T4+-+6.5A

T4 - 6.5A: Cassie Harger, Elise Holman (Battle at Yorktown)

Yorktown has been won!
 * Last night Cornwallis and his army of 8,000 men surrendered. Cornwallis, who had taken up defense in Yorktown, was out of options his supplies were running out, his men were depleting, and they could not leave. Washington had tricked the British, leaving Yorktown unprotected. Yesterday, October 19th, the surrender document was signed and the British moved out at 2:00pm. **

When ordered to secure a harbor for the British Royal Navy, Lord Charles Cornwallis began planning his new location. He traveled first to South Carolina, where his troops were successful in several battles. However, Cornwallis continued to travel north into North Carolina. He attempted to establish several ports, but failed each time. Weakened from a loss at Guilford Courthouse, Cornwallis moved his troops toward Virginia. In Virginia, Cornwallis settled in the coastal city of Yorktown. This city would remain under British control, as long as the Royal Navy controlled the surrounding waters. However, Lady Luck turned her eye upon the Patriot army instead. Patriot General George Washington’s secret weapon, an army of spies located in New York, received word concerning the location of Cornwallis and his company. With the aid of French allies, they raced south, meanwhile leaving behind decoys to fool officers stationed in New York City. A small French fleet of ships was sent to secure the waters surrounding Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown loomed in the shadows.


 * With Washington surrounding Cornwallis on land, and the French navy in control of the Bay, Cornwallis could not get reinforced, resupplied, or withdrawn from Yorktown. Even though it looked grim for Cornwallis, he was not about to quit just yet, he created a strong line of entrenchments. On September 28th the siege began. Washington organized the siege into three divisions, French on the west/right, Americans on south/center and east/right. All three divisions came in and surrounded Yorktown in a giant arc. After several days of fighting, Cornwallis received message from Clinton, promising reinforcements and the return of a British Fleet. Convinced that he could hold out until the reinforcements came, Cornwallis abandoned three outposts that had covered the southwest of Yorktown. Cornwallis then focused his troops within the inner fortifications, which maximized defenses with his limited forces. Washington did later hear of Cornwallis’s strategy, and moved men to the abandoned area. Several bombardments fallowed, which did manage to drive off many of the British ships that were anchored in Yorktown. Shortly after the ships were driven off Cornwallis started to run out of ammo, and could only return about six rounds an hour. Many harsh attacks at Gloucester point fallowed, Cornwallis was even forced to order an evacuation of his troops. After the incident at Gloucester, Cornwallis attempted to march northward to New York. Bad weather, lack of sufficient transportation, and being bombarded constantly had forced him to abort the effort. The fallowing day the heaviest bombardment yet was made against Cornwallis. Cornwallis was out of options and could no longer hold up for reinforcements from Clinton. It was time for surrender. **

On October 17th, Cornwallis decided that he had had enough. With virtually no supplies, and a smallpox epidemic on the rise, he decided to cut his losses. Yorktown was surrendered to the survivors of the Patriot army. Cornwallis was unavailable, pleading illness, and his second-in-command was sent to surrender Cornwallis’ sword to the Comte de Rochambeau. However, Rochambeau directed the man to General George Washington, who refused to accept the sword. Eventually, the sword was handed off to Benjamin Lincoln, General Washington’s second-in-command. The surrender documents were signed, and the official surrender took place at 2pm. As the defeated British marched across Surrender Field, under the watchful gaze of the gleeful French-American Army, the British band played the tune “The World Turned Upside Down.” With the beginning of what may be the defeat of the strongest empire in history, the world has indeed been turned upside down.

Though no one is sure what the final outcome of this long bloodshed might be, the odds seem to have turned in favor of the Patriots. Their dangerous, albeit brave, conquest for freedom may soon come to a close. This celebrated victory may be just what the Patriots needed to return spirit and enthusiasm to their ragtag bands of men. However, it might also be the last straw for His Highness King George III, the only thing needed for a reason to crush the rebels where they stand. No one knows yet, but all are waiting on the edge of their seats, to see if the world will be turned upside down.