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The siege of Yorktown was the culminating act of the Yorktown campaign, a series of military operations occupying much of 1781 during the American Revolutionary War.
The siege of Yorktown was the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War in North America, and led to the surrender of General Cornwallis and the capture of both him and his army. The Continental Army 's victory at Yorktown prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict.
The siege of Yorktown began on September 28, 1781. In a step that probably shortened the siege, Cornwallis decided to abandon parts of his outer defenses, and the besiegers successfully stormed two of his redoubts. When it became clear that his position was untenable, Cornwallis opened negotiations on October 17 and surrendered two days later.
The siege of Yorktown in October 1781 was a decisive victory by the combined forces of the Continental Army commanded by Washington, the French Army commanded by General Comte de Rochambeau, and the French Navy commanded by Admiral de Grasse. On August 19, Washington and Rochambeau began a march to Yorktown, known now as the "celebrated march ...
Major General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette commanded the light infantry division [1] at the Siege of Yorktown, and it comprised two brigades. These brigades were formed on Washington's orders of 24 September 1781. [2] This division was on the American right flank [3] with the infantry division under Major General Benjamin Lincoln. [4]
The culminating engagement, the siege of Yorktown, ended with the surrender of British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis on October 19, 1781. It was essentially the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. [3] [4] Shortly afterward, negotiations between the United States and Great Britain began, resulting in the Treaty of Paris of 1783.
Siege of Yorktown (1781) Signature Joseph Plumb Martin (also spelled as Joseph Plum Martin ; [ 6 ] November 21, 1760 – May 2, 1850) was a soldier in the Connecticut Militia and Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War , and was mustered out as a 23-year-old Sergeant in a Sapper company.
The painting depicts the surrender of British Lieutenant General Charles, Earl Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781, ending the siege of Yorktown, which virtually guaranteed American independence. Included in the depiction are many leaders of the American troops that took part in the siege of Yorktown.