Yorktown (1971)

[Music] [Music] British general beroy surrender at Saratoga showed America's power to friend and hastened the Franco American Alliance soon friendships and soldiers swarmed to help the hardpressed Colonials and in June 1778 British peace Commissioners crossed the Atlantic Congress agreed they would not negotiate until British ships and armies were withdrawn and Independence acknowledged the British commission refused and promised a war of desolation before allowing America to become what they called a port of France Britain now carried the war into the southern colonies in December 1779 British generals Clinton and corn Wallace sailed with 7600 men to begin the southern Conquest they HED to Rally loyalists to their cause and roll up the colonies from the south Colonial General Lincoln with 3,000 of his men was surrounded and forced to surrender Charleston a disaster to Southern Patriots General cleton then returned to New York leaving Cornwallis in charge with orders to subdue South and North Carolina a little later Cornwallis defeated a small army under General gates at Camden South Carolina here Colonial General deob was killed although defeated at King's mountain and cpin the British held an edge of superiority as they moved northward but they were tormented continually by the tactics of Guerilla leaders including the renowned Swamp Fox Francis Mariot at gford Courthouse North Carolina Cornwallis beat off the forces of General green but his army was nearing [Music] exhaustion after resting at Wilmington North Carolina corn Wallace moved northward into Virginia which he felt was the next logical objective with help from traitor Benedict Arnold he moved against lafayette's small army and occupied a small part of Eastern Virginia but corn Wallace's campaign could not really be called a success he hadn't rolled up the colonies hadn't Consolidated his games [Music] [Applause] [Music] corn Wallace was now ordered to retire to Yorktown and there to fortify a base for contact with the British fet Lafayette recognized the enemy's vulnerability in a message to Washington he described the favorable situation Washington was busy with his New York campaign against Clinton when French Admiral debrass proposed joint operations in Virginia his fleet was available and Rambo's French army was close by in New York Washington reluctantly agreed roshambo and his army joined Washington at nearby White Plains British general CL was sure their target was New York even when a spy told Clinton that Virginia was Washington's goal he held to his plans for New York's defense French ships carrying Siege guns slipped quietly out of Newport Road Island heading Southward for the Yorktown rendevu quickly the Allied Army circled past Philadelphia IIA to the head of Chesapeake Bay while the French Fleet closed in the colonial army split at head of elk Maryland some going by boat others Overland meanwhile degrass entered the lower Chesapeake and landed 4,000 troops to prevent corn Wallace's Escape by land the French ships from Newport arrived at the same time and unloaded their guns too late Clon and British Admiral grave sensed the Allied strategy on September 5th Graves Fleet appeared in the bay but was driven off by the French Cornwallis sealed off by land and sea was left to his fate for Lafayette Washington's arrival with the Allied Army was a moment of Triumph of immediately corn Wallace abandoned yorktown's outer defenses and Allied artilleryman placed heavy guns there on September 6th 1781 the combined allies 16,000 strong moved against corn Wallace after a single small sorte Cornwallis pulled his forces back into the town for a week The Siege continued the British outnumbered 2 to1 and running out of supplies faced certain Anni ation their defenses mere Earthworks could not long endure on October 19th Cornwallis raised the white flag of surrender redish General O'Hara and officers with furled flags marched between the Victorious troops in the final ritual of defeat [Music] to the tune of Yankee Doodle the happy colonists Jered their dejected foes thus in one forceful strike the French Alliance brought Victory to the hardpressed colonies France's men money ships and strategy had made it possible convinced the war was lost Britain now accepted America's terms for peace the colonies had won their independence I