Summary of the Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was a strategically planned battle by General George Washington. The plan was that Washington (leader of the patriots), Comte de Rochambeau (Leader of the French (who were helping the Patriots), and Comte de Grasse (commander of the French Fleet) to meet in New York. They were creating an allusion that the Patriots were planning a siege in New York. Washington Rochambeau, and de Grasse decided that the French fleets would sail down to Yorktown, and block the Chesapeake bay ports, so that the British could receive no food, ammunition or soldiers. Rochambeau and Washington would march to Virginia and surround the British troops. The patriots had 18,900 to 40,000 troops while the British had a total of 9,000 people. The British troops were led by Lieutenant General Cornwallis. The fleet of ships arrived in Yorktown ports in August 1781. When they brought extra troops and supplies. From August to September the French fleets blocked every single support ship for Britain from getting to Yorktown. By late September Rochambeau and Washington had arrived in Yorktown. The fleets and land soldiers together surrounded the helpless British. On October 14th, 1781 Washington attacked the last British defenses. When the Patriots got closer and closer the British army was fully weakened. On October 17th, 1781 Cornwallis surrendered. The negotiated until the 19th and that is when the Battle of Yorktown had ended. The Patriots suffered 88 deaths, and 301 wounded, compared to the British who had suffered 309 deaths, 595 wounded, and 7,685 captured.