June 20, 2018, Yorktown-  

Having seen the coastline along which the final major battle of the American War for Independence played out, I turned to the equally critical interior locales of the struggle.

Yorktown Battlefield is the end point of Colonial National Historic Park, just as Jamestown represents the beginning.

There are several displays of interest inside the Visitor Center, including one of George Washington’s tents.

From there, the auto route of the park leads to Yorktown National Cemetery and the Grand French Battery.  Whilst  I was here, a few boys were engaged in Hide and Seek, along the redoubts.

The scene of the cemetery itself was more subdued.

A bit north of the park, on the way to modern Yorktown, is Yorktown Victory Monument.

Doubling back towards town, just a bit, I caught this glimpse of Main Street.

I am always glad to see the intense forest growth in the Tidewater area.  Some groves are impressive, in their height.

Redoubts 9 and 10 were scenes of brief battles, with the French capturing the first and the Americans, the second.  The British ceasefire occurred three days later.

These American artillery pieces were placed between the two redoubts, making the task of capture much easier.

These sharpened stones bore no significance, but they captured my attention.

Next on the route was Augustine Moore House, where the British surrender was negotiated, on October 18, 1781.

The York River flows just east of Moore House.

Here is the Surrender Field, where Cornwallis’ army laid down their arms.

This is the Untouched Redoubt, abandoned by the British on September 29, 1781.  The Allied forces arrived the next day, and left the position as it was.

With this loop tour, one gets a well-rounded view of the final major clash of our nation’s first struggle towards respect in the family of nations.  There would be much to be done, internally and externally, before we would reach a dominant position as an economic and military power.  I wonder what it will take, to reach similar prominence, spiritually.