What was General Henry Clintons role in the battle of Yorktown?
~Hank was the commander-in-chief of all British forces in North America. After personally leading the successful invasion of South Carolina and taking Charleston, and believing the Southern Campaign to have been won, he returned to his headquarters in New York. He left his second in command, Charles Cornwallis in charge of the southern forces and the southern theater. Chuck was not in Hank’s league and couldn’t get the job done. Washington had been joined by Rochambeau and his elite French forces and was marching on New York to take on Clinton and the northern army when he got word that Barras and de Grasse had sailed. The French admirals had devised a brilliant strategy and, in the end, executed it perfectly with impeccable timing and near total surprise. The plan was centered on control of the Chesapeake. Washington and Rochambeau turned south. Clinton was unaware of what was happening. De Grasse met British Admiral Sir Thomas Graves and handed the Royal Navy the only significant def
