October 2, 1781

For 24 hours the British gun emplacements on shore, and from ships in the river, have bombarded the American and French forces firing around 350 rounds.

However, things aren't going so well for the British either, on the 2nd some 70-100 dead horses are observed floating in the York River. By the next morning the number is estimated at 400. The British, without fodder, are being forced to slaughter their mounts. Without these, there is little hope of escape overland.

(Again, credit where it's due...almost all these entries come from Victory at Yorktown by Robert Ketchum, with a few from His Excellency George Washington by Joseph Ellis, and Private Yankee Doodle, the diary of Joseph Plumb Martin.)