Editing Siege of Yorktown (section)

===Assault on the redoubts===
[[File:Bataille Yorktown.jpg|thumb|Storming of Redoubt No. 10]]
[[File:Redbout-10.jpg|thumb|The storming of Redoubt No. 10 by [[Eugène Lami]]]]
By October 14, the trenches were within {{cvt|150|yd|m}} of [[Redoubt]] Nos. 9 and 10.<ref name="lengel338">Lengel p. 338</ref> Washington ordered that all guns within range begin blasting the redoubts to weaken them for an assault that evening.<ref name="davis225">Davis p. 225</ref> Washington planned to use the cover of a moonless night to gain the element of surprise.{{efn|The pitch dark of a new moon occurred October 17.<ref>NASA Eclipse Website – Phases of the Moon 1700–1799; accessed October 4, 2009; {{cite web |url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases1701.html |title=NASA – Moon Phases: 1701 to 1800 |access-date=2009-10-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004013208/http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases1701.html |archive-date=2009-10-04}}</ref>}} To reinforce the darkness, he added silence, ordering that no soldier should load his musket until reaching the fortifications; the advance would be made with only "cold steel." Redoubt No. 10 was near the river and held by only 70 men, while redoubt 9 was a quarter-mile inland, and was held by 120 British and Germans.<ref name="davis225" /> Both redoubts were heavily fortified with rows of [[abatis]] surrounding them, along with muddy ditches that surrounded the redoubts at about {{cvt|25|yd|m}}.<ref name="lengel338" /> Washington’s officers devised a plan in which the French would launch a diversionary attack on the Fusiliers redoubt, and then a half an hour later, the French would assault Redoubt No. 9 and the Americans Redoubt No. 10.<ref name="davis225" /><ref name="Lengel 339">Lengel p. 339</ref> Redoubt No. 9 would be assaulted by 400 French regular soldiers of the Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment under the command of the [[Christian von Zweibrücken (1752-1817)|Count of Deux-Ponts]] and redoubt 10 would be assaulted by 400 [[List of Continental Army units#Light infantry|light infantry]] troops under the command of [[Alexander Hamilton]].<ref name="Lengel 339" /> There was a brief dispute as to who should lead the attack on Redoubt No. 10. Lafayette named his aide, [[Jean-Joseph Sourbader de Gimat]], who commanded a battalion of Continental light infantry. However, Hamilton protested, saying that he was the senior officer. Washington concurred with Hamilton and gave him command of the attack.<ref name=autogenerated4>Davis p. 225.</ref>{{efn|Hamilton (through his subordinate, Major [[Nicholas Fish]]), Gimat, and Colonel Laurens commanded the three (of six) battalions of light infantry in Lafayette's Light Division that participated in the assault on redoubt 10.}}

[[File:Redoubt-9.jpg|thumb|Storming of Redoubt No. 9]]
At 6:30&nbsp;pm, gunfire announced the diversionary attack on the Fusiliers redoubt.<ref name="lengel340">Lengel p. 340</ref> At other places in the line, movements were made as if preparing for an assault on Yorktown itself, which caused the British to panic.<ref name="lengel340" /> With bayonets fixed, the Americans marched towards Redoubt No. 10. Hamilton sent Lieutenant Colonel [[John Laurens]] around to the rear of the redoubt to prevent the British from escaping.<ref name="davis227">Davis p. 227</ref> The Americans reached the redoubt and began chopping through the British wooden defenses with their axes. A British sentry called a challenge, and then fired at the Americans.<ref name="davis227" /> The Americans responded by charging with their bayonets towards the redoubt. They hacked through the abatis, crossed a ditch and climbed the [[parapet]] into the redoubt.<ref name="davis228">Davis p. 228</ref> The Americans forced their way into the redoubt, falling into giant shell holes created by the preparatory bombardment. The British fire was heavy, but the Americans overwhelmed them.<ref name="davis228" /> Someone in the front shouted, "Rush on boys! The fort's ours!" The British threw hand grenades at the Americans with little effect.<ref name="davis228" /> Men in the trench stood on the shoulders of their comrades to climb into the redoubt. The bayonet fight cleared the British from the redoubt and almost the entire garrison was captured, including the commander of the redoubt, Major Campbell.<ref name="davis229">Davis p. 229</ref> In the assault, the Americans lost 9 dead and 25 wounded.<ref name="davis229" />

The French assault began at the same time, but they were halted by the abatis, which was undamaged by the artillery fire.<ref name="davis229" /> The French began to hack at the abatis and a Hessian sentry came out and asked who was there. When there was no response, the sentry opened fire as did other Hessians on the parapet.<ref name="davis230">Davis p. 230</ref> The French soldiers fired back, and then charged the redoubt. The Germans charged the Frenchmen climbing over the walls but the French fired a volley, driving them back.<ref name="davis230" /> The Hessians then took a defensive position behind some barrels but threw down their arms and surrendered when the French prepared a bayonet charge.<ref name="davis230" />

With the capture of Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10, Washington was able to have his artillery shell the town from three directions and the allies moved some of their artillery into the redoubts.<ref>Davis p. 232</ref><ref name="lengel341">Lengel p. 341</ref> On October 15, Cornwallis turned all of his guns onto the nearest allied position. He then ordered a storming party of 350 British troops under the command of Colonel [[Robert Abercromby of Airthrey|Robert Abercromby]] to attack the allied lines and spike the American and French cannon (i.e., plug the [[touch hole]] with an iron spike).<ref>Davis p. 234</ref> The allies were sleeping and unprepared. As the British charged Abercromby shouted "Push on my brave boys, and skin the bastards!"<ref name="lengel341" /> The British party spiked several cannons in the parallel and then spiked the guns on an unfinished redoubt.<ref name="davis235">Davis p. 235</ref> A French party came and drove them out of the allied lines and back to Yorktown. The British had been able to spike six guns, but by the morning they were all repaired.<ref name="davis235" /> The bombardment resumed with the American and French troops engaged in competition to see who could do the most damage to the enemy defenses.<ref name="lengel341" />

On the morning of October 16, more allied guns were in line and the fire intensified.<ref name="davis235"/> In desperation, Cornwallis attempted to evacuate his troops across the York River to Gloucester Point.<ref name="lengel341" /> At Gloucester Point, the troops might be able to break through the allied lines and escape into Virginia and then march to New York.<ref>Davis p. 236</ref> One wave of boats made it across, but a squall hit when they returned to take more soldiers, making the evacuation impossible.<ref>Davis p. 237</ref>