Charles Cornwallis
(1738-1805)
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, KG, PC, was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and the United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading British general officers in the American War of Independence. His surrender in 1781 to a combined American and French force at the siege of Yorktown ended significant hostilities in North America.
BORN:
London, England
Dec 31, 1738
Born into an aristocratic family and educated at Eton and Cambridge, Cornwallis joined the army in 1757, seeing action in the Seven Years' War. Upon his father's death in 1762 he succeeded to his peerage and entered the House of Lords. From 1766 until 1805, he was colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot. Cornwallis next saw military action in 1776 in the American War of Independence.
Promoted to lieutenant general in North America, he began his service in 1776 under General Sir Henry Clinton with the failed siege of Charleston. He and Clinton then sailed for New York City, where they participated in General William Howe's campaign for New York City. Cornwallis was often given a leading role during this campaign; his division was in the lead at the Battle of Long Island, and he chased the retreating George Washington across New Jersey after the city fell.
in 1780 he inflicted a major defeat on the Continental Army at the Battle of Camden. He also commanded British forces in the March 1781 Pyrrhic victory at Guilford Court House. Cornwallis surrendered his army at Yorktown in October 1781 after an extended campaign through the Southern colonies, marked by disagreements between him and his superior, Sir Henry Clinton.
He surrendered after about three weeks' siege to General Washington and the French commander, the Comte de Rochambeau, on 19 October 1781. Cornwallis, apparently not wanting to face Washington, claimed to be ill on the day of the surrender, and sent Brigadier General Charles O'Hara in his place to surrender his sword formally. Washington had his second-in-command, Major General Benjamin Lincoln, accept Cornwallis's sword.
DIED:
Gauspur, India
Oct 5, 1805
Charles Cornwallis
was here...
Places | Image | Address | GPS | Site |
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Yorktown Battlefield National Historical Park | 1000 Colonial Nat'l Historical Pkwy, Yorktown, VA 23690 | MUSEUM | ||
Colonial Williamsburg | 101 Visitor Center Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185 | MUSEUM | ||
Monmouth Battlefield State Park | 20 NJ-33 Business, Manalapan Township, NJ 07726 | MUSEUM | ||
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park | 2332 New Garden Rd, Greensboro, NC 27410 | MUSEUM | ||
Fort Lee Historic Park | V22Q+42 Fort Lee, New Jersey | PARK | ||
Boston Common | 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111 | PARK | ||
Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site | 222 Broad St, Camden, SC 29020 | PARK | ||
Bruton Parish Church | 201 W Duke of Gloucester St, Williamsburg, VA 23185 | MUSEUM | ||
Battle of Brooklyn Marker | JX67+C7F New York, NY | MARKER | ||
Nelson House | 200 Nelson St, Yorktown, VA 23690 | MUSEUM | ||
Cornwallis's Cave | 632 Water St, Yorktown, VA 23690 | MARKER | ||
Hancock House Massacre Site | 3 Front St, Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 | MUSEUM | ||
Cornwallis Headquarters Kearney House | W3WJ+QC Alpine, New Jersey | MARKER | ||
Osborne's Hill Marker | 901 Birmingham Rd, West Chester, PA 19382 | MARKER | ||
Jefferis Ford Marker | 1103 Allerton Rd, West Chester, PA 19382 | MARKER | ||
Trimble's Ford Marker | 1574 Camp Linden Rd, West Chester, PA 19382 | MARKER | ||
Van Horne House Marker | 941 E Main St, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis's Headquarters Marker | 58 N Broad St, Woodbury, NJ 08096 | MARKER | ||
Kings Highway Flatbush Marker | J3F7+FMX New York | MARKER | ||
Fort Stirling Marker | 154 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | MARKER | ||
Rockaway Footpath-Jamaica Pass Marker | M3MX+RVR New York | MARKER | ||
Red Clay Valley Marker | 541 Chandler Mill Rd, Avondale, PA 19311 | MARKER | ||
Milestone Park Marker | 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11214 | MARKER | ||
Kershaw-Cornwallis House | 69PX+28 Camden, South Carolina | MARKER | ||
