. There were men of all types and classes on the streets, in the taverns, and on the wharves—merchants, planters, planter-merchants, propertied yeomen, unsuccessful merchants, shopkeepers and innkeepers in large number, indentured servants, and slaves. Apprentices rose to become partners, as in the case of Augustine Moore in the Nelson firm. In 1781, he was the owner of the Moore House, where the Articles of Capitulation were drafted.

The more prominent families were united by marriage with all the noted Tidewater families. The most famous son of Yorktown was Thomas Nelson, Jr., signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia, and commander of the militia at the siege of 1781. His remains rest in the churchyard of Grace Church in Yorktown.

From the point of view of growth and prosperity, Yorktown was at its peak about 1750. The shops continued busy and the wharves full, perhaps for another quarter of a century; yet, even before the Revolution, evidences of decline were discernible. Whatever commercial good fortune may have been expected for the town was rendered difficult by the destruction and waste that came with the siege of 1781. Other forces of decline, however, were also at work. Rival points of trade, because of location, took much of the produce that might have come to Yorktown. The soil of the surrounding country was worn thin, and the center of tobacco culture moved southwest. All in all, it meant that Yorktown would not continue to grow.

The events of September and October 1781 gave Yorktown its position of first rank in the story of the American Revolution, yet its earlier and less publicized history in that war is both interesting and significant. The leaders of opinion in Yorktown were merchants who stood to suffer much as supporters of the patriotic cause. Their losses were heavy in many cases, but they stood behind the Revolution practically to a man.

As early as July 18, 1774, York County had called a meeting “to consider what was to be done in the present distressed and alarming situation of affairs throughout the _British_ Colonies in _America_.” Five months later there was a miniature “tea party” in the Yorktown harbor. In 1775, Thomas Nelson, Jr., and Dudley Digges were named as delegates to the Virginia Convention of that year. In 1776, Nelson went on to the Continental Congress, became a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and in 1781 was elected Governor of Virginia. Other Yorktown personalities prominent on the political scene during the Revolution include David Jameson, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 1781; Thomas Everard, a commissioner of accounts from 1776 to 1781; Dudley Digges, councilor and leader; Jaquelin Ambler, a councilor and then, in 1781, State Treasurer; and Thomas Nelson, Sr., made Secretary of the Commonwealth in 1776.

In the spring of 1775, Governor Dunmore of Virginia became fearful of the vulnerability of the powder stores in Williamsburg and, during the night of April 20-21, he had them moved secretly to the man-of-war, _Fowey_, anchored off Yorktown. This was the spark that set off the Revolution in Virginia. Then came Patrick Henry’s march on Williamsburg and more alarm. At this point Dunmore became greatly disturbed. He sent his family aboard the _Fowey_, still at Yorktown, and he himself set up headquarters on this warship in the harbor on June 6. The assembly refused to meet in Yorktown, as Dunmore suggested, and proceeded to do business without the governor. It was mid-July before Dunmore finally left Yorktown harbor, thus ending royal government in Virginia.

The enlistment of troops soon got under way in York County. The first move was for two companies of minutemen. The one with Yorktown men was to be captained by William Goosley. The council ordered Yorktown to be garrisoned in June 1776, since the strategic location and value of the port were recognized from the very beginning. These troops were soon sent elsewhere, however, and the barracks at Yorktown were often woefully empty. The garrison apparently continued active until the British occupied the town in 1781. The battery built here and manned, first in 1776, to protect the town and “to command the River,” particularly the means of “trade and commerce,” suffered varying fortunes, but mostly, it seems, from “too little and too late.” In 1777, a troop hospital was set up in the town in time to render service in the smallpox epidemic of that year.

From 1776 to mid-1781, Yorktown residents heard the drums roll, became familiar with the tread of marching columns, and witnessed periodic scares of attack and invasion. They contributed supplies, work, money, men, and life. They saw trade decline, “hard times” set in, property wantonly destroyed by thoughtless troops, and received the varying news of war with rejoicing, or with sorrow.

