men. Cornwallis ordered Arnold back to New York, and then fruitlessly chased Lafayette for a time through central Virginia before making his way back to Williamsburg. Cornwallis was eventually ordered to fortify Yorktown, where Lafayette, joined early in September by a French force from the West Indies, blockaded the land routes while the French fleet prevented the arrival of British relief fleets. With the arrival of George Washington and the Franco-American army from the north, Cornwallis was besieged, and surrendered his army on 17 October 1781. Petersburg was once again a center of military activity during the American Civil War, when it was besieged for nine months in 1864 and 1865. The role of Petersburg in this later conflict dominates commemorations of its military history. However, since 1992, the city of Petersburg has sponsored an annual reenactment of this battle. Notes References External links "The Battle of Petersburg Virginia ~ 25 April 1781", City of Petersburg "The Battle of Petersburg Virginia Detail ~ 25 April 1781", City of Petersburg Conflicts in 1781 1781 in the United States Battles involving the United States Battles involving Great Britain Blandford Petersburg, Virginia 1781 in Virginia