Following Yorktown the British maintained their occupied cities in New York, Charleston, and Savannah, as well the territories that today make up Canada and Florida.  They no longer planned to go on the offensive.  London made clear they would not provide more soldiers for any offensive.  Britain did, however, provide support to any Indian tribes who wanted to continue to fight the Americans.   One region that was still under contention was what we know today as the state of Ohio.  Britain occupied a stronghold at Detroit. The Continentals held Fort Pitt.  ..read more

This week we’re going to look at the British Reaction to hearing the news of the surrender at Yorktown. The first word of the loss of the army under General Cornwallis came from a ship that heard about the news in France.  On November 25, 1781, a packet ship sailing from Calais to Falmouth arrived with word that officials were celebrating in Paris over a great victory in Virginia.   Frederick North A messenger carried the news to Lord Germain, the American Secretary.  Although it was a Sunday, he sent word to the king and met with several other top officials. The ..read more

Last week we covered the events in Philadelphia after Yorktown.  While everyone was celebrating the victory, there was still a war to be fought.  The army desperately needed food and supplies.  With the public no longer in fear of a British attack, politicians were even less inclined to impose the taxes necessary to support the army. Alexander Mcdougall Washington spent about four months in Philadelphia, meeting and lobbying members of Congress to support the army.  Many, I think including Washington, had hoped that Yorktown would have convinced the British to gi ..read more

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been covering the continued fighting in South Carolina following the British surrender at Yorktown in late 1781.  While all that fighting continued, the patriots also restored civilian rule to South Carolina and Georgia. Governor Rutledge Returns With the British restricted to Charleston, where navy cannons could support the garrison, the remainder of South Carolina was largely in patriot hands.  Governor Rutledge returned to the state to begin the process of reestablishing normal government functions. John Rutledge Rutledge had been the ..read more

 Last week we covered the continued fighting in South Carolina following the surrender of the main British army in the south under General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia.  In South Carolina, General Nathanael Greene and the militia under General Francis Marion were pushing the British into an ever-shrinking circle around Charleston.  The new British commander in Charleston, General Alexander Leslie, was consolidating his forces as best he could to hold onto whatever parts of the state that he could. Both sides remained concerned that some peace settlement might rely on what te ..read more

Last week, we covered some of the violence between patriot and loyalist militias in North Carolina as the last British soldiers evacuated that state.  This week, we turn to South Carolina. Leslie Commands Charleston Around the time of Yorktown, General Clinton sent General Alexander Leslie to take command of the British army at Charleston.  The 50 year old general came from an old Scottish family. He was named after his ancestor who had fought as a leading officer in the English Civil War.   Gen. Alexander Leslie General Leslie had served in America for 14 years ..read more

Last week, General Cornwallis surrendered his army at Yorktown, marking the last major campaign of the American Revolution.  At the time, however, no one knew that this would be the final campaign. The main British army remained in New York.  Another army held Charleston, South Carolina.  British soldiers continued to hold other coastal towns. Steps After Yorktown The day after the surrender, George Washington sent Admiral de Grasse a message proposing that the combined forces move south to Charleston and take out the British garrison there.  Washington believed they could ..read more

Last week, we covered the tightening noose around the British army at Yorktown, Virginia in October of 1781.  The army there under General Cornwallis was getting increasingly desperate, and awaiting a relief force that General Clinton had promised to send from New York. British Relief Fleet I suppose “promise” is a strong term.  Clinton promised to do what he could, but sending a relief fleet was still dependent on the arrival of more British Navy ships along with the new Commander of North America, Admiral Robert Digby. British Surrender at Yorktown In early September, Adm ..read more

Last week we covered the naval battle that gave the French Navy control of the waters around Yorktown, Virginia.  The week before that, we covered the march of the armies under Continental General Washington and French General Rochambeau, to confront the British army under General Cornwallis at Yorktown. Storming Redoubt #10 Washington and Rochambeau arrived in Williamsburg on September 14, 1781. Their respective armies were still marching, several days away.  Washington met with Lafayette, who was already in command of a force there, and received the good news that the Fre ..read more

Last week we covered the Continental and French efforts to concentrate their forces on the British Southern army at Yorktown.  In order for that effort to be successful, they had to deny the British Navy control of the waters around Yorktown. Battle of Virginia Capes Throughout the war, the British Navy had dominated the waters off the coast of North America.  The Continentals could do little but occasionally pick off isolated ships.  They could not compete directly with the British Navy.  To contest British control of the sea, General Washington had to await the ..read more