In the winter of 1779-80, French war vessels used the York River and may have found some comfort in the guns of the Yorktown fort. In March 1781, Lafayette stepped ashore here, after his trip down the bay at the beginning of his operations in Virginia. The raid on Yorktown by Lieutenant Colonel Simcoe and his Queen’s Rangers in April of the same year was a foretaste of what was soon to come, as was Cornwallis’ preliminary inspection of the post on June 28. There was little active campaigning, however, and the full meaning of conquest and occupation by the enemy was not understood until the advance units of Cornwallis’ army entered the town in August 1781.

When the siege of 1781 was over, Yorktown quickly entered upon its decline. The damages of the siege had been devastating, trade fell off, and citizens—even whole families—moved away. It quickly became a village with no major commercial or business activity. In this category it has continued. Its history in the 19th century was punctuated by only an occasional significant event or development.

In 1814, a great fire began on the waterfront and swept into the town destroying many of the old buildings, rich in colonial associations. Lafayette visited Yorktown in 1824, and there was a celebration in commemoration of the events of 43 years earlier. By 1840 the sandy beach before the town had begun to attract visitors, as it does today, in increasing numbers. In 1862, there was a second siege of Yorktown—a lesser engagement in the Civil War. Many of the fortifications built then still stand. Being much more massive, they are in sharp contrast with the earlier Revolutionary works. In the early 20th century, residential suburban development around Yorktown was begun with a great flourish, but did not take hold.

The Centennial Celebration staged at Yorktown in 1881 once more brought the town into national prominence. Large crowds journeyed to the little village to attend and to participate in exercises which extended over a period of several days. Fifty years later, in 1931, there was the larger Sesquicentennial Celebration. Visitors came from far and near to participate in this extensive observance of the American and French victory at Yorktown. Another major observance was in 1957 when Yorktown contributed its part to the year-long activities marking the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, 20 miles away, in 1607.

_Guide to the Area_

At Yorktown, the National Park Service is seeking to preserve and to interpret all surviving features and reminders of the 18th century and to restore the scene as closely as possible to what it was in 1781—before and during the siege. Accordingly, development has included the reconstruction and restoration of buildings, fortifications, roads, and other features after prolonged historical research. Where needed, archeological excavations have revealed additional information on location and identification. In addition to the program affecting the area administered by the Service, every effort is made to encourage private building and development in the neighborhood to follow a pattern that will add to and enhance the picture and the atmosphere which are being sought.

The following numbers correspond to those on the guide map (pages 28 and 29):

1. VISITOR CENTER. It is suggested that you stop first at the Visitor Center located high above the York River and nestled in a curve of existing fortifications. It is on the southeast edge of town with convenient connection to the Colonial Parkway. Park personnel is available here to assist you in planning your visit, as well as an information desk, literature, a series of exhibits including _Washington’s Tent_, and several dioramas. An introductory program of slides and motion pictures is featured. Included, too, is the _Ship Exhibit_—a reconstructed section of a gundeck and of the captain’s cabin of a British 44-gun frigate, the _Charon_, which was sunk at Yorktown in 1781. It aids in the display of objects salvaged from the river. On the roof of the Visitor Center is an _observation deck_ where you can view the town, the battlefield, and the river. Adjacent to the building are old existing embarkments on which are Revolutionary War artillery pieces. One is the _Lafayette Cannon_, a piece taken from the British at Yorktown by troops under the command of the Marquis de Lafayette and later recognized by him in 1824 when he saw it at the Watervliet Arsenal in New York.

Battlefield Tour.

A self-guiding auto tour begins and ends at the Visitor Center. Along the drive are the major points of interest which are briefly described below. The complete tour is some 15 miles long but you can take a shorter tour of the 5-mile inner loop. It embraces the battlegrounds, the French and American encampment areas, and the village of Yorktown. The route is marked by uniform signs.

2. REDOUBT NO. 9 (reconstructed). A detachment of 400 French soldiers distinguished itself on the night of October 14 by storming this British strong point. The fall of this redoubt, and its neighbor, Redoubt No. 10, which was stormed by the Americans on the same night, was a decisive action of the siege.

