Before the Siege: The British Army in Yorktown

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Friday, 28 September

Camp Set-up - Noon - 7:30 p.m.

Access to the interior of the Swan Tavern for the Detached Hospital from Noon to 5:00. Private vehicle access to camp sites while loading only. No overnight parking at camp sites.

The Ballard Street flush bathrooms will be closed during the day, but the flush bathrooms at Ballard Street and the portable bathrooms at several locations will be open to the reenactors all night. Potable drinking water is available at the Church Street lot. Any water taps you may find in town, including the one by the Nelson House and at the Swan Tavern are for wash water only - it is not potable water!

Registration opens at Somerwell House on Main Street between Church and Read Streets from Noon to 5 p.m.

Reenactor parking is at Church Street lot. Parking for trailers is in the bus parking area at the Visitor's Center parking lot.

Saturday, 29 September

7:00 a.m.

Registration opens at Somerwell House on Main Street between Church and Read Street from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (weather permitting, otherwise it will be moved inside the Visitors' Center)

8:00 a.m.

Interior of the Swan Tavern open to allow set up.

Farmer's Market 8:00 am to 12:00 p.m. Please take advantage of this opportuntity to go buy locally sourced seasonally available fresh produce at the Yorktown Farmer's Market! They will be delighted to have reenactors in period clothing shop their offerings, whether it be servants purchasing for their masters, or followers and soldiers looking to augment their issue rations.

8:45 a.m.

All private vehicles must be removed to Church Street Lot or overflow parking.

9:00 a.m.

Event open to the public. All camps and interpretive sites must be period correct and ready to interpret.

CNHP Safety Inspection. All military with firearms (including armed Loyalists and Royal Navy) line up on Main Street by the Swan Tavern for firearms inspection by CNHP personnel.

9:30 a.m.

Roll Call. All participants remain by the Swan Tavern for roll call. Attached civilians and ration strength women & children will line up at the rear of their respective units. The Serjeants will call roll (every Serjeant should have a Roll Book), the Corporals will fill out their Morning Reports. The Serjeants will collate the information from the Morning Reports on to a Company Return. The Company Returns are to be turned in to the Officer of the Day at the Hornsby House by 11:00 each day. A separate Roll will be taken of the attached civilians, this information to be noted on the Company Return as well.

After Roll Call, the Orders of the Day are read, then military units released to duty. Units assigned to Picket Duty will patrol their assigned areas. Units assigned to Drill will spend their duty time at any drill they wish to work on, ending up with a firing demonstration in the last half hour of their drill duty time.

Pay careful attention to the Orders of the Day! They will be a mix of the real orders that were read out on 22 September 1781, and necessary additions for the event.

For example; on 22 September; six days Salt Beef and small species and Seven days flour were to be issued to the troops. Does anyone want to do a ration issue? Also on the 22nd: the military units are encouraged to bring their saws and axes, to be sought for and collected per Battalion Orders for 22 September 1781:

[from the 80th Foot Capt. Hathorne's Company Orderly Book]

After Orders 2: O Clock
Lord Cornwallis desires the
Commanding offr of Corps will
order a Search to be made in
their different Encampments
for Axes and Send all that are
found to the Redout near
Head Quarters a 6: O Clock this
Evening, in a few days a prop—
— ortion of Axes will be delivered
to Each Corps to cutt wood
for themselves ——————

PLEASE NOTE: make sure your tools are well marked and be prepared to lend them to the Navy. We will collect the tools on Saturday after Roll Call. The Navy needs saws, axes, picks, &c. to tear down structures to clear fields of fire for the seaward facing batteries. The tools will be returned on Sunday.

10:00 a.m.

All civilians line up on Main Street by the Nelson House to be interviewed by the Deputy Quarter Master General. Attached military civilians will be sent back to their units. Merchants will be granted license to sell under strict guidelines. Inhabitants and refugees will be given their assignments.

Roster duties. Out Piquet Duty units will split into two patrols. One will patrol out to Redoubts No. 9 and 10. The other will patrol out to the Fusilier's Redoubt. From there they will cross over to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown (ARM@Y). The patrol will be issued ammunition by ARM@Y for firing demonstrations to visitors to the museum. They will return unfired ammuniton to ARM@Y.

