  A self-guiding auto tour begins and ends at the Visitor Center. Along the drive are the major points of interest which are briefly described below. The complete tour is some 15 miles long but you can take a shorter tour of the 5-mile inner loop. It embraces the battlegrounds, the French and American encampment areas, and the village of Yorktown. The route is marked by uniform signs. 2. REDOUBT NO. 9 (reconstructed).A detachment of 400 French soldiers distinguished itself on the night of October 14 by storming this British strong point. The fall of this redoubt, and its neighbor, Redoubt No. 10, which was stormed by the Americans on the same night, was a decisive action of the siege. 3. AMERICAN BATTERY NO. 2, SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE.Erected after the capture of Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10, it was one of the most important positions of the second siege line. There are several original artillery pieces mounted in this reconstructed battery. French sailors visit British Redoubt No. 9 which their countrymen captured in 1781. The Lafayette Cannon—a 12-pounder made by W. Bowen in 1759. 4. REDOUBT NO. 10.Close to the edge of the riverbank, a small part of the moat of this siege position is preserved and the parapet has been rebuilt. This is all that now remains. The rest of the position has been destroyed by erosion of the cliffs in the years since 1781. It was captured from the British on the night of October 14 in a bayonet attack led by Alexander Hamilton. Among those who distinguished themselves was Sgt. William Brown who later was the recipient of one of the first Purple Heart awards ever made. This award then was made only for extraordinary bravery in action. Five days after its capture, the allied leaders met in Redoubt No. 10 and affixed their signatures to the Articles of Capitulation which already had been signed by the British commanders. This is, perhaps, the most memorable spot on the Yorktown Battlefield. 5. AMERICAN SECTOR, FIRST ALLIED SIEGE LINE.The route now leads across the field, open as in 1781, between the allied lines. Part of the reconstructed communicating trench is visible. The next stop is in the American sector of the first siege line at a point where the Americans began to build their entrenchments (partly reconstructed). 6. AMERICAN APPROACH ROAD.The tour now follows the road used by the American troops as they approached the fighting line. It passes the location of their temporary supply depot. It is of interest to note that the road is well down in a ravine and this gave protection from shellfire. It led to the encampment area where troops bivouacked and lived. Before crossing Wormley Creek, however, the road turns back toward the York River. 7. MOORE HOUSE.Here in the private home of Augustine Moore on October 18, 1781, commissioners met to draft the Articles of Capitulation. Constructed about 1725, the restored house is furnished as a home of the 1776-81 period. It is open daily. 8. MOORES MILL DAM.On the return from the Moore House the tour crosses Wormley Creek over a dam where Augustine Moore had a grist Mill dam road across Wormley Creek. The marked drive now passes through a section of the American encampment. Markers identify the more significant sites including: 9. BENJAMIN LINCOLN’S HEADQUARTERS SITE and 10. LAFAYETTE’S HEADQUARTERS SITE.“Surrender Room” in Moore House where the Articles of Capitulation were drafted. 11. SURRENDER FIELD.The next stop is at the south end of the field where the British laid down their arms as called for in the Articles of 12. SURRENDER ROAD.From Surrender Field it is possible to go directly back to Yorktown. It is suggested, however, that the route through the encampment area and to the British outer works be chosen. 13. ENCAMPMENT DRIVE.Here the road passes through historically interesting, and scenically beautiful, countryside. This is the only access to such areas as: A. Von Steuben’s Headquarters Site. Major General von Steuben, like Lincoln and Lafayette, commanded a division of American troops. B. Rochambeau’s Headquarters Site. Rochambeau commanded the French Army under Washington. C. Washington’s Headquarters Site. This is reached by a spur road from the main tour drive. The ford, restored to use as it was in 1781, is safe for vehicular travel. D. French Cemetery. This is thought to be the burial site of a number of the French soldiers killed during the siege. E. French Artillery Park. This was a place for repairing and storing cannon. Existing ground evidences indicate the manner in which carriages were parked. F. French Army Encampment. The French Cemetery in the battlefield encampment area. The cross marks the traditional burial site. G. British Outer Works. Cornwallis constructed several positions between the headwaters of Yorktown and Wormley Creeks as a part of his outer line. One of these has been partly reconstructed and is visible from the tour road. Another is an original position which remains undisturbed. A spur road from the main tour route gives access to it in the area known as “Long Neck.” 14. GRAND FRENCH BATTERY.This position was the largest and one of the most effective in the First Allied Siege Line. A part of it, including gun platforms and magazines (powder and ammunition storage points), has been reconstructed. The artillery now mounted here (a trench mortar, siege cannon, mortars, and howitzers) are types used in the Revolutionary period. Some of the pieces were actually used at Yorktown during the siege. 15. NATIONAL CEMETERY.Established in 1866, this is chiefly a burial ground for Union soldiers killed in the vicinity in the Civil War. 16. SECOND ALLIED SIEGE LINE.This is another point on the same encircling line that came to include British Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10. 