The British Safety Valve

After almost three weeks of the American-French siege, the British defenses at Yorktown were crumbling on the night of October 16, 1871. In a last-ditch effort to save his army, General Cornwallis decided to have most of his army row across the York River and escape northward through the 2,900 American and French soldiers besieging the Point. After midnight, the British began ferrying troops in sixteen boats across the river, and under cover of darkness the first 1,000 soldiers reached Gloucester Point safely. A sudden storm with high winds and violent squalls then scattered the boats, and Cornwallis called off the escape. On the morning of October 17, his men rowed back in full view of Washington's forces. With hope of escape gone, Cornwallis requested a cease-fire to discuss surrender terms, and two days later, on October 19, his troops formally surrendered. The victory at Yorktown secured independence for the United States of America. Most of the British troops laid down their weapons in a field south of Yorktown, while at Gloucester Point the British forces commanded by Colonel Banastre Tarleton held their own surrender ceremony before the Americans and French led by the Duc de Choisy.

Gloucester Point, Virginia · United States