I was with General George Washington in May, 1871.He had just receieved the news that the French Admiral de Grasse would be bringing the
long-awaited French fleet later in the year. General Washington had made plans to meet with French Lt. General Rochambeau to plan operations
up to and after Admiral de Grasse arrived. The generals announced that we would be staying New York City where Lt. General Henry Clinton was.
A little after he told me that he was a little worried about staying around New York as he feared that Cornwallis would march to meet up with
General Clinton and have the upper hand, but the plan was already decided. It has been a few months now and were still on the out skirts of New
York. The naval fleet was soon to land …show more content…
He jumped before I could finish and announced that we would march in the morning. He was readying plans and making arrangments so fast, I had no
idea what was going on. I finally got him to aknowledge me and he told me that General Cornwallis had settled his troops and men at the Cheasepeak Bay
Area and that if we could get there and block them from leaving, then the french navy could block them from leaving by sea and they would be forced to surrender.
He said this could end the war, so I didn't ask anymore questions. We abandoned all of our operations at New York and marched for Cheasepeak Bay the next morning.
We arrived at Cheasepeak Bay a few days before the Admiral and had them pinned. When the French ships arrived, it really set reality in for the British.They were
trapped like rats with no place to go. Now all we had to do is wait them out. They only had so much supplies and with about 7,000 men they would be gone fast. By
September 28, we had completly encircled Cornwallis and Yorktown with our combined forces of Continental and French troops. After three weeks of non-stop
bombardment, both day and night, from cannon and artillery fire, Cornwallis finally surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 17, 1781.
long-awaited French fleet later in the year. General Washington had made plans to meet with French Lt. General Rochambeau to plan operations
up to and after Admiral de Grasse arrived. The generals announced that we would be staying New York City where Lt. General Henry Clinton was.
A little after he told me that he was a little worried about staying around New York as he feared that Cornwallis would march to meet up with
General Clinton and have the upper hand, but the plan was already decided. It has been a few months now and were still on the out skirts of New
York. The naval fleet was soon to land …show more content…
He jumped before I could finish and announced that we would march in the morning. He was readying plans and making arrangments so fast, I had no
idea what was going on. I finally got him to aknowledge me and he told me that General Cornwallis had settled his troops and men at the Cheasepeak Bay
Area and that if we could get there and block them from leaving, then the french navy could block them from leaving by sea and they would be forced to surrender.
He said this could end the war, so I didn't ask anymore questions. We abandoned all of our operations at New York and marched for Cheasepeak Bay the next morning.
We arrived at Cheasepeak Bay a few days before the Admiral and had them pinned. When the French ships arrived, it really set reality in for the British.They were
trapped like rats with no place to go. Now all we had to do is wait them out. They only had so much supplies and with about 7,000 men they would be gone fast. By
September 28, we had completly encircled Cornwallis and Yorktown with our combined forces of Continental and French troops. After three weeks of non-stop
bombardment, both day and night, from cannon and artillery fire, Cornwallis finally surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 17, 1781.