In 1781, the colonies, Great Britain, and France had grown tired of the Revolution. It was clear that one side needed to score a knockout blow and seize victory. Both Cornwallis and Washington saw that this victory might come in Virginia in 1781. In October 1781, nearly 30,000 American, French, British, and German troops faced each other in a winner-take-all battle. This story is a day-to-day account of the Siege of Yorktown as told by the participants in their journals, diaries, memoirs, pension applications, letters, and in newspapers. The soldiers write of their fears, hopes, and impressions of this great event, as well as the destruction that took lace. They describe the fortifications, the artillery, life on the battlefield, and the death of friends.