3. AMERICAN BATTERY NO. 2, SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE. Erected after the capture of Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10, it was one of the most important positions of the second siege line. There are several original artillery pieces mounted in this reconstructed battery.

4. REDOUBT NO. 10. Close to the edge of the riverbank, a small part of the moat of this siege position is preserved and the parapet has been rebuilt. This is all that now remains. The rest of the position has been destroyed by erosion of the cliffs in the years since 1781. It was captured from the British on the night of October 14 in a bayonet attack led by Alexander Hamilton. Among those who distinguished themselves was Sgt. William Brown who later was the recipient of one of the first Purple Heart awards ever made. This award then was made only for extraordinary bravery in action.

Five days after its capture, the allied leaders met in Redoubt No. 10 and affixed their signatures to the Articles of Capitulation which already had been signed by the British commanders. This is, perhaps, the most memorable spot on the Yorktown Battlefield.

5. AMERICAN SECTOR, FIRST ALLIED SIEGE LINE. The route now leads across the field, open as in 1781, between the allied lines. Part of the reconstructed communicating trench is visible. The next stop is in the American sector of the first siege line at a point where the Americans began to build their entrenchments (partly reconstructed).

6. AMERICAN APPROACH ROAD. The tour now follows the road used by the American troops as they approached the fighting line. It passes the location of their temporary supply depot. It is of interest to note that the road is well down in a ravine and this gave protection from shellfire. It led to the encampment area where troops bivouacked and lived. Before crossing Wormley Creek, however, the road turns back toward the York River.

7. MOORE HOUSE. Here in the private home of Augustine Moore on October 18, 1781, commissioners met to draft the Articles of Capitulation. Constructed about 1725, the restored house is furnished as a home of the 1776-81 period. It is open daily.

8. MOORES MILL DAM. On the return from the Moore House the tour crosses Wormley Creek over a dam where Augustine Moore had a grist mill, as part of his 600-acre plantation. Ice for storage was probably cut here in winter.

The marked drive now passes through a section of the American encampment. Markers identify the more significant sites including:

9. BENJAMIN LINCOLN’S HEADQUARTERS SITE and 10. LAFAYETTE’S HEADQUARTERS SITE.

11. SURRENDER FIELD. The next stop is at the south end of the field where the British laid down their arms as called for in the Articles of Capitulation. A sweeping view of a part of this field is possible from a raised platform especially designed for the purpose. In front of this is the trace of the old Warwick Road and bounding it on the right is the still existing York-Hampton Road. It was along the latter that the British troops marched out from Yorktown and this section of it is now known as Surrender Road.

12. SURRENDER ROAD. From Surrender Field it is possible to go directly back to Yorktown. It is suggested, however, that the route through the encampment area and to the British outer works be chosen.

13. ENCAMPMENT DRIVE. Here the road passes through historically interesting, and scenically beautiful, countryside. This is the only access to such areas as:

A. _Von Steuben’s Headquarters Site._ Major General von Steuben, like Lincoln and Lafayette, commanded a division of American troops.

B. _Rochambeau’s Headquarters Site._ Rochambeau commanded the French Army under Washington.

C. _Washington’s Headquarters Site._ This is reached by a spur road from the main tour drive. The ford, restored to use as it was in 1781, is safe for vehicular travel.

D. _French Cemetery._ This is thought to be the burial site of a number of the French soldiers killed during the siege.

E. _French Artillery Park._ This was a place for repairing and storing cannon. Existing ground evidences indicate the manner in which carriages were parked.

F. _French Army Encampment._

G. _British Outer Works._ Cornwallis constructed several positions between the headwaters of Yorktown and Wormley Creeks as a part of his outer line. One of these has been partly reconstructed and is visible from the tour road. Another is _an original position which remains undisturbed_. A spur road from the main tour route gives access to it in the area known as “Long Neck.”

