Final answer:
The British withdrew to Charleston before retreating to Yorktown during the Southern Theater of the American Revolutionary War, after which the British forces ultimately faced defeat at the Battle of Yorktown.
Step-by-step explanation:
After a series of battles in the Southern Theater of the American Revolutionary War, the British forces withdrew to Charleston prior to their eventual retreat to Yorktown. The city of Charleston served as a significant base following the British victory in the Siege of Charleston, which was the largest American loss during the entire war. However, after a range of military actions in the South and losses at battles such as Guilford Courthouse, the British, under the command of General Charles Cornwallis, moved to Yorktown, Virginia. This decision eventually led to the pivotal siege where Cornwallis expected to be evacuated by the Royal Navy to New York, where he would join General Sir Henry Clinton. Instead, he found himself trapped by American and French forces in September 1781, culminating in the British defeat at the Battle of Yorktown, which effectively ended significant combat operations in the war.