American Revolution Primary Sources | Horace Walpole

Letter to the Earl of Strafford about the Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown

Written on November 27, 1781; excerpted from The Best Letters of Horace Walpole, 1911

"Oh, my Lord, I have no patience with my country, and shall leave it without regret! Can we be proud when all Europe scorns us?"

Horace Walpole

In 1779, the war's action moved from the north to the south. By then, the French had agreed to openly assist the American cause. With the help of the French navy, the Americans finally achieved a stunning victory at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781.

Back in England, the news of the surrender at Yorktown came as a complete (and unwelcome) surprise. For two years, all London had been hearing was news of a string of southern victories. Parliament, the British lawmaking body, was scheduled to return from a recess on November 27, 1781....