Editing Siege of Yorktown (section)

===British surrender===
[[File:Reddition armee anglaise a Yorktown 1781 avec blocus naval.jpg|thumb|Overview of the capitulation of the British army at Yorktown, including Yorktown's blockade by a e French squadron]]
The fire on Yorktown from the allies was heavier than ever as new artillery pieces joined the line.<ref>Davis p. 255</ref> Cornwallis talked with his officers that day and they agreed that their situation was hopeless.<ref>Fleming p. 16</ref>

On the morning of October 17, a drummer appeared, followed by an officer waving a white handkerchief.<ref name="lengel342">Lengel p. 342</ref> The bombardment ceased, and the officer was blindfolded and led behind the French and American lines. Negotiations began at the [[Moore House (Yorktown, Virginia)|Moore House]] on October 18 between Lieutenant Colonel [[Thomas Dundas (British Army officer)|Thomas Dundas]] and Major [[Alexander Ross (British Army officer)|Alexander Ross]] (who represented the British) and Lieutenant Colonel Laurens (who represented the Americans) and [[Louis Marc Antoine de Noailles|Marquis de Noailles]] (who represented the French). To make sure that nothing fell apart between the French and Americans at the last minute, Washington ordered that the French be given an equal share in every step of the surrender process. At 2:00&nbsp;pm the allied army entered the British positions, with the French on the left and the Americans on the right.<ref name="lengel342" />

[[File:Reddition de Cornwalis 1781 french engraving 1784 avec texte.jpg|thumb|The surrender of Lord Cornwallis, October 19, 1781, at Yorktown]]
The British had asked for the traditional [[Honours of war|honors of war]], which would allow the army to march out with flags flying, bayonets fixed, and the band playing an American or French tune as a tribute to the victors. However, Washington firmly refused to grant the British the honors that they had denied the defeated American army the year before at the [[siege of Charleston]].<ref>{{cite web |title=George Washington on General Cornwallis' Surrender at Yorktown |url=https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/peace/yorktown.html |website=The American Revolution, 1763–1783 |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=December 16, 2015 |archive-date=December 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215160404/http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/peace/yorktown.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Consequently, the British and Hessian troops marched with flags furled and muskets shouldered, while the band was forced to play "a British or German march."{{efn|Article 3 states that: "the garrison of York will march out to a place to be appointed in front of the posts, at two o'clock precisely, with shouldered arms, colors cased, and drums beating a British or German march. They are then to ground their arms, and return to their encampments, where they will remain until they are dispatched to the places of their destination."<ref>{{cite web |title=Surrender of the British General Cornwallis to the Americans, October 19, 1781 |url=http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/war-for-independence/resources/surrender-british-general-cornwallis-americans-october |website=The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |access-date=February 26, 2016 |archive-date=February 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222121959/http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/war-for-independence/resources/surrender-british-general-cornwallis-americans-october |url-status=live }}</ref>}} American history books recount the legend that the British band played "[[The World Turned Upside Down|The World Turn'd Upside Down]]", but the story may be apocryphal.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kennedy |first1=David |last2=Cohen |first2=Lizabeth |title=The American Pageant |date=2015 |publisher=Cengage Learning |page=153 |quote=Cornwallis surrendered his entire force of seven thousand men on October 19, 1781, as his band appropriately played "The World Turn'd Upside Down."}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cornwallis' Surrender |url=http://www.visitingyorktown.com/surrender.html |website=Visiting Yorktown.com |quote=American tradition has it that the British song played was "The World Turned Upside Down." However, there was no historical record of which song or songs were played by the band. The account of it being that particular song was added to the historical record almost 100 years after the event. |access-date=2017-03-05 |archive-date=2017-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716025606/http://visitingyorktown.com/surrender.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Surrender-of-cornwallis-at-york-town-va-oct-1781-by-nathaniel-currier.jpg|thumb|Surrender of Cornwallis. At Yorktown, VA, Oct. 1781, a painting by [[Nathaniel Currier]], now housed at the [[D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts]]]]
Cornwallis refused to attend the surrender ceremony, claiming that he had an illness. Instead, Brigadier General [[Charles O'Hara]] led the British army onto the field. O'Hara first attempted to surrender to Rochambeau, who shook his head and pointed to Washington. O'Hara then offered his sword to Washington, who also refused and motioned to Major General [[Benjamin Lincoln]], his second-in-command. The surrender finally took place when Lincoln accepted the sword of Cornwallis's deputy.<ref>Davis p. 265</ref><ref name="lengel343"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Manning |first1=Jack |title=Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown |url=http://blog.alssar.org/uncategorized/cornwallis-surrenders-at-yorktown-2/ |website=The American Patriotic Chronicle |publisher=Alabama Society, Sons of the American Revolution |date=October 19, 2016 |access-date=March 5, 2017 |archive-date=March 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306041139/http://blog.alssar.org/uncategorized/cornwallis-surrenders-at-yorktown-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The British soldiers marched out and laid down their arms in between the French and American armies, while many civilians watched.<ref>Davis p. 267</ref> At this time, the troops on the other side of the river in Gloucester also surrendered.<ref>Davis p. 268</ref> The British soldiers had been issued new uniforms hours before the surrender and until prevented by General O'Hara some threw down their muskets with the apparent intention of smashing them. Others wept or appeared to be drunk.<ref>Hibbert p. 330</ref> In all, 8,000 soldiers, 214 artillery pieces, thousands of muskets, 24 transport ships, wagons, and horses were captured.<ref name="lengel343">Lengel p. 343</ref>