Cornwallis Surrenders

In late summer 1781, General George Washington knew that Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army was camping near Yorktown. Washington´s plan was to boldly and rapidly move to south, his plan was to capture Cornwallis in Georgetown. After discussing options with his French ally, Washington decided to quietly move his army away from New York City with the goal of crushing Cornwallis' isolated force. Departing on August 21, the French began marching south. As any success would be upon the French navy's ability to prevent Cornwallis being resupplied, the fleet supported this movement.
For Washington´s plan, he needed that a French fleet arrived on time to block Chesapeake Bay; they had to be there when the British tried to exit by the port.

All this needed timing, and there was, the French arrived on time on August 1781, while the British arrived in early September. Cornwallis was in a trap, the French and Patriots surrounded them with more than 18500 soldiers; he had no exit, nor land, nor sea. He tried everything he could, even sending some infected soldiers that had small pox, he did everything he thought to do but without success. He tried everything, at the end his ideas banished and he had no choice than surrender his army of 8000 soldiers in October 1781.