Drill units will draw ammunition from CNHP. They will drill without firing, using the streets, buildings, and the grounds of the York County Historical Museum. Each unit assigned to Drill will finish up their duty time performing a firing demonstration on the green in front of the Nelson House. That should result in a firing demonstration at 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30. They will return unfired ammunition to CNHP.

Off duty units' time will be filled with the necessities of life; whether it was cooking rations, cleaning their weapons, mending kit, or any of the many chores which required their attention.

Duty Roster, 10:00 a.m. to Noon:

33rd, 42nd, 64th, von Bose - off Duty.
4th Coy, NCV - Drill Duty.
71st, 76th - Out Piquet Duty.

Duty Roster, Noon to 2:00 p.m.:

71st, 76th - Drill Duty.
33rd, 42nd, 64th, von Bose - Out Picquet Duty.
4th Coy, NCV - off Duty.

Duty Roster, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

4th Coy, NCV - Out Piquet duty.
71st, 76th - off Duty.
33rd, 42nd, 64th, von Bose - Drill Duty

ca. 1:30 p.m.

The Officer's Mess. (see Ongoing Interpretative Programs)

4:30 p.m.

Event closes for the day. The Swan Tavern is closed.

Participants are encouraged to move over to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

The ARM@Y is hosting a pig picking with baked beans, coleslaw, and lemonade for the BTS participants on Saturday evening, starting at 6:00 p.m. and going until ca. 8:00 p.m. The museum closes to the public at 5:00 p.m., but will stay open for BTS participants to visit the museum until ca. 8:00 p.m.

We can walk over or take the city trolley, which will run until 6:00 p.m.

CNHP wishes to have it be clearly understood that alcohol is not permitted on NPS property.

CNHP also wishes it to be clearly understood that there are at least four bars on the Waterfront in Yorktown where BTS participants may enjoy a refreshing adult beverage. Please drink responsibly!.

Please also note: Per City ordinance all noise making activities cease by 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, 30 Sept.

Registration at the Somerwell House on Main Street between Church and Read Streets from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (weather permitting, otherwise it will be moved inside the Visitors' Center) for any Sunday registrations.

Divine Service at Grace Episcopal Church.

Reenactors are welcome and encouraged to attend services in one of the oldest buildings in Virginia. Grace Episcopal Church was originally the church for York-Hampton Parish during the colonial period. In 1781, the minister, John Camm was a Tory, while the vestry members included William Nelson and his son Thomas, signer of the Declaration of Independence and leader of the Virginia Militia that fought along side of George Washington. The Nelsons are buried in the churchyard.

Services are at:

7:45 a.m.
11:20 a.m.

The 7:45 service is over by 8:30, which will allow participants to be ready for Roll Call at 9:00 a.m.

Units are welcome to conduct their own Divine Service, as long as it does not interfere with Roll Call and is concluded by 10:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

Interior of the Swan Tavern open to allow set up.

8:45 a.m.

All private vehicles must be removed to Church Street Lot or overflow parking.

9:00 a.m.

Event open to public. All camp sites must be period correct and ready to interpret.

Roll Call. All participants remain by the Swan Tavern for roll call. Attached civilians and ration strength women & children will line up at the rear of their respective units. The Serjeants will call roll (every Serjeant should have a Roll Book), the Corporals will fill out their Morning Reports. The Serjeants will collate the information from the Morning Reports on to a Company Return. The Company Returns are to be turned in to the Officer of the Day at the Hornsby House by 11:00 each day. A separate Roll will be taken of the attached civilians, this information to be noted on the Company Return as well.

Pay careful attention to the Orders of the Day! They will be a mix of the real orders that were read out on 23 September 1781, and necessary additions for the event.

For example, on 23 September 1781:

[from the 80th Foot Capt. Hathorne's Company Orderly Book]

———Battn Ordrs 23th Septr 81

A woman of the Battalon haveng
lettely bin detacted Selling
licker it is Recommended to the
Commandeng officers of Companys
to Cass a serch to be mead A
mongst ther wimen to ——
proveant such practiss
for the fewter, Should any Solders
wiff in the Battn Sell licker after
this order Shew will be
Sent out of the leinns ——
and Niver after wards be
admitted — — — —

Roster duties. Out Piquet Duty units will split into two patrols. One will patrol out to Redoubts No. 9 and 10. The other will patrol out to the Fusilier's Redoubt. While at the Fusilier's Redoubt, we will move our event scenario to one week later and ask the patrol to pause and reflect that on 30 September 1781, 237 years ago at this very place, the French attacked the Fusilier's Redoubt and were fought off after a two hour battle. Returning our event scenario to the weekend of 22 - 23 September, the patrol will cross over to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The patrol will be issued ammunition by ARM@Y for firing demonstrations to visitors to the museum. Unused ammunition will be returned to ARM@Y.

