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If your interests lie in American history, then Virginia is the place to be.
With scores of battlefields, historical homes and buildings you can fill many days on your vacation or if you live there, like me, take field trips to occupy your unscheduled days.
On a beautiful fall afternoon, I found myself quite restless. I was tired of cleaning up after the dog, tired of watching Netflix and being off of work at that moment, definitely needing something different. Jumping in my car I headed east, knowing that there are many parks and places to visit along the way, I figured that I would just drive until inspiration hit.
Spotting the signs for Yorktown, I decided that since it was such a lovely day to be outside, checking out the battlefield would be perfect.
My arrival at the Visitor’s Center found it to be closed due to Covid restrictions, however, a park ranger was available outside to answer questions and assist with maps and ideas on how to tackle the immense battlefield area. Under normal circumstances, the Visitor Center is the perfect place to start your explorations with an orientation film, entitled “The Siege at Yorktown” and examine museum exhibits, which include the field tents used by General George Washington during battle and the campaign table used by British General Cornwallis. However, because the Visitor Center was closed, no fees were collected for my visit, a bonus!
As I listened to the downloaded app on my phone, I learned that Yorktown was important in our nation’s history as this was the battle where American independence was won. On October 19, 1781, American and French armies led by General George Washington saw the surrender of the British forces under Lord Charles Cornwallis.
Although the British had chosen Yorktown for its deep water harbor and had fortified Yorktown, they were unprepared for the large army that arrived. George Washington had left New York with approximately 7,000 American and French troops and picked up nearly 8,000 more along the way. French Admiral Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse landed with a fleet of warships and an additional 3,000 troops, blockading the mouth of the York River. With no supplies and no reinforcements, Cornwallis found himself in peril and bound for a battle in which he was not ready.
The six-stop tour of Yorktown Battlefield was easy to navigate and led me to the most important spots on the battlefield, each marked with signs directing me from one stop to the next. Signs with red arrows were easy to follow for the Yorktown Battlefield tour and the yellow arrows for the Allied Encampment tour.
Beginning at Stop A, the British Inner Defense Line, I noted the preserved earthworks built by the British soldiers as defensive walls and many cannons, which are pointed in the direction where the American and French forces were positioned. In this area, are the remains of a small British fort (the Hornwork) and in the nearby field, the home of Thomas Nelson, a former Secretary of State for the Colony of Virginia. This home was used as Cornwallis’ headquarters until it was destroyed during the fighting.
Going out of order, my next stop (C) was the Second Allied Siege Line which ran all the way to the York River in the east. Parking in the adjacent lot, I took a walk along the pathways which bordered the earthworks and again, spied many cannons.
At Stop B, the Grand French Battery, I learned that the earthworks here are reconstructions. When the originals were leveled and had eroded, the National Park Service built the current fortifications in the exact location of the originals. There is a Howitzer and a mortar near the parking area and a footbridge and another information panel which describes the various artillery pieces.
Rather than return to the main road near the Visitor Center and Stops D and E, I decided to continue along Surrender Road toward the encampments. The six-stop tour of the Allied Encampment area gives visitors an overview of the areas that the American and French troops used for spending time, sleeping, drilling and storing artillery and other equipment. A beautiful drive through the woods, there wasn’t much to see besides the natural beauty of the area including wetlands and large open fields; a vivid imagination is required. Occasional signs enlighten visitors as to the locations of the French Hospital, the Headquarters Site of the Quartermaster General, the Headquarters Site of Henry Knox, Beaver Dam Creek, Washington’s Headquarters and the French Encampment. I discovered the Essex Lodge Cemetery and the French Cemetery, marked by a simple cross in memory of about fifty unidentified French soldiers killed during the Siege of Yorktown. There were a few cannons, both American and French, along the way, many in the French Artillery Park.
Heading back towards the York River, I made my way to Stop D, Redoubts 9 and 10. The earthworks that made up the British inner defenses was anchored by earthen forts as its outer defenses. These redoubts, located on the banks of the river, were stormed by the French and American forces on the night of October 14, 1781 and captured within thirty minutes. The devastation to the British position was so great that the next day, Cornwallis called for a cease fire and surrender talks began. Both forts have been reconstructed by the National Park Service and artillery representing the large American battery are on display along the siege line which runs behind the redoubt.
On the way to Stop E, I encountered the Wormley Pond Dam, built by Augustine Moore to power his grist mill. American troops marched over the dam regularly as they moved to and from the Siege line. The Moore House, the next stop on the tour, was not open to visitors but its grounds were available for inspection. This was the location where after Cornwallis asked for a cease fire and the talks for surrender terms were negotiated on October 18, 1781. Washington and Cornwallis were not present, however, each sent two representatives; for the British, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas and Major Alexander Ross and for the American-French alliance, Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens and Colonel Viscount de Noailles. An agreement was reached that night.
The Moore House was almost destroyed during the Civil War and has been renovated many times by the National Park Service. Although very little of the house remains from 1781, it was restored to its 1781 appearance based on drawings and descriptions from the time. The house is furnished with reproductions and antiques from the time period and it is not known which room was used to sign the surrender documents, although it is believed to have been the parlor. During normal operations, the house is open during various times from April through October and often rangers are present at the house to answer questions.
Finally, I made my way to the last stop on the tour, Stop F, Surrender Field, the location where 7,000 British soldiers abdicated to the American and French armies on October 19, 1781.
During a time when surrendering with dignity was so important, it was a great insult to Cornwallis that the Americans would not let him do so. Consider it payback that when the British had captured Charleston, the Americans were not allowed to surrender with honor. Negotiations lasted day and night at the Moore House, however, the British had to finally agree or continue to endure the battering from the French and American artillery. Claiming illness, Cornwallis did not attend the surrender.
From the parking area, you can follow a paved path which leads to an observation deck that looks out over the still intact field and an audio presentation can be accessed by the push of a button. Leaving the observation deck, follow the walkway and check out the display of surrendered artillery pieces which were engraved to mark the historic occasion. 12,000 muskets and 244 artillery pieces were relinquished by the British and 250 artillery pieces were engraved and given to various dignitaries.
The two historic trails are a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, learning about one of the most important events in our nation’s history. Not only can you see the locations of some of the fiercest battles, but you can spend the day in nature possibly spotting bald eagles, osprey, woodland birds, deer, groundhogs and squirrels. After a day on the battlefield, head over to the town of Yorktown and discover more of the area’s history.
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Yorktown Battlefield National Park
- https://www.nps.gov/york/index.htm
- Address: 1000 Colonial Parkway, Yorktown, Virginia 23690
- Hours: Park grounds and tour roads, open from sunrise to sunset. Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center is open for access to the Eastern National bookstore, open Tuesday-Sunday, 1000-1600. The theater and exhibit areas are currently closed. The Moore House, The Nelson House, The Cemetery Lodge and the Poor Potter are closed but grounds open for visitation.
- Admission: Adults aged 15 and over, $15.00. Admission is valid for 7 days and provides access to the following resources managed by Colonial National Historical Park: Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center Museum and Battlefield Tour Roads, Jamestown Visitor Center, Glasshouse and Island Drive Tour Road.
- Getting There: From eastbound I-64, take exit 242B for Yorktown, to the Colonial Parkway. Follow the parkway to its end. From westbound I-64, take exit 250B for Route 105 East (Fort Eustis Boulevard east) to Route 17 (George Washington Memorial Highway). Turn left (North) onto Route 17. Follow the signs to the Yorktown Battlefield.
