Editing Siege of Yorktown (section)

===Initial movements===
On September 26, transports with artillery, siege tools, and some French infantry and [[shock troops]] from [[Elkton, Maryland|Head of Elk]], the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay, arrived, giving Washington command of an army of 7,800 Frenchmen, 3,100 militia, and 8,000 Continentals.<ref name="lengel337" /> Early on September 28, Washington led the army out of Williamsburg to surround Yorktown.<ref>Davis p. 189</ref> The French took the positions on the left while the Americans took the position of honor on the right.<ref name="lengel337" /> Cornwallis had a chain of seven [[redoubt]]s and batteries linked by earthworks along with batteries that covered the narrows of the [[York River (Virginia)|York River]] at [[Gloucester Point]].<ref name="lengel337" /> That day, Washington reconnoitered the British defenses, and decided that they could be bombarded into submission.<ref>Davis p. 193</ref> The Americans and the French spent the night of the 28th sleeping out in the open, while work parties built bridges over the marsh. Some of the American soldiers hunted down wild hogs to eat.<ref>Davis p. 194</ref>

On September 29, Washington moved the army closer to Yorktown, and British gunners opened fire on the infantry.<ref name="davis195">Davis p. 195</ref> Throughout the day, several British cannon fired on the Americans, but there were few casualties. Fire was also exchanged between American riflemen and [[Hessian (soldier)|Hessian]] [[Jäger (military)|Jäger]]s.<ref name="davis195"/>

Cornwallis pulled back from all of his outer defenses, except for the [[Fusilier]]'s redoubt on the west side of the town and redoubts 9 and 10 in the east.<ref name="lengel337" /> Cornwallis had his forces occupy the earthworks immediately surrounding the town because he had received a letter from Clinton that promised relief force of 5,000 men within a week and he wished to tighten his lines.<ref name="lengel337" /><ref>Davis p. 197</ref> The Americans and the French occupied the abandoned defenses and began to establish their batteries there.<ref name=autogenerated1>Lengelp. 337</ref> With the British outer defenses in their hands, allied engineers began to lay out positions for the artillery. The men improved their works and deepened their trenches.<ref name="davis199">Davis p. 199</ref> The British also worked on improving their defenses.<ref name="davis199" />

On September 30, the French attacked the British Fusiliers redoubt.<ref name="davis202">Davis p. 202</ref> The skirmish lasted two hours, in which the French were repulsed, suffering several casualties. On October 1, the allies learned from British deserters that, to preserve their food, the British had slaughtered hundreds of horses and thrown them on the beach.<ref name="davis202"/> In the American camp, thousands of trees were cut down to provide wood for earthworks. Preparations for the [[Siege#Age of gunpowder|parallel]] also began.<ref>Davis p. 203</ref>

As the allies began to put their artillery into place, the British kept up a steady fire to disrupt them.<ref>Davis p. 204</ref> British fire increased on the 2nd and the allies suffered moderate casualties. General Washington continued to make visits to the front, despite concern shown by several of his officers over the increasing enemy fire.<ref name="davis205">Davis p. 205</ref> On the night of October 2, the British opened a storm of fire to cover up the movement of the British cavalry to Gloucester where they were to escort infantrymen on a foraging party.<ref name="davis205" /> On the 3rd, the foraging party, led by [[Banastre Tarleton]], went out but collided with [[Lauzun's Legion]], and [[John Francis Mercer|John Mercer]]'s Virginia militia, led by the [[Marquis de Choisy]]. The British cavalry quickly retreated behind their defensive lines, losing 50 men.<ref>Davis p. 207</ref>

By October 5, Washington was almost ready to open the first parallel.<ref name="davis208">Davis p. 208</ref> That night the [[sappers]] and miners worked, putting strips of pine on the wet sand to mark the path of the trenches. The main/ initial movements of this battle were walking and riding horses.<ref name="davis208" />