siege siege known battle surrender german battle ending october virginia decisive victory combined force troops led general george_washington troops led british_army commanded british lord lieutenant general culmination campaign siege proved major land battle american revolutionary war north american theater surrender capture army prompted british government negotiate end conflict battle boosted american morale revived french enthusiasm war popular support conflict great_britain french soldiers landed rhode_island assist american allies operations british controlled new_york_city following arrival dispatches france included possibility support french west indies fleet washington decided ask assistance besieging new_york military operations british army operating virginia advice informed intent sail chesapeake_bay taken command army given confusing orders superior officer eventually ordered build deep water port began virginia movements virginia continental_army force led french american armies united north new_york_city summer word decision arrived combined armies began moving south virginia engaging tactics deception lead british believe siege new_york planned sailed west_indies arrived chesapeake_bay end august bringing additional troops providing naval blockade transporting silver collected citizens havana cuba fund supplies siege payroll continental_army santo domingo met agent spain planned leave warships santo domingo promised assistance spanish navy protect french merchant fleet enabling sail north warships beginning september defeated british fleet led sir came relieve battle result victory blocked escape sea late september washington arrived army naval forces completely surrounded initial preparations americans french built parallel began bombardment british defense weakened washington october sent columns attack major remaining british outer defenses french column took american column took defenses taken allies able finish second parallel american artillery closer intense british situation began deteriorate rapidly asked capitulation terms 17th days negotiation surrender ceremony took place 19th lord claiming ill absent ceremony capture british soldiers negotiations united_states great_britain began resulting treaty paris prelude franco american cooperation december sailed new_york troops portsmouth virginia raided richmond defeating defending militia january falling portsmouth admiral arrived newport rhode_island july fleet transporting soldiers encouraged washington french lieutenant general fleet south launch joint land naval attack arnold troops sent south men help assault reluctant dispatch ships february sent proved ineffective took larger force ships march fought inconclusive battle british fleet mouth chesapeake_bay withdrew damage sustained fleet leaving british fleet control bay mouth march arnold joined troops command took command combined forces phillips resumed raiding defeating militia burning tobacco warehouses april richmond suffer fate arrived british wanting engage major battle withdrew arrived men suffering heavy casualties battle courthouse assumed command phillips recently died fever received permission abandon carolinas superior believed virginia easier conquer feeling favored invading army arrival reinforcements new_york british_army numbered men wanted push force numbered men arrival virginia militia set withdrew richmond linked forces command baron pursue instead sent raiders central virginia attacked depots supply convoys recalled june headed force followed general clinton confusing series orders ordered portsmouth instructed build fortifications deep water port july french american armies met north new_york_city years warfare experience challenged washington authority telling washington come serve command washington discussed launch joint attack washington believed attack new_york best option americans french outnumbered british defenders disagreed arguing fleet west indies admiral going sail american coast easier options attacking new_york attempted early july washington suggested attack northern officers disagreed washington continued probe new_york area august received letter stating headed virginia warships soldiers remain october encouraged washington south launch joint operation washington abandoned plan new_york began prepare army march south virginia march virginia march led washington began august known celebrated march french american soldiers began march newport rhode_island rest remained protect washington wanted absolute secrecy headed washington sent fake dispatches reached clinton convinced franco american army going launch attack new_york danger french american armies philadelphia september 4th american soldiers announced leave maryland received month pay coin worthless continental paper currency general loaned washington half supply gold spanish coins time men paid went long way strengthening bond french americans september washington learned arrival fleet french troops join sent transports pick american troops washington visit home way august admiral sir led fleet new_york attack fleet graves realize large french fleet british fleet defeated fleet september forced fall new_york september washington arrived virginia siege initial movements september transports artillery siege tools french infantry shock troops head northern end chesapeake_bay arrived giving washington command army militia early september washington led army surround french took positions left americans took position honor right chain seven batteries linked earthworks batteries covered narrows gloucester point day washington british defenses decided bombarded submission americans french spent night 28th sleeping open work parties built bridges marsh american soldiers hunted wild eat september washington moved army closer british gunners opened infantry day british cannon fired americans casualties fire exchanged american pulled outer defenses west town east forces occupy earthworks immediately surrounding town received letter clinton promised relief force men week wished lines americans french occupied abandoned defenses began establish batteries british outer defenses hands allied engineers began lay positions artillery men improved works deepened trenches british worked improving defenses september french attacked british skirmish lasted hours french repulsed suffering casualties october allies learned british preserve food british slaughtered hundreds horses thrown beach american camp thousands trees cut provide wood earthworks preparations parallel began allies began artillery place british kept steady fire disrupt british fire increased 2nd allies suffered moderate casualties general washington continued visits despite concern shown officers increasing enemy fire night october british opened storm fire cover movement british cavalry gloucester escort foraging party 3rd foraging party led went collided virginia militia led british cavalry quickly retreated defensive lines losing men october washington ready open parallel night miners worked putting strips pine wet sand mark path trenches bombardment nightfall october troops moved stormy weather dig parallel heavily overcast sky moon shielded massive digging operation eyes british washington struck blows pick axe begin trench trench yards long running head half trench commanded french half americans northernmost end french line support trench dug bombard british ships river french ordered distract british false attack british told plan french british artillery fire turned french october british saw new allied trench musket range days allies completed gun dragged artillery line british fire began weaken saw large number guns allies october french american guns place american guns pounders eighteen pounders