Yorktown Victory Monument. Originally commissioned by Congress in
the 1781s, was erected in 1884.
For many years, John Adams, while serving as one of the American envoys to the French court, had tried to convince the Count Vengennes, that the French navy was needed in American waters to offset British naval power. This was finally to happen at Yorktown, when the French fleet under Admiral DeGrasse, sailed into the Chesapeake and cut off any escape for the armies of Lord Cornwallis. Unable to escape the pincers of the combined American and French armies, and cut off from any escape by sea, Lord Cornwallis had no choice but to surrender to General Washington on Friday, October 19th, 1781.
The battle had many stories, one of which is the taking of two important redoubts (fortified high ground) by Marquis de Lafayette and Alexander Hamilton, two young officers much beloved by General Washington. The story goes that they had a bet as to who would take their objective first. Hamilton, having taking his, shouted out to Lafayette, "what's taking you so long". Soon after, Lafayette secured his objective. When you visit the battlefield, you will be able to see firsthand these famous redoubts, and understand how close together they actually were.
Another of the many stories is how Lord Cornwallis, feigning illness, sent his Chief of Staff to surrender his sword. The officer offered the sword to General Rochambeau, who refused it, and pointed the British officer towards General Washington. The legend goes that as the British troops marched passed the American and French troops lining what is now known as Surrender Road, the band played a popular British tune, "The World Turned Upside Down".
The home of Thomas Nelson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was struck by a cannonball during the battle for Yorktown. The restored house, later had a cannonball inserted into the original hole.
The York River today, looks much like it would have in 1781.
The British positions at Yorktown - redoubts #8 & 9