The Siege of Yorktown or Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by General Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by General Lord Cornwallis. It proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War, as the surrender of Cornwallis’s army (the second major surrender of the war) prompted the British government to eventually negotiate an end to the conflict.

<p>"Present appearance of the British Works at Yorktown. This view is from the fields in the direction of the American works, looking north. Toward the left is seen a portion of Governor Nelson's house, and on the extreme left, a few other houses in Yorktown appear."—Lossing, 1851

British Works at Yorktown

The Siege of Yorktown or Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of…