October 16, 1781 - Counter-attack

As the French are repairing batteries taken in the fighting two nights earlier, they are attacked before dawn by about 350 British. They overran one of the outer picket positions, and moved forward to one of the batteries. There they were met by a bayonet charge by the French which drove them off.

The day before Cornwallis had written a dispatch to Clinton informing him

"My situation now becomes very critical We dare not show a gun to their old batteries, and I expect that their new ones will open tomorrow morning. Experience has shown that our fresh earthen works do not resist their powerful artillery, so that we shall soon be exposed to an assault in ruined works, in a bad position, and with weakened numbers. The safety of the place is, therefore, so precarious that I cannot recommend that the fleet and army should run great risk in endeavoring to save us."

Cornwallis now saw his only means of escape as being via Gloucester. In consultation with Banastre Tarleton he determined to ferry his troops across the river. Their calculations showed they could evacuate all of the troops in three crossings using the small boats at their disposal.

The first wave of boats crossed the river before midnight on the 16th. As they returned for a second load, storms came up which lasted for some hours. Concerned about dividing his forces, Cornwallis ordered all of the troops brought back to Yorktown. Tarleton understood the result.

"Thus expired the last hope of the British army."