14. GRAND FRENCH BATTERY. This position was the largest and one of the most effective in the First Allied Siege Line. A part of it, including gun platforms and magazines (powder and ammunition storage points), has been reconstructed. The artillery now mounted here (a trench mortar, siege cannon, mortars, and howitzers) are types used in the Revolutionary period. Some of the pieces were actually used at Yorktown during the siege.

15. NATIONAL CEMETERY. Established in 1866, this is chiefly a burial ground for Union soldiers killed in the vicinity in the Civil War.

16. SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE. This is another point on the same encircling line that came to include British Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10.

17. YORKTOWN. The tour now enters Yorktown proper where the British army was encamped and in which it made its stand. The old Civil War line rings the town today and under it is the British line of 1781.

A. _Site of Secretary Nelson’s House._ Here Cornwallis had his headquarters when the siege opened. He remained until allied artillery forced him out. Secretary Thomas Nelson was, for many years, Secretary of the Colony of Virginia. The site has been marked by the Yorktown Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.

B. _Victory Monument._ Authorized by Congress in 1781, the shaft was not begun until 1881 (completed 3 years later) as a part of the Yorktown Centennial Celebration. The original figure of “Liberty” was damaged by lightning in 1942 and replaced by a new figure in 1956.

C. _Cornwallis Cave._ This natural cave in a marl cliff was undoubtedly used by the British in 1781. Staff conferences could have been held here late in the siege.

D. _Nelson House._ This residence is believed to have been Cornwallis’ headquarters in the last days of the siege. It was built prior to 1745 by “Scotch Tom” Nelson and was later the home of his grandson, Gen. Thomas Nelson, Jr. The house has cannonballs imbedded in its east wall that are thought to have been fired during the siege of 1781.

18. FUSILIERS REDOUBT. Located on the west side of Yorktown, it protected the road to Williamsburg. Because of erosion of the bluffs at this point, it has been possible to reconstruct only a part of the original position.

“TOWN OF YORK” Much of the old has continued, or is being recaptured, in Yorktown and many of its buildings and sites have their individual messages. In the following text, the letters correspond to those on the map of the “Town of York,” page 46.

A. _West House._ This residence is one of the few remaining colonial frame structures in Yorktown. Its inner timbers bear the scars of artillery fire to which it was subjected in 1781. It is thought to date from the mid-18th century.

B. _Archer Cottage._ Below the bluffs is a small cottage thought to be of colonial origin and to have been property of the Archer family. This is the only surviving structure in this once busy waterfront section of the port of Yorktown.

C. _Remains of Town Wharf._ Rock piles and some of the timber crib of the public wharf which served Yorktown before the Revolution can be seen at exceptionally low tide near the foot of Read Street.

D. _Digges House._ This brick dwelling, constructed early in the 18th century, stands at the once busy corner of Main and Read Streets.

E. _Somerwell House._ This restored residence, built, it is thought, before 1707 by Mungo Somerwell, was at one time a part of the Lightfoot family holdings.

Many of the fine old homes are no longer standing, such as the Lightfoot mansion that is shown so prominently on the sketch of Yorktown made from a vessel in the harbor about 1754 (see pages 34 and 35). The Buckner residence in the west end of town, a second Lightfoot townhouse, two of the spacious home of the Nelsons, and the Ambler dwelling have long since been destroyed, except for foundation remains below ground.

F. _Grace Church._ This church, in York-Hampton Parish, is the oldest in Yorktown. It has been active since its construction about 1697. The present structure incorporated much of the original native marl walls. This church was used for various military purposes in the two wars that engulfed Yorktown, but parish organization has continued unbroken and services are held regularly. In its churchyard lie the remains of prominent men of Yorktown and of many others less well known. The church is normally open every day.

G. _Medical Shop._ This reconstructed shop is across Main Street from Swan Tavern.

H. _York County Courthouse._ This structure, the fifth such to stand on Lot 24 in Yorktown, was completed in 1955. Although not a reconstruction, it does capture some of the architectural flavor of the time. It serves the town and county, as buildings on the lot have done since 1697.

