Yorktown News
The Battle of Yorktown: by Pyseth
What happened?
During the fall of 1781, General Cornwallis of Great Britain surrendered to the Patriots in Yorktown, VA. Before the Battle of Yorktown, the British tried to sneak through the south and head up to Yorktown to ambush the Patriots, but they failed in doing so. The British fought the Patriots and fortunately, the Patriots had allies. Their allies were the French.
The Battle
The Patriots and the French are working together because they both agreed to sign the Treaty of Paris. The French brought their navy and supplies to help the Patriots. After the fighting between the Patriots and their allies against Great Britain, Cornwallis and his army were surrounded by land and sea and were outnumbered.
Cornwallis Surreneders
Cornwallis surrendered on October 19th, 1781 by signing the Articles of Capitulation. The British's world was turned upside down because they lost the war, and they even made a song about it. Once the Articles arrived at Washington's headquarters, he added: "Done in the trenches of York, October 19th, 1781, as if to state his victory. There were about 10 articles, but not all of them were accepted.
Important People
Some important people of the Battle of Yorktown were: George Washington, who commanded the Patriot army. On his way to Yorktown, he stated: "If we do not deceive our men, we will not deceive our enemy". Cornwallis was the General of the British army, and as he saw his enemies arriving, he said: "Be prepared to hear the worst" as the Patriots arrived, and he also said: "There are between 30 and 40 within the capes, most of the ships of war" when the French Navy arrived. Marquis de Lafayette prevented Cornwallis from escaping, and Comte de Rochambeau was the General of the French and assisted General Washington throughout the American Revolution.
America's Final Victory - 1781