French Grand Battery Site

The site of the principal French artillery battery position during the Yorktown siege, part of the first parallel opened on October 6, 1781. The French heavy artillery — including siege guns far larger than anything the Americans could field — was the decisive technical factor in the siege. From these positions, French batteries maintained a devastating fire on the British works throughout the siege. The site is marked within the battlefield park and is accessible on the self-guided tour. The scale of the French contribution to Yorktown — ships, artillery, troops, money — is legible in the battery positions.