Campaign of 1781 Lafayettes Encampment King William Marker

On 13 August 1781, the Marquis de Lafayette encamped his army in King William County. He placed his militia four miles east between the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Rivers and stationed his light infantry - commanded by Gen. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenburg and Lt. Col. Christian Febiger - a mile south of here. From these positions Lafayette spied on the British army under Gen. Charles Cornwallis entrenching downriver at Yorktown, and prepared to block its escape routes. Early in September, Gen. George Washington and his army arrived from the north, accompanied by Rochambeau's French forces, to join Lafayette and begin the siege of Yorktown.