17. YORKTOWN.The tour now enters Yorktown proper where the British army was encamped and in which it made its stand. The old Civil War line rings the town today and under it is the British line of 1781. The figure of “Liberty” atop the Yorktown Victory Monument. Sculptured by Oskar J. W. Hansen. The Nelson House where Cornwallis may have had his headquarters in the last days of the siege. A. Site of Secretary Nelson’s House. Here Cornwallis had his headquarters when the siege opened. He remained until allied artillery forced him out. Secretary Thomas Nelson was, for many years, Secretary of the Colony of Virginia. The site has been marked by the Yorktown Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. B. Victory Monument. Authorized by Congress in 1781, the shaft was not begun until 1881 (completed 3 years later) as a part of the Yorktown Centennial Celebration. The original figure of “Liberty” was damaged by lightning in 1942 and replaced by a new figure in 1956. C. Cornwallis Cave. This natural cave in a marl cliff was undoubtedly used by the British in 1781. Staff conferences could have been held here late in the siege. D. Nelson House. This residence is believed to have been Cornwallis’ headquarters in the last days of the siege. It was built prior to 1745 by “Scotch Tom” Nelson and was later the home of his grandson, Gen. Thomas Nelson, Jr. The house has cannonballs imbedded in its east wall that are thought to have been fired during the siege of 1781. OLD HOUSES AND OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST The West House—owned by the Digges family for a long time. 18. FUSILIERS REDOUBT.Located on the west side of Yorktown, it protected the road to Williamsburg. Because of erosion of the bluffs at this point, it has been possible to reconstruct only a part of the original position. “TOWN OF YORK”Much of the old has continued, or is being recaptured, in Yorktown and many of its buildings and sites have their individual messages. In the following text, the letters correspond to those on the map of the “Town of York,” page 46. A. West House. This residence is one of the few remaining colonial frame structures in Yorktown. Its inner timbers bear the scars of artillery fire to which it was subjected in 1781. It is thought to date from the mid-18th century. B. Archer Cottage. Below the bluffs is a small cottage thought to be of colonial origin and to have been property of the Archer family. This is the only surviving structure in this once busy waterfront section of the port of Yorktown. C. Remains of Town Wharf. Rock piles and some of the timber crib of the public wharf which served Yorktown before the Revolution can be seen at exceptionally low tide near the foot of Read Street. Grace Church. In the foreground are the Nelson family tombs, including Thomas Nelson, Jr.’s. D. Digges House. This brick dwelling, constructed early in the 18th century, stands at the once busy corner of Main and Read Streets. E. Somerwell House. This restored residence, built, it is thought, before 1707 by Mungo Somerwell, was at one time a part of the Lightfoot family holdings. Many of the fine old homes are no longer standing, such as the Lightfoot mansion that is shown so prominently on the sketch of Yorktown made from a vessel in the harbor about 1754 (see pages 34 and 35). The Buckner residence in the west end of town, a second Lightfoot townhouse, two of the spacious home of the Nelsons, and the Ambler dwelling have long since been destroyed, except for foundation remains below ground. F. Grace Church. This church, in York-Hampton Parish, is the oldest in Yorktown. It has been active since its construction about 1697. The present structure incorporated much of the original native marl walls. This church was used for various military purposes in the two wars that engulfed Yorktown, but parish organization has continued unbroken and services are held regularly. In its churchyard lie the remains of prominent men of Yorktown and of many others less well known. The church is normally open every day. Richard Ambler’s storehouse is better known as the “Customhouse” because he was a customs collector at Yorktown for many years. G. Medical Shop. This reconstructed shop is across Main Street from Swan Tavern. H. York County Courthouse. This structure, the fifth such to stand on Lot 24 in Yorktown, was completed in 1955. Although not a reconstruction, it does capture some of the architectural flavor of the time. It serves the town and county, as buildings on the lot have done since 1697. The Sessions House. I. Swan Tavern Group. This group of reconstructed buildings, including the tavern, kitchen, stable, smokehouse, and privy, all stand on original foundations. One of the characteristics of colonial Yorktown was the large number of its inns and taverns. The Swan, opened for business in 1722, was the most noted of all. J. “Customhouse.” Directly across the street from the Digges House, this structure appears to have been built prior to 1733 and to have begun its history as Richard Ambler’s “large brick storehouse.” It has been acquired and restored by the Comte de Grasse Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and now serves them as a chapter house. The building, on occasion, is open to visitors. K. Edmund Smith House. This brick residence is south of the Nelson House and faces Nelson Street. It dates from about 1730. L. Ballard House. Also located on Nelson Street, this cottage, sometimes called “Pearl Hall,” presumably was built by John Ballard. M. Sessions House. This house is the oldest building still standing in Yorktown. It was built in the late 17th century, and is named for its builder and first owner—Thomas Sessions. Many of the houses mentioned here are private homes which are sometimes open during Garden Week and other special occasions. These old homes add charm to Yorktown and do much to preserve a quiet dignity along the narrow, shaded streets far removed from the busy thoroughfares of a 20th-century town. For those interested in geology, mention should be made of the famous Yorktown Cliffs, particularly those in the area between Yorktown and the Moore House. In the steep banks eroded by the river, extensive and significant deposits of seashells are visible. These are of marine life that existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Tertiary Period millions of years ago. |
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