Yorktown & Surrender

Hm, we must be getting old. Cheryl and I again took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in and finally got started close to noon. Any regrets? No way the sleep and rest is much needed.

Traveled to Yorktown this afternoon and toured the battlefield of the final battle of the Revolutionary War. It was in Yorktown, that Cornwallis had set up encampment by order of Clinton to wait the winter out after capturing Charleston S.C. Washington seeing the opportunity while the British Troops were divided in half sized the opportunity and moved onto Yorktown.

One can see the actually earthworks that the British and American Armies created. The America's with the support of the French moved their cannons into position and began the bombardment of the British lines. Soon the Americans troop moved their lines and embankments to within 400 yards of the British lines. Then one night the French and Americans moved onto redoubts #9 and #10. Here the once tattered army of the colonies showed their true colors and fighting as professional soldiers with the French broke through the lines of the British and turning their cannons onto Yorktown pounded the British forces.

Soon Cornwallis realized the situation he was in and order a retreat across the River York. One thousand men started across the river and a tremendous storm prevented the retreat further. Cornwallis had only one option, surrender.

We walked through the Moore Farmhouse where on October 18th, 1781 officers from both sides met to negotiate the surrender terms for Cornwallis's army.



Imagine what the officers of each army must have thought and considered as they worked through the conditions of the surrender. Sitting in a small room with each other, the American Troops refusing to give the British an "Surrender with honors". The thoughts and debates that more than likely occurred as they came to mutually agreed upon terms.

We looked over the field now called Surrender Field where on October 19th, Cornwallis's army marched, over a mile long, and were order and complied to laying down their arms. This was the last battle to be fought in the Revolutionary War.


It was an honor to walk across the fields and inspect the earthworks where so many men sacrificed their lives for the creation of our country. It makes one stop and ponder the feelings of those that served and to walk across the same ground as men such as Washington, Lafayette, and others walked across and consider their internal struggles. An awesome day!

Finished our day with a visit to Victory Center in Yorktown and a quiet dinner along the River York. We had experienced some tremendous feelings today and surrendered ourselves to the nightfall grateful for the opportunity.