French Trench

At the extreme left of the American and French lines, the Marquis de Saint-Simon commanded a French artillery battery that held this position. On October 9, it became the first battery of siege guns to fire on the British, aiming at the nearby Royal Welch Fusiliers Redoubt. The French also used this position effectively to help contain the British within their defensive lines and to harass British ships anchored between Yorktown and Gloucester Point. On October 10, using superheated cannon balls called hot shot, the French battery set fire to three British ships. After the British surrender, General Washington commended the Marquis de Saint-Simon and his troops for the military ardour and perfect discipline that had secured them the esteem of the country.

Yorktown, Virginia · United States