McClellan would spend from April 6-8 inspecting the Confederate line. On the 6th Thaddeus Lowe’s balloon would ascend several times trying to determine the size of Magruder’s army. Magruder now had about 35,000 men as reinforcements continued to arrive. General Magruder marched his troops including the 14th North Carolina, “the Anson Guards”, back and forth along the 12-mile line and created the illusion of making his army look much larger than it really was. McClellan’s chief engineer Brigadier General John Barnard felt that the Rebels works were too extensive to take by force.

The map above is inaccurate on the far left of the line. It shows 5 redoubts across the Warwick River from Lee’s Mill and an earthwork line that extends to Skiffes Creek. There were five redoubts in this area but they extended to the banks of the creek.

McClellan prepared for a siege. The Federals constructed 15 separate batteries for the heavy siege cannons and mortars. The massive siege guns were hauled forward on newly constructed corduroy roads. General Joseph Johnston was placed in command of the forces on the peninsula and he did not believe Yorktown could be held and favored moving closer to Richmond but he was overruled by Lee and Davis. Johnston would establish his headquarters at the Lee Hall Mansion.

Brigadier General William Smith’s division was stationed near Dam Number 1 halfway between Yorktown and Lee’s Mill. The crossing at the dam was protected by a one-gun battery mounting a 12-pound howitzer. In the redoubts behind the battery were two additional guns a 6-lb smoothbore and a 24-in howitzer. Smith was given permission to “test” the line. At 8:30 AM on April 16th the 3rd NY Battery commanded by Captain Thaddeus Mott opened on the Confederates across the dam. The 3rd and 4th VT fired across the river. The Confederates withdrew the 12-pound howitzer from the one-gun battery ending the artillery duel around 11:00 AM. McClellan arrived on the scene at noon as Lieutenant Edwin Noyes was returning from a reconnaissance of the Rebel position. He reported that the Confederates had abandoned their rifle pits across the river. McClellan gave permission for an attack. Smith massed 18 cannons and deployed Brigadier General William Brooks’s Vermont Brigade along the river with two brigades in support. Four companies of Colonel Breed Hyde’s 3rd VT crossed the river under Captain Fernando Harrington. Brooks gave Corporal Alonzo Hutchinson a white handkerchief to wave if they needed reinforcements. The attack began at 3:00 PM with covering artillery fire. They captured the first line of trenches and rifle pits as the 15th NC fell back. Confederate Colonel Robert McKinney tried to rally his men from the 15th NC but was killed ending the counterattack. The Vermonters after gaining a foothold waited for reinforcements but Corporal Alonzo Hutchinson had been killed crossing the river and died before signaling. Captain Fernando Harrington was missing and General Smith fallen twice from his horse and was unconscious. Captain Samuel Pingree was in command of the small band of men from the 3rd VT when the Rebels attacked a second time. He was seriously wounded and would later be awarded the Medal of Honor. Finally, a second counterattack by the 7th, 8th, 11th and 16th GA commanded by Confederate Brigadier General Howell Cobb from Brigadier General Lafayette McLaws division drove the 3rd VT back across the dam. General Smith having regained consciousness ordered a second attack at 5:00 PM supported by 22 cannon from the 4th (Colonel Edwin Stoughton) and 6th (Colonel Nathan Lord) VT. By this time, however, Lafayette McLaws’ entire division had arrived, and the Federals were repulsed with 44 killed and more than 140 wounded. The following day Johnston with three divisions arrived in Yorktown increasing the Confederate force to 56,000.

Newport News Park- parking lot- 37.1821944, -76.5377222

The markers and pictures of earthworks shown below are on the Twin Forts Loop Trail.

The One Gun Battery- M1 in the map

The next several images are from the structure labeled S2 on the map.

Every Kind of Obstruction Was Skillfully Used- M2 in the map

The structure labeled S3 starts next to the Every Kind of Obstruction Marker and runs for a distance right along the path of the Twin Forts Loop trail. The next group of pictures are of S3 along the trail.

The trail then moves along the upper side of S4 where the third maker is located.

The third marker labeled M3 in the map.

The trail continues along S4 and crosses a bridge

The trail then makes a sharp left turn heading back toward the reservoir (labeled A in the map).

This led me to the sign below which was right near the fourth marker (M4 on the map) showing the way to the overlook and the continuation of the Twin Forts Trail to the left.

The fourth marker M4

On the other side of the sign the earthwork extends off into the woods in the direction of the campground. I followed it, which would lead me off the left side of the map, where it ran into a power line right of way. At this point the grass on the right of way was very high and I decided to pick up the trail on the campground side at a future date.

The overlook

I backtracked to the trail from the overlook continuing on to the fifth marker.

The Loop trail ends back at the One Gun Battery where on a 97-degree day I returned back to my air-conditioned car, lunch and a break. The heat didn’t seem to bother the sun bather below.

Sniping and skirmishing continued along the line especially near the red and white redoubts in Yorktown. Johnston continued to watch the Union buildup across from his lines and wrote Lee on April 29th of his intention to withdraw as it could be conveniently done. McClellan planned a huge barrage of the Confederate defenses for Monday May 5th. Confederate artillery opened fire during the evening of the 3rd to cover a night march toward Williamsburg. The firing stopped around 3:00 AM and Union soldiers occupied the Warwick-Yorktown line in the morning.

Yorktown National Cemetery Parking Lot

Next- The Peninsula Campaign Part 6- Fort Huger

Sources

To Hell or Richmond The 1862 Peninsula Campaign by Doug Crenshaw and Drew A. Gruber

Cavalry on the Peninsula a blue and Gray Magazine by Robert F. O’Neill Volume XIX Issue 5, 2002.