First Parallel

On the night of 5 October, the work began. Continental Army engineer officers marked the line with stakes and were followed by the sappers and miners, who began digging the trenches. At first light on 6 October, British artillery in Yorktown opened fire and pounded the Continental lines. However, the trenches provided good protection for the workers. “It was a sight to see a plain old field with men in it working with spades to make a ditch,” remembered Daniel Trabue, a sutler for the Continental Army. “Men could walk around in it and . . . not be seen by the enemy.” The first parallel was complete by 7 October.