Siege of Yorktown (1862) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege 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 – May 4, 1862 (4 weeks and 1 day) Location York County and Newport News, Virginia Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
George B. McClellan	John B. Magruder Joseph E. Johnston
Strength
c. 58,000 rising to 102,670	72,379
Casualties and losses
182	300

The Siege of Yorktown in 1862 was an important event during the American Civil War. It happened from April 5 to May 4, 1862. This siege was part of a larger plan called the Peninsula Campaign. The goal was for the Union Army to capture Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy.

Union General George B. McClellan led his large army, the Army of the Potomac, towards Yorktown. He expected an easy march. However, he met a smaller Confederate force led by General John B. Magruder. Magruder's troops were hidden behind strong defenses called the Warwick Line.

General Magruder cleverly moved his soldiers around. This made his small force look much larger and stronger than it was. Because of this trick, General McClellan decided not to attack right away. Instead, he began a siege. A siege means surrounding an enemy position and trying to capture it slowly.

During the siege, both sides fired cannons at each other. Union scouts discovered how strong the Confederate defenses truly were. General McClellan then ordered his troops to build their own defenses. He also brought up huge cannons, called siege guns. Meanwhile, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston arrived with more soldiers to help Magruder.

On April 16, Union soldiers tried to find a weak spot in the Confederate line at a place called Dam No. 1. They had some early success but couldn't follow through. This delay gave the Confederates more time. General McClellan also tried to get the Union Navy to help. He wanted them to sail past the Confederate forts and attack from behind. But the Navy was hesitant.

McClellan planned a huge cannon attack for May 5. But the Confederate army secretly left Yorktown on the night of May 3. They retreated towards Williamsburg, Virginia. This siege happened in the same area as the famous 1781 Siege of Yorktown from the American Revolutionary War.

Why the Union Army Came to Yorktown

General McClellan wanted to capture Richmond, Virginia. This city was the capital of the Confederacy. He decided to move his army by sea. This is called an amphibious operation. His soldiers landed at Fort Monroe on the Virginia Peninsula.

McClellan's army was huge, with over 120,000 soldiers. They traveled on 389 ships. He hoped the Union Navy would help surround Yorktown. But a new Confederate warship changed everything. This ship was an ironclad called the CSS Virginia. Ironclads were powerful ships covered in metal.

The CSS Virginia and strong Confederate cannons near the York River made the Navy nervous. They couldn't promise to help McClellan from the water. So, McClellan had to plan a land attack on Yorktown.

Confederate Defenses at Yorktown

The Confederate forces at Yorktown were much smaller. General John B. Magruder led only about 11,000 to 13,000 men. Most other Confederate soldiers were spread out in different towns.

General Magruder built a strong defensive line. It stretched across the entire Peninsula. This line went from Yorktown on the York River to the James River. It even used some old trenches from the 1781 Siege of Yorktown. This defense was called the Warwick Line. Magruder didn't have enough soldiers to fully guard every part of it.

McClellan's plan was to have one part of his army, the III Corps, hold the Confederates at the York River. Another part, the IV Corps, would go around the Confederate defenses. They would try to cut off their supplies and communication. McClellan and his officers didn't know how long Magruder's defensive line really was. They thought the Confederates were only defending Yorktown itself.

The Battle Begins: Union Advance and Magruder's Clever Trick

Siege of Yorktown, April–May 1862      Confederate      Union

On April 4, 1862, the Union Army moved past the first Confederate defenses. But the next day, they met the strong Warwick Line. The land made it hard for the Union to see how many Confederate soldiers were there. General McClellan thought there were about 15,000 to 18,000 enemy troops.

Confederate General Magruder used a clever trick. He marched his soldiers back and forth. This made his small army look much bigger. A Confederate soldier wrote in his diary about moving all day to show themselves to the enemy. This trick worked! McClellan believed the Confederate defenses were very strong. By April 20, he thought there were over 80,000 Confederates at Yorktown.

McClellan sent his army forward in two main groups. One group, led by General Erasmus D. Keyes, moved towards a place called Lee's Mill. The other group, led by General Samuel P. Heintzelman, went towards Yorktown.

At Lee's Mill, Union soldiers faced strong Confederate cannons. They tried to fight back but had to pull away. The Union soldiers also tried to find weak spots in the Confederate line. They marched across the front of the enemy defenses. This was to see where the Confederates would fire from. This showed that the river line was continuous and hard to cross.

