Yorktown Day

06/29/2026

Wonderful example of our continuing connections with France. This Fly Over was to honor their countrymen who gave their lives during the Siege of Yorktown and Battle of the Hook in October 1781.

03/25/2026

A bit late for the actual anniversary, but I just saw this post. It’s easy to forget just how much went in to the events that resulted in the Surrender on October 19, 1781!

On March 14, 1781, 23 year-old Major General Marquis de Lafayette arrived in Yorktown, Virginia, to start a campaign against the British that would culminate in their defeat six months later.

Outnumbered and poorly supplied, Lafayette strove to improve the circumstances and numbers of his troops, often pledging his own funds to secure shoes and clothing for his soldiers. He also adopted a strategy similar to the one General George Washington had used thus far in the American Revolutionary War, that of limited engagement while preserving his forces.

Lafayette’s first objective was to capture the American traitor, Benedict Arnold. Arnold, now a Brigadier General in the British army, had been sent to Virginia in December 1780 to raid military supply bases, gather support from loyalists, and weaken Virginia’s ability to aid Major General Nathanael Greene’s patriot forces in the Carolinas. Washington, intent on bringing Arnold in, sent Lafayette south with 1,200 troops and support from a small French fleet.

source: https://rb.gy/5e5enn

01/26/2026

The Yorktown Day Association has the honor of providing lunch for the Old Guard members who participate in the events on October 19th.