Also known as: siege of Yorktown.
| Year | 1781 |
|---|---|
| Forces | Allied American and French artillery |
| Result | The surrender of Cornwallis |
The decisive siege
The siege of Yorktown in 1781 was a classic operation of siege artillery. American and French guns and mortars, brought up and emplaced in successive parallels, battered the British works of Lord Cornwallis in a steady bombardment.
Under this fire, and cut off by the French fleet, Cornwallis surrendered, the blow that effectively won American independence and a demonstration of the power of massed siege artillery.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: manuals, reports, and historical references.