Cornwallis Surrenders at Yorktown: Revolution Won
The formal surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, ended the last major engagement of the American Revolution. Cornwallis, claiming illness, sent his deputy General Charles O'Hara to present the sword. O'Hara tried to surrender to the French commander Rochambeau, who redirected him to Washington. Washington in turn directed him to his own deputy, Benjamin Lincoln, to mirror the slight. The British army marched out between two lines of French and American soldiers while their band played. Legend says the tune was 'The World Turned Upside Down,' though this is disputed. Of the 7,247 soldiers who surrendered, most were shipped to prisoner of war camps in Virginia and Maryland. News reached London in late November. Lord North, the Prime Minister, reportedly said 'Oh God, it is all over.'
October 19, 1781
245 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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