The campaign which brought together several armies and fleets at Yorktown and the Virginia Capes in September and October 1781 involved forces brought to that small geographical area from all over the western Atlantic. In July of that year they were scattered from New England to the Caribbean. This chapter and the next will be devoted to examining why and how they all foregathered at the points of contact.

Virginia was relatively untouched by the war until late in 1780. It had, of course, contributed its men to Continental Army regiments, and its share of supplies to keep that army in existence, if precariously, but no fighting of any significance had happened within the state since the royal governor the Earl of Dunmore had briefly attempted to regain his lost position in 1776. The land was thus peaceful and wealthy. It was therefore just the place for Cornwallis's men after their privations in North Carolina. When he knew that General Nathanael Greene had taken his rebel army southwards into South Carolina, Cornwallis was free to move north into fresh territory, if he chose. He had a force with him of about 1,500 men, according to an official return of 1 May – this is rank and file only, not including officers and non-commissioned officers, whose inclusion would put the total up to about 1,800.

Virginia had been the object of a British raid in the summer of 1779, designed to inflict yet another blow at the faltering economy of the rebel colonies. Major- General Matthews inflicted great damage wherever he could reach and sailed off with much plunder, all without losing a single man. In October another expedition under Major-General Alexander Leslie was sent from New York, covered by the brief presence of Rodney's fleet. The intention this time was to hold Portsmouth, but soon Leslie was sent on to Charleston to reinforce that position.

The post at Portsmouth was a particular project of Lord George Germain, and Clinton had taken it up, but Leslie had been placed under Cornwallis's command – and it was he who ordered Leslie on to Charleston. Clinton replaced Leslie’s force with another expedition, under Brigadier-General Benedict Arnold, with instructions to establish the Portsmouth position.