Happy YORKTOWN DAY!!!

[underpants]

http://www.historychannel.com/today /

VICTORY AT YORKTOWN:
October 19, 1781


Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a larger Franco-American force, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.

General George Washington instructed the Marquis de Lafayette, who was in Virginia with an American army of around 5,000 men, to block Cornwallis' escape from Yorktown by land. In the meantime, Washington's 2,500 troops in New York were joined by a French army of 4,000 men under the Count de Rochambeau. Washington and Rochambeau made plans to attack Cornwallis with the assistance of a large French fleet under the Count de Grasse, and on August 21 they crossed the Hudson River to march south to Yorktown. Covering 200 miles in 15 days, the allied force reached the head of Chesapeake Bay in early September.

On October 19, General Cornwallis surrendered 7,087 officers and men, 900 seamen, 144 cannons, 15 galleys, a frigate, and 30 transport ships. Pleading illness, he did not attend the surrender ceremony, but his second-in-command, General Charles O'Hara, carried Cornwallis' sword to the American and French commanders. As the British and Hessian troops marched out to surrender, the British bands played the song "The World Turned Upside Down."

[matcom]

1. 'seamen'

:rofl:

[underpants]

2. |

of all that you picked "seamen" out???

:spank:

:rofl:

[matcom]

4. O'Hara

wasn't she on the Enterprise? :D

[underpants]

6. Just up the road from Mayberry...things that make you go Hmmmmm

[NoPasaran]

3. Huzzah for us and our French allies! n/t

[kwassa]

5. Those French-type people saved our American asses, didn't they?

how dare they, those "cheese-eating surrender monkeys"???

and look at the gratitude they get!

[Loonman]

7. French Naval blockade essential to success

Cornwallis was unable to reinforce and resupply his troops.

[underpants]

8. Oui

Cornwallis couldn't get across the river either.