Storms and Scouting Missions

A big storm started that evening, stopping all troop movements for days. After the storm, Union soldiers continued to scout the area. They looked for any weak points to attack. On April 9, General Hancock explored around Dam Number One. Here, General Magruder had made the Warwick River wider to create a water barrier.

Hancock's scouts pushed back Confederate guards and captured some prisoners. They noticed that this spot had higher ground on the Union side. This made it seem like a possible place for an attack. However, General Keyes believed the Warwick Line was too strong to attack directly. He told this to General McClellan.

During this time, the Union Army used hot air balloons for scouting. Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe and his Union Army Balloon Corps flew balloons like the Intrepid. General Fitz John Porter even went up in a balloon. Once, a balloon drifted over enemy lines, causing worry, but it returned safely. A Confederate captain also had a similar balloon mishap.

In Front of Yorktown, 1862–1863, by Winslow Homer

The Attack at Dam Number One

The skirmish near Dam Number One

President Abraham Lincoln was surprised and unhappy that McClellan didn't attack right away. McClellan wanted to either go around the Confederate position by water or find a weak spot to attack. The Navy still refused to help. But on April 14, McClellan's engineer, John G. Barnard, found a weak spot at Dam No. 1 on the Warwick River.

McClellan made a plan to attack there. First, a division of soldiers would capture Garrow Ridge. This ridge overlooked the dams. This would stop the Confederates from building more forts and hide the Union attack force. Then, a large Union force would gather behind the ridge and attack the Confederate forts.

On April 16, the Union attack at Dam No. 1 did not go well. Union soldiers first succeeded in taking Garrow Ridge. But then, a small group of soldiers tried to cross the dam against orders. Confederate soldiers quickly surrounded them. The Union soldiers were forced back, and the dam was destroyed. This made the planned attack impossible.

Three brave Union soldiers received the Medal of Honor for their actions at Dam Number One. They were Drummer Julian Scott, First Sergeant Edward Holton, and Captain Samuel E. Pingree.

After the Dam No. 1 Attack

After the failed attack, it was clear that no direct assault would work. McClellan decided to start a "regular approach." This meant digging trenches and setting up many heavy cannons. The Union built 15 batteries with over 70 large guns. These included huge 200-pounder and 100-pounder cannons. They also had 41 mortars, which fired shells weighing up to 220 pounds. When all these cannons fired together, they would drop thousands of pounds of explosives on the enemy.

Union battery with 13-inch (330 mm) seacoast mortars, Model 1861, during siege of Yorktown, Virginia 1862.

McClellan still hoped to get the Navy to help. The commander of the York River ships had been unwilling to attack the Confederate forts. But on April 30, a new commander, William Smith, took over. He immediately moved his ships closer and began firing at the Yorktown forts. This naval attack helped convince the Confederate general, Johnston, that it was time to leave.

For the rest of April, the Confederates, now led by General Johnston with about 72,000 soldiers, improved their defenses. McClellan continued to bring up and place his massive siege cannons. He planned a huge attack for May 5. This attack would involve six divisions against a fortified line with two forts.

General Johnston saw the naval bombardment on April 30 and the Union cannon fire on May 1. He knew his army could not hold out much longer. On May 3, he sent his supply wagons towards Richmond. That night, the Confederates fired as many cannons as they could to discourage the Union from following. They also left behind booby traps and land mines. Then, they secretly retreated towards Williamsburg, Virginia.

McClellan's guns and gunners near the lower wharf at Yorktown after the Confederate evacuation

Early on May 4, two escaped slaves told Union soldiers that the Confederates were leaving. Soon after, Lieutenant George Custer reported seeing the same thing from a balloon. Union pickets investigated at dawn and confirmed the retreat.

By 5:30 a.m., the news reached General McClellan. He ordered a general pursuit of the retreating Confederates. He sent cavalry, led by General George Stoneman, to chase them. He also ordered General William B. Franklin's division to board Navy ships. They were to sail up the York River and try to cut off Johnston's escape. These actions led to the next battles at Williamsburg and Battle of Eltham's Landing.

Battlefield Preservation

The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have helped save 6 acres (2.4 hectares) of the Lee's Mill part of the battlefield. This helps protect these important