Off duty units' time will be filled with the necessities of life; whether it was cooking rations, cleaning their weapons, mending kit, or any of the many chores which required their attention.

Duty Roster, 10:00 a.m. to Noon:

33rd, 42nd, 64th, von Bose - Out Picquet Duty.
4th Coy, NCV - off Duty.
71st, 76th - Drill Duty.

Duty Roster, Noon to 2:00 p.m.:

33rd, 42nd, 64th, von Bose - Drill Duty.
4th Coy, NCV - Out Picquet Duty.
71st, 76th - off Duty.

Duty Roster, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

33rd, 42nd, 64th, von Bose - off Duty.
4th Coy, NCV - Drill Duty.
71st, 76th - Out Picquet Duty

ca. 1:30 p.m.

The Officer's Mess. (see Ongoing Interpretative Programs)

4:00 p.m.

Event closes. Please note: participants must “de-mobilize”! Participants may sign out between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Somerwell House. Participants may also have their unit commander sign out for them. All unit commanders must ensure that their entire roster of participants has signed out.

Participants may move vehicles in for camp break down and load out.

Participants will be advised to break down and move improvised shelters near the street for pick up - unless CNHP asks them to be left in place.

Ongoing Interpretative Programs:

The Corps of Engineers

The Corps of Engineers will present and interpret military fortification using both scale models and practical work.

The Royal Artillery

The Royal Artillery will conduct maintenance on their 3 pounder guns at the camp by the Swan Tavern. Using a portable hoist engine or "gin", the RA will have the capability to hoist barrels off of carriages and pull wheels for repair and greasing the axles. On Saturday, by the Visitor's Center the CNHP Royal Artillery will fire their six pounder at 12:15 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. On Sunday, the participant's three pounder cannon will fire on the same schedule over at the Visitor's Center.

The Royal Navy

The crew of HMS CHARON will interpret the Royal Navy's mission at Yorktown. The ship's guns from CHARON had been dismounted and brought to land to use as artillery. On 25 September [from Admiral James' Journal] "The Seamen went through the exercise of the great guns at their quarters in front of the army before Lord Cornwallis, who was pleased to give us marks of his approbation. It is necessary to observe that the Lieutenant of the Charon commanded a battery in the center of the town of one twenty four, two eighteens, and two twelves...". The Royal Navy will also interpret communication with Gloucester as well as other tasks:

[also from Admiral James' Journal]

[September] "18th.- The usual business of throwing up works and pulling down houses the employment of this day."

The Detached Hospital.

Surgeons care for wounded patients and smallpox victims. The Hospital will be inside the Swan Tavern. The Hospital will conduct ongoing interpretation of life in a military field hospital. The Hospital is also equipped for minor medical care. If anyone has a minor injury or is feeling the effects of the heat - go to the Hospital!

The Officer's Mess

All morning, “Officer's Servants” will work on preparing a Mess, to be served in the afternoon in a Marquis tent set up at the Nelson House. Meal preparation will begin Saturday morning with a shopping trip to the Yorktown Market Day held on the waterfront green.

Camp life

A soldier's off-duty time was filled with the necessities of life; whether it was cooking rations, cleaning their weapons, mending kit, or any of the many chores which required their attention.

Officer life

Most officers were not allowed to quarter in town; they were obliged to camp near their units. The Hornsby House has graciously allowed us to use their front yard to site Officer's Marquis, which will also be the location of the Officer of the Day. He will interpret organizing and arranging military duties.

Military Artificers

Military Artificers are soldiers pulled off duty for their useful skills, as well as civilians contracted to provide services to the army. They will set up and interpret at the yard by the house at 606 main Street.

Refugees

Refugees were not allowed to sit idle. They would be assigned military tasks, such as heavy labor. They could also try to ingratiate themselves with the military by doing whatever services they could provide; cooking, cleaning, mending, sewing, laundry, chopping wood, hauling water, &c.