At the
Battle of Yorktown the French and American forces cooperated to deliver
a crushing
defeat to the British under General
Cornwallis. When General Rochambeau met General Washington to
determain there next move against
the British, Washington wanted to attack New York City.
Rochambeau convinced him the wiser
move was to move South. Word came from Gen. Lafayette in
Virginia that Cornwallis had taken
up a defensive position at Yorktown. Cornwallis was situated next
to
the York River. Washington
stationed approximatly 2,500 men at the American forts near the city to
fool the British into believing Washingtons entire force was still there.
On September
28 Washington and Rochambeau, along with Lafayettes troops and 3,000 of
Degrasses men, arrived at Yorktown.
In all, there were approximatly 17,000 men converging on
Cornwallis' camp. The combined
forces attacked Yorktown from the South. The French who were under
Rochambeau formed the left flank of the attack, while the American troops
who were under Washington and Lafayette approached from the right.
While the soldiers steadily closed in on the trappped British troops Cornwallis
made a desperate attempt to escape. He tried to ferry his men across
the York River in the safety of the night on Oct. 16, but they were stopped
by a storm. Cornwallis asked for surrender terms the next day.
Cornwallis officially surrendered on Oct. 19, 1781.