Surrender Field
Colonial National Historical Park
On the 17th, at about 10 o'clock, the British raised a white flag on their walls, beat a parley on their drums, and the firing ceased on all sides. Then the terms of surrender were agreed upon between Washington and Cornwallis, and on the afternoon of the 19th the British army marched out on the main road and surrendered prisoners of war.
Asa Redington, 1st New Hampshire Regiment
On October 19, 1781, British troops, commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis, marched from heavily damaged Yorktown and surrendered on this field to the allied French and American armies under the command of General George Washington. Cornwallis, pleading illness, did not accompany his men.
The pavilion ahead overlooks the scene of the laying down of weapons. The short, wheelchair-accessible trail leads past exhibits that describe the spectacle, mood, and pagentry of that momentous event. The British defeat at Yorktown was the culmination of the Revolutionary War.
This trail is less than 0.2 mile round trip. From the pavillion overlook, follow the path to the display of surrendered artillery on the ground level. A shorter gravel path with exhibits leads to the field and back to the parking lot.
Marker is on Historical Tour Road, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
