The French fleet, as part of the overall plan, entered the lower Chesapeake Bay in the end of August and disembarked 3,000 French troops to wait for Washington and Rochambeau in Williamsburg. On September 5, they encountered the smaller British fleet in a naval engagement known as the '''Battle of the Capes''. The British broke off the engagement and returned to New York for reinforcements. The French, commanded by Admiral de Grasse, remained in the lower Chesapeake and established a blockade.
==The Siege==
By the end of September, approximately 17,600 American and French soldiers were gathered in Williamsburg, while 8,300 British soldiers were occupying Yorktown, including a small number of German auxiliary troops (called "Hessians") hired to help fight the war.
By the end of September, approximately 17,600 American and French soldiers were gathered in Williamsburg, while 8,300 British soldiers were occupying Yorktown The British forces included a small number of German auxiliary troops hired to help fight the war. Cornwallis recognized the odds were in the allies' favor, and he sent Clinton a note asking for help. Clinton responded that a British fleet with 5,000 men would sail for Yorktown from New York on October 5.
Cornwallis had his men construct a main line of defense around Yorktown that consisted of ten small enclosed forts (called redoubts), batteries with artillery and connecting trenches. The Americans and French marched from Williamsburg to Yorktown on September 28 and began digging a trench 800 yards from the British defense line to begin a siege. By October 9, the allies' trench was finished and their artillery had been moved up. Firing at the British continuously, they had virtually knocked the British guns out of action by October 11. Cornwallis had the additional misfortune to learn at that time that Clinton's departure from New York had been delayed.
==The Surrender==
At 10 o'clock on the morning of October 17, 1781, a drummer beating a "parley," and a British officer with a flag of truce, mounted a parapet south of Yorktown. The allies saw the signal, and soon the incessant, devastating artillery fire ceased. A hushed stillness fell over the field. Lord Cornwallis, realizing the defeat of his army was inevitable, sent a message handwritten note to General George Washington:
:''"Sir, 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."''
* Morrissey, Brendan and Adam Hook. ''Yorktown 1781: The World Turned Upside Down'' (1994) British perspective
* Tuchman, Barbara W. ''The First Salute'' 1988, chapter on battle
* Wickwire, Franklin B. ''Cornwallis: The American Adventure'' (1970)
* Willcox, Walter. “The British Road to Yorktown: A Study in Divided Command”, ''The American Historical Review'', Vol. 52, No. 1. (Oct., 1946), pp. 1-35 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762(194610)52%3A1%3C1%3ATBRTYA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W in JSTOR]
*Wood, W. J. ''Battles of the Revolutionary War, 1775–1781''. ISBN 0-306-81329-7 (2003)
[[Category:American Revolutionary War Battles]]
[[Category:American Revolution]]