I. _Swan Tavern Group._ This group of reconstructed buildings, including the tavern, kitchen, stable, smokehouse, and privy, all stand on original foundations. One of the characteristics of colonial Yorktown was the large number of its inns and taverns. The Swan, opened for business in 1722, was the most noted of all.

J. “_Customhouse._” Directly across the street from the Digges House, this structure appears to have been built prior to 1733 and to have begun its history as Richard Ambler’s “large brick storehouse.” It has been acquired and restored by the Comte de Grasse Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and now serves them as a chapter house. The building, on occasion, is open to visitors.

K. _Edmund Smith House._ This brick residence is south of the Nelson House and faces Nelson Street. It dates from about 1730.

L. _Ballard House._ Also located on Nelson Street, this cottage, sometimes called “Pearl Hall,” presumably was built by John Ballard.

M. _Sessions House._ This house is the oldest building still standing in Yorktown. It was built in the late 17th century, and is named for its builder and first owner—Thomas Sessions.

Many of the houses mentioned here are private homes which are sometimes open during Garden Week and other special occasions. These old homes add charm to Yorktown and do much to preserve a quiet dignity along the narrow, shaded streets far removed from the busy thoroughfares of a 20th-century town.

For those interested in geology, mention should be made of the famous _Yorktown Cliffs_, particularly those in the area between Yorktown and the Moore House. In the steep banks eroded by the river, extensive and significant deposits of seashells are visible. These are of marine life that existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Tertiary Period millions of years ago.

_How to Reach Yorktown_

Yorktown is on U. S. 17 and is located 106 miles south of Fredericksburg and 32 miles north of Norfolk, Va. The approach from the north is from Gloucester Point by a bridge over the York River. U. S. 60 and State Route 168 pass a few miles to the west and are connected with Yorktown by State Route 238. The nearest rail terminal is 5 miles away at Lee Hall. Buses of the Greyhound Lines connect with Yorktown, and special sightseeing buses operate from Williamsburg.

_Colonial Parkway_

The most interesting approach to Yorktown is from Williamsburg by car over the Colonial Parkway. This highway, combining scenic beauty and historical interest, is a part of Colonial National Historical Park and connects Yorktown and Jamestown, two of the principal areas in the park, by way of Williamsburg. From Yorktown it follows the high ground along the south side of the York River for approximately 5 miles and then turns inland to traverse forested countryside into Williamsburg—Virginia’s 18th-century capital. The route then is south to the James and along this river to Jamestown. Parking overlooks have been provided at vantage points and markers carry informative messages about history and locality. There is a picnic ground adjacent to the roadway about midway between Yorktown and Williamsburg.

_About Your Visit_

The Yorktown Visitor Center is on the southeast edge of Yorktown. Literature is available here, and attendants, on request, will outline self-guided tours of the battlefield. The center is open daily except Christmas Day.

The Moore House is open daily, except during the winter season, and there is an attendant on duty to assist you. There is a nominal admission charge which is waived for children under 12 years of age and for groups of school children 18 years of age or under when accompanied by adults assuming responsibility for their safety and orderly conduct.

No regularly scheduled guided tours of the battlefield are offered, but arrangements for guide service, especially for educational groups, may be made in advance. There is no charge for this service.

_Yorktown Day_ (October 19) is observed each year with a special program and patriotic exercises.

In Yorktown there are several small restaurants, a number of tourist homes, and two small hotels. There is a picnic area of limited capacity along the river below the Yorktown Victory Monument, but trailer courts and organized camping facilities are not available.

_Administration_

The Yorktown Battlefield is a part of Colonial National Historical Park, which also includes the major part of Jamestown Island, together with some of the adjacent area, the Colonial Parkway, and the Cape Henry Memorial at Cape Henry, Va. The park was first established as a national monument by Presidential proclamation in 1930 and given its present designation by act of Congress in 1936.

The battlefield, except for areas in private ownership, is administered by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. At present, park holdings in the battlefield embrace about 4,175 acres.

Headquarters for the entire park are in Yorktown, and all communications relating to the area should be addressed to the Superintendent, Colonial National Historical Park, Yorktown, Va.