Secretary Nelson's Property Marker | 209 Bacon St, Yorktown, VA 23690 | MARKER | ||
Howard's Inn Marker-Jamaica Pass | M3JW+HWH New York | MARKER | ||
Hendrick Lott House Marker | 1940 E 36th St, Brooklyn, NY 11234 | MARKER | ||
Fort Box Well Marker | 391 Pacific St, Brooklyn, NY 11217 | MARKER | ||
Goat Hill Overlook Marker | 3 George Washington Rd, Lambertville, NJ 08530 | MARKER | ||
New Kent County Courthouse | 12003 New Kent Highway, New Kent, VA | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis Deep River Marker | 602 W Main St, Jamestown, NC 27282 | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis Camp Marker | 213 Green St, Fayetteville, NC 28301 | MARKER | ||
Goodwin Neck Marker | 3407 Goodwin Neck Rd, Yorktown, VA 23692 | MARKER | ||
McGown's Pass Marker | Q2WX+44X New York | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis Dutchman's Creek Crossing Marker | 384 Cornwallis Dr, Mocksville, NC 27028 | MARKER | ||
Nottoway River Crossing Marker | 16288 Blue Star Hwy, Stony Creek, VA 23882 | MARKER | ||
Battle of Petersburg April 25 1781 British Line of Attack Marker | 1607 E Washington St, Petersburg, VA 23801 | MARKER | ||
Chickahominy Church Marker | 3468 Chickahominy Road, Toano, VA | MARKER | ||
Ramsey's Mill Marker | 30 Lockville Rd, Moncure, NC 27559 | MARKER | ||
Battle of Green Springs Marker | 2590 VA-614, Williamsburg, VA | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis's Route Marker ND-9 | 12407 Hanover Courthouse Rd, Hanover, VA 23069 | MARKER | ||
Daniel Nichols House Marker | Q79R+V86 Hockessin, Delaware | MARKER | ||
Golden Ball Tavern Marker | 122 W Old St, Petersburg, VA 23803 | MARKER | ||
Battle of Petersburg Marker | 302 S Crater Rd, Petersburg, VA 23803 | MARKER | ||
Battle of Petersburg April 25 1781 First Line of Defense Marker | 867 E Bank St, Petersburg, VA 23803 | MARKER | ||
Old Meeting House Marker | 719 E Greensboro Chapel Hill Rd, Snow Camp, NC 27349 | MARKER | ||
Spencer's Ordinary Marker | 6401 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA | MARKER | ||
Elk Hill Marker | 5448 River Rd W, Goochland, VA 23063 | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis to Wilmington Marker | 2590 Stage Hwy, Riegelwood, NC 28456 | MARKER | ||
Folly Castle Marker | 323 W Washington St, Petersburg, VA 23803 | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis's Route Marker O-13 | 41 Dabneys Mill Rd, Manquin, VA 23106 | MARKER | ||
Battle of Petersburg April 25 1781 Artillery Position Marker | 615 E Washington St, Petersburg, VA 23803 | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis at Portsmouth Marker | 410 Waverly Blvd, Portsmouth, VA 23704 | MARKER | ||
New Kent Road Marker | 9193 Barhamsville Road, Toano, VA | MARKER | ||
Cornwallis enters NC Marker | 5G9X+9V2 Grover, North Carolina | MARKER | ||
Lord Cornwallis Bethania Marker | 5505 Bethania Rd, Pfafftown, NC 27040 | MARKER | ||
Battle of Petersburg April 25 1781 East Hill Marker | 37° 13.852′ N, 77° 23.858′ W | MARKER | ||
Battle of New Garden Marker | 5800 W Friendly Ave, Greensboro, NC 27410 | MARKER | ||
Home Christian Mauney Marker | 2555 NC-274, Bessemer City, NC 28016 | MARKER | ||
East Hill Marker | 259 4th St, Petersburg, VA 23803 | MARKER | ||
Bailes Old Mill | 1340 NC-68, Oak Ridge, NC 27310 | MARKER | ||
Doncastle's Ordinary | 9686 Old Stage Road, Toano, VA | MARKER | ||
History at Prince George Courthouse | 6401 Courthouse Rd, Prince George, VA 23875 | MARKER | ||
Home Colonel Thomas Polk Marker | 101 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC | MARKER | ||
Goochland Courthouse Marker | 37° 40.935′ N, 77° 53.103′ W | MARKER | ||
British Invasion of New Jersey Marker | W3JF+F97 Alpine, New Jersey | MARKER | ||
Before There Was A Park Marker | Q2VX+V4M New York | MARKER | ||
Campaign of 1781 Marker UL-2 | 21 Broad St, South Boston, VA 24592 | MARKER | ||
Daniel Boone, Greene, and Cornwallis Marker | 2F88+7XG Farmington, North Carolina | MARKER | ||
Sleep Hole Ferry Marker | 36° 49.426′ N, 76° 30.029′ W | MARKER | ||
Snow Camp Marker | VHRC+C4M Snow Camp, North Carolina | MARKER | ||
Lafayette and Cornwallis Marker | 37° 53.29′ N, 77° 27.967′ W | MARKER | ||
Shallow Ford Marker | 3FVP+2JC Huntsville, North Carolina | MARKER | ||
Cooper's Mill Marker | 9614 Richmond Rd, Lanexa, VA 23089 | MARKER | ||
Burnt Ordinary Marker | 3140 Forge Rd, Toano, VA | MARKER |