Battle of Yorktown (1862)

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Battle of Yorktown 1862
Part of the American Civil War
Pursuit of the flying rebels from Yorktown Sunday morning. Alfred R. Waud, artist.
Date April 5, 1862 – May 4, 1862 Location York County and Newport News Result Inconclusive
Combatants
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders
George B. McClellan	John B. Magruder Joseph E. Johnston
Strength
146,000	11,000
Casualties
182	300

Peninsula Campaign
Hampton Roads – Yorktown – Williamsburg – Eltham's Landing – Drewry's Bluff – Hanover Courthouse – Seven Pines – Seven Days Battles (Oak Grove – Beaver Dam Creek – Gaines' Mill – Garnett's & Golding's Farm – Savage's Station – White Oak Swamp – Glendale – Malvern Hill)

The Battle of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War.

Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder's small Confederate army at Yorktown behind the Warwick River. Magruder's theatrics convinced the Federals that his works were strongly held. McClellan suspended the march up the Peninsula toward Richmond, ordered the construction of siege fortifications, and brought his heavy siege guns to the front. In the meantime, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston brought reinforcements for Magruder. On April 16, Union forces probed a weakness in the Confederate line at Lee's Mill or Dam No. 1, resulting in about 309 casualties. Failure to exploit the initial success of this attack, however, held up McClellan for two additional weeks, while he tried to convince his navy to maneuver the Confederates' big guns at Yorktown and Gloucester Point and ascend the York River to West Point, thus outflanking the Warwick Line. McClellan planned for a massive bombardment to begin at dawn on May 4, but the Confederate army slipped away in the night toward Williamsburg.

The battle took place near the 1781 siege of Yorktown, the last battle of the American Revolutionary War in the east.

[edit] References

• National Park Service battle description