Choosing a battlefield tour on my birthday, I never imagined.
However the history of this battlefield so beguiled me, I thought it would make a great preface to Prelude to Victory at Colonial Williamsburg this weekend.
One thing that sets this battlefield apart from the rest, are the redoubts, a form of earthworks, which are all over the park.
Yorktown Battlefield Museum
While waiting for the Visitor Center movie to begin, we toured the museum a little bit.
Every time I tried to read something, my kids kept calling me over to see this or that.
The first item they directed me to, with a huge grin, was the Lafayette Cannon!
I had to chuckle. While touring the Civil War battlefields around Fredericksburg last spring, we discovered the Napoleonic Cannon, which is a certain style of cannon. (There’s an inside joke here.)
The Lafayette Cannon is not a style of cannon, but a cannon with a story that involves Lafayette’s Grand Tour.
The movie we watched was probably the best I’ve seen at any of these parks.
I forget all the details now, but one item that stuck out was the naval battle we got to see.
The kids and I have read about many naval battles, but this is the first we’ve seen one.
There was a lot more to see in the Visitor Center than we had time for.
We spied a huge ship we could walk into behind the desk.
Because the day was beautiful, I suggested we save the rest of the Visitor Center for a rainy day.
After lunch, we started the driving tour.
Although the brochure says the main drive takes only 45 minutes, it took us over 3 hours!
Cornwallis cornered in Yorktown
Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution, fought in October 1781.
Earlier in the year, General Washington had sent Lafayette with his men into Virginia, while Cornwallis arrived to attack Lafayette west of Williamsburg, but failed.
Cornwallis then established operations in Yorktown, east of Williamsburg.
Lafayette sent word to General Washington in New York.
Joined by General Rochambeau’s French army, the Continental Army headed south to Yorktown.
Meanwhile, any hope for a British escape by sea ended, due to the arrival of a French fleet led by Comte de Grasse.
Cornwallis and his men, cornered at Yorktown, awaited their fate.
Lafayette waited in Williamsburg for the arrival of Washington and Rochambeau.
When all the French and American soldiers had gathered, the 17,000 men moved on to Yorktown where they began a siege on Cornwallis and his 8,000 men.
British redoubts
The first stop was the redoubts the British had built for their defense.
Grand French Battery
The next stop was the Grand French Battery, where on Oct 6, the first siege line was built.
On Oct 9, firing on the British began.
We learned all about the artillery during our Yorktown CW EFT last year.
Now we got to see them set at the redoubts.
Second Allied Siege Line
Then we drove to the Second Allied Siege Line, closer in to the British position.
However, there was a problem. British redoubts 9 and 10 were in the way.
Redoubts 9 and 10
We drove to Redoubts 9 and 10, which we also learned about in the Yorktown EFT.
With Lafayette as the commander, Col Alexander Hamilton led the storming of Redoubt 10 while the French took Redoubt 9 on October 14.
Up to the attack, the cannons had been steadily firing upon the British without relief.
To prevent any accidents, the soldiers disarmed their guns yet engaged their bayonets.
Within thirty minutes the redoubts were captured.
Cornwallis surrenders
The Continental Army advanced and continued the bombardment.
General Cornwallis surrendered three days later.
Negotiating surrender terms
Meeting at the Moore House, Lt. Col. John Laurens negotiated the surrender terms.
Because he, General Benjamin Lincoln, and their men were captured the year before in South Carolina and denied the honors of war, Laurens insisted on the same for the British surrender.
Denied the honors of war meant the losing army had to case their flags and not play the victor’s music.
Surrender Ceremony
General Cornwallis did not attend the ceremony and had his second in command hand over the ceremonial surrender sword.
The British soldiers angrily laid down their arms.
This was the last major battle of the American Revolution.
Although there was another driving tour to the French encampment and Washington’s headquarters, the day was getting short.
Wow! So many wonderful things to see, but so little time. I want to return to see the rest!
Nelson house in Yorktown scarred by siege
We wrapped up our tour of Yorktown by going into the town, to the Nelson House.
Thomas Nelson, who led a local “tea party” on the York River in 1774, gave George Washington a white horse in 1778.
In appreciation, Washington named the horse for his friend, Nelson.
Becoming the 4th governor of Virginia in 1781, Thomas Nelson was also general of the Virginia militia during the siege of Yorktown.
He directed his men to shoot the artillery at the British, even if it meant his house would be destroyed.
While we walked up to the house, we heard a cannon blast which made me jump out of my skin!
I had to think for a moment, then I realized it came from the Victory Center, the hands-on Battle of Yorktown Museum which we visited in 2004.
Considering the setting for the day, it sure seemed realistic!
Gloucester Point and Banastre Tarleton
We had a few minutes left so we walked down to the riverfront.
The land on the other side is Gloucester Point, where Banastre Tarleton and his men were, all whom we met at Under the Redcoat.
Then we left for Williamsburg for the beginning of Prelude to Victory!