inch mortars totaling fourteen guns french guns opened barrage drove british frigate scuttled prevent capture americans opened fire washington fired gun legend shot smashed table british officers eating franco american guns began tear apart british defenses washington ordered guns fire night british repairs british guns left soon british soldiers began pitch tents trenches soldiers began desert large numbers british ships damaged flew town harbor october americans spotted large house believing stationed aimed quickly destroyed sank dozen ships harbor french began fire british ships scored hit caught fire turn set ships fire received word clinton british fleet depart october responded saying able hold long night october washington ordered americans dig second parallel yards closer british lines extended river british number way night british fire continued land old line suspect new parallel dug morning 12th allied troops position new line assault october trenches yards washington ordered guns range begin blasting weaken assault evening washington planned use cover night gain element surprise reinforce darkness added silence ordering soldier load musket reaching advance cold steel near river held men quarter mile inland held british germans heavily fortified rows surrounding muddy ditches surrounded yards washington devised plan french launch attack half hour later french assault americans assaulted french regular soldiers command german lieutenant colonel assaulted light infantry troops command briefly dispute lead attack named aide commanded battalion continental light infantry hamilton protested saying senior officer washington concurred hamilton gave command attack gunfire announced attack places line movements preparing assault caused british panic fixed americans marched hamilton sent lieutenant colonel rear prevent british escaping americans reached began british wooden defenses axes british called challenge fired americans americans responded charging crossed ditch climbed americans forced way falling giant shell holes bombardment british fire heavy americans overwhelmed shouted rush boys fort british threw hand grenades americans little effect men trench stood shoulders comrades climb bayonet fight cleared british entire garrison captured including commander major campbell assault americans lost dead wounded french assault began time halted undamaged artillery fire french began hack came asked response opened fire french soldiers fired charged germans charged climbing walls french fired volley driving took defensive position barrels threw arms surrendered french prepared bayonet charge capture washington able artillery shell town directions allies moved artillery october turned guns nearest allied position ordered party british troops command colonel attack allied lines spike american french cannon plug touch hole iron spike allies sleeping unprepared british charged shouted push brave boys skin british party cannon parallel guns unfinished french party came drove allied lines british able spike guns morning repaired bombardment resumed american french troops engaged competition damage enemy defenses morning october allied guns line fire intensified desperation attempted evacuate troops gloucester point troops able break allied lines escape virginia march new_york wave boats hit returned soldiers making evacuation impossible british surrender fire allies heavier new artillery pieces joined line talked officers day agreed situation hopeless morning october drummer appeared followed officer waving white bombardment ceased officer led french american lines negotiations began moore house october lieutenant colonel major represented british lieutenant colonel represented americans represented french sure fell apart french americans minute washington ordered french given equal share step surrender process articles capitulation signed october signatories included washington behalf french_navy captain senior royal_navy officer present british men declared prisoners war promised good treatment american camps officers permitted return home taking parole allied army entered british positions french left americans right british asked traditional honors war allow army march flags waving fixed band playing american french tune tribute washington firmly refused grant british honors denied defeated american army year siege charleston consequently british troops marched flags muskets band forced play british german march according legend british played tune world turn upside actually popular british marching tune time appropriate circumstances british soldiers issued new uniforms hours surrender prevented general threw muskets apparent intention smashing appeared drunk troops artillery pieces thousands muskets transport ships wagons horses captured refused meet formally washington refused come ceremony surrender claiming illness instead brigadier general presented sword surrender shook head pointed washington offered washington refused accept second command british charleston accept british soldiers marched laid arms french american armies civilians watched time troops river gloucester surrendered casualties french casualties killed wounded american casualties killed wounded grand total killed wounded british official casualty return siege listed killed wounded missing surrendered officers enlisted men sailors british fleet prisoners taken assault october men reported missing suggest men officially marked killed fact captured gives grand total killed wounded prisoners prisoners mentions german account gives higher figures killed wounded article controversy george_washington refused accept tenth article articles capitulation granted immunity failed effort press matter outcry tenth article immediate americans sides atlantic proclaimed sense betrayal effect disease malaria endemic eastern virginia time army suffered greatly disease estimated surrender half army unable fight result continental_army enjoyed advantage members grown malaria acquired resistance disease malaria month long period french soldiers begun exhibit symptoms surrender aftermath days battle ended october british fleet sent clinton rescue british army arrived fleet picked loyalists escaped october informed admiral believed surrendered graves picked loyalists coast confirmed fact graves sighted chose leave outnumbered ships sent fleet new_york british surrender washington sent report victory congress difficult journey arrived philadelphia celebrated days british prime minister lord north reported god told defeat washington moved army new_york remained stationed treaty paris signed september formally ending war legacy october elaborate ceremony took place honor battle centennial naval vessels floated chesapeake_bay special markers highlighted washington siege guns placed president sworn thirty days following death public speech president present descendants close ceremony arthur gave order salute british flag belief general sword surrendered battle day display white house historian history siege guns independence centennial account noting simply brigadier general presented sword held moment immediately returned siege known german die german battle germans played significant roles armies accounting roughly forces involved according estimate german soldiers served british french armies german americans washington army units active battalion 5th derived american units participated thirty current units colonial era popular culture film revolution starring directed provides researched scenes war including siege siege portrayed film patriot documentary film titled battle victory chronicles anniversary siege produced director musical hamilton features song battle world turned upside describes 10th fought parts battle
Siege of Yorktown