The commander's name was Lord Charles Cornwallis. Both he and George Washington had about eight thousand troops when they met near Yorktown. Cornwallis was expecting more troops to arrive on British ships.

英军将领康华里随即率领英军向维吉尼亚的约克镇前进。两军对阵时，康华里和华盛顿手里都有大约八千人的部队。