_Closely Related Areas_

Other areas in the South included in the National Park System connected with the Revolutionary War are: Kings Mountain National Military Park, S. C.; Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, N. C.; Cowpens National Battlefield Site, S. C.; and Moores Creek National Military Park, N. C.

Closely related to Yorktown and Jamestown, both geographically and historically, is Williamsburg (Virginia)—a national shrine of outstanding significance and interest. Much of the heart of the old 18th-century section of the city has been restored, or reconstructed, including the palace of the royal governors and the capitol building. Arts and craft shops have been developed, as well as an extensive educational program, making it possible to observe and study many aspects of life as it was in the 80-year period when Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia after the removal of the seat of government from Jamestown in 1699. The restoration of the town is being made possible through the generosity of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and it is administered by Colonial Williamsburg as a nonprofit, educational, and inspirational shrine “That the Future May Learn from the Past.”

_Suggested Readings_

Doehla, Johann Conrad. “The Doehla Journal.” _William and Mary College
Historical Quarterly_, 2nd Series, Vol. 22, pp. 229-274.
Hatch Charles E., Jr. “The Moore House: A National Shrine.” _William
and Mary Historical Quarterly_, 2nd Series, Vol. 21, pp.
293-317. October 1941.
——, and Pitkin, Thomas M. _Yorktown, Climax of the Revolution._
National Park Service Source Book Series No. 1, Superintendent
of Documents, Washington, D. C. 1941.
Johnson Henry P. _The Yorktown Campaign and The Surrender of
Cornwallis, 1781._ Harper & Brothers, New York. 1881.
Landers, H. L. _The Virginia Campaign and the Blockade and Siege of
Yorktown, 1781._ Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.
C. 1931.
Willcox, William B. “The British Road to Yorktown: A Study in Divided
Command.” _American Historical Review_, Vol. 52, pp. 1-35.
October 1946.

_Appendix 1_

CORNWALLIS’ PAROLE[1]

Charles Earl Cornwallis Lieutenant General [of his Brita]nnick Majesty’s Forces.________

Do acknowledge myself a Prisoner of War to the [United] States of America, & having permission from His [Excellen]cy General Washington, agreeable to Capitulation, to proceed to New York & Charlestown, or either, & to Europe.

Do pledge my Faith & Word of Honor, that I will not do or say any thing injurious to the said United States or Armies thereof, or their Allies, untill duly exchanged; I do further promise that Whenever required, by the Commander in Chief of the American Army, or the Commissary of Prisoners for the same, I will repair to such place or places as they or either of them may require.________

Given under my Hand at York Town 28th day of October 1781________

Cornwallis

_Appendix 2_

ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION[2]

Articles of Capitulation settled between his Excellency General Washington Comander in Chief of the combined Forces of America & France—His Excellency The Count de Rochambeau Lieutenant General of the Armies of the King of France—Great Cross of the Royal & Military Order of St. Louis—Commanding the Auxiliary Troops of his most Christian Majesty in America—And -His Excellency- the Count de Grasse Lieutenant General of the Naval Armies of his Most Christian Majesty, Commander of the Order of St. Louis, comand^g in Chief the Naval Army of France in the Chesapeak—on the One Part—And His Excellency The Right Hon^ble Earl Cornwallis Lieu. General of His Britannick Majesty’s Forces, Commanding the Garrisons of York & Gloucester and Thomas Symonds Esq^r Commanding his Britannick Majesty’s Naval forces in York River in Virginia on the other part.

Article 1^st

The Garrisons of York & Gloucester including the Officers and Seamen of his Britannic Majesty’s Ships as well as other Mariners, to surrender themselves Prisoners of War to the Combined Forces of America & France—The Land Troops to remain prisoners to the United States. The Navy to the naval Army of his Most Christian Majesty—

Article - 1^st

Granted—

Article 2^nd

The artillery, Arms, Accoutrements, Military Chest and public Stores of every Denomination, shall be delivered, unimpaired, to the Heads of Departments appointed to receive them—

Article 2^d

Granted.—

Article 3^d

At 12 ^oClock this Day the two Redoubts on the left Flank of York to be delivered—the one to a Detachment of American Infantry—the other to a Detachment of French Grenadiers—The Garrison of York will march out to a place to be appointed in front of the posts at 2 ^oClock precisely, with Shouldered Arms. Colours cased and Drums beating a British or German March.—they are then to ground their Arms, & return to their Encampment, where they will remain untill they are dispatched to the place of their Destination.—Two Works on the Gloucester Side will be delivered at One ^oClock to Detachments of French & American Troops appointed to possess them.—The Garrison will march out at three ^oClock in the Afternoon—The Cavalry with their Swords drawn, Trumpets sound^g & the Infantry in the Manner prescribed for the Garrison of York—they are likewise to return to their Encampments untill they can be finally marched off.—

Article 3^d

Granted.—

Article 4^th

Officers are to retain their Side Arms—both Officers & Soldiers to keep their private property of every kind, and no part of their Baggage or papers to be at any Time subject to search or Inspection.—The Baggage & papers of officers & Soldiers taken during the Siege, to be likewise preserved for them. It is understood that any Property obviously belonging to -any of- the Inhabitants of these States, in the possession of the Garrison, shall be subject to be reclaimed—

Article 4^th

Granted.—

Article 5^th

The Soldiers to be kept in Virginia, Maryland, or Pennsylvania, & as much by Regiments as possible, and supplyed with the same Rations or Provisions as are Allowed to Soldiers in the Service of America:—A field officer from each Nation, viz—British, Anspach & Hessian, & other Officers on parole, in the proportion of One to fifty Men, to be allowed to reside near their respective Regiments, to visit them frequently and be witnesses of their Treatment—And that there Officers may receive & deliver Cloathing and other Necessaries for them for which passports are to be granted when applied for

Article 5^th

Granted—

Article 6^th

The General, Staff & other Officers not employed as mentioned in the above Article, & who choose it, to be permitted to go on parole to -England- Europe, to N York, or to any other American maritime posts, at present in possession of the British Forces, at their own Option, & proper Vessels to be granted by the Count de Grasse to carry them under flags of Truce to New York within ten Days from this Date, if possible, & they to reside in a District to be agreed upon hereafter, untill they embark—The Officers of the civil Departments of the Army & navy to be included in this Article.—passports to go by Land, to be granted to those, to whom Vessels cannot be furnished.—

Article 6^th

Granted.—

Article 7^th

Officers to be allowed to keep Soldiers as Servants according to the common practice of the Service.—Servants not Soldiers are not to be considered as prisoners & are to be allowed to attend their Masters.

Article 7^th

Granted

Article 8^th

The Bonetta Sloop of War to be equipped & navigated by its present Captain and Crew & left entirely at the Disposal of L^d Cornwallis, from the Hour that the Capitulation is signed, to receive an Aid de Camp to carry Dispatches to Sir H^ry Clinton—and such Soldiers as he may think proper to send to N York to be permitted to sail without Examination, when his Dispatches are ready. His Lordship engaging on his part, that the Ship shall be delivered to the Order of the Count de Grasse if she escapes the Dangers of the Seas—that she shall not carry off any public Stores—Any part of the Crew, that may be deficient on her Return, & the Soldiers passengers, to be accounted for on her Delivery—

Article 8^th

Granted—

Article 9^th

The Traders are to preserve their Property, & to be allowed three Months to dispose of, or remove them—And those Traders are not to be considered as prisoners of War—

Article 9^th

The Traders will be allowed to dispose of their Effects—the Allied Army having the right of pre-emption—The Traders to be considered as prisoners of War on parole—

Article 10^th

Natives or Inhabitants of different parts of this Country at present in York or Gloucester are not to be punished on Acc^o of having joined the British army—

Article 10^th

This Article cannot be assented to—being altogether of civil Resort—

Article 11^th

Proper Hospitals to be furnished for the Sick & Wounded—they are to be attended by their own Surgeons on parole, and they are to be furnished with Medicines & Stores from the American Hospitals—

Article 11^th