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Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
Sarah Benjamin's Eyewitness Account of the Surrender at Yorktown
- 1781
Description
Sarah Osborn of New York followed her commissary sergeant husband Aaron of the 3rd New York Regiment during the Revolutionary War. She submitted this deposition to support her claim for a pension based upon her husband’s service. This page records her exploration of Yorktown the day Cornwallis surrendered, October 19, 1781, her meeting with Governor Nelson, and her subsequent trip back north.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
National Archives Identifier: 1636083
Full Citation: Sarah Benjamin’s Eyewitness Account of the Surrender at Yorktown; 1781; Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land-Warrant Application File of Aaron Osborn of New York; Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, ca. 1800–ca. 1912; Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/sarah-benjamins-eyewitness-account-of-the-surrender-at-yorktown/, May 1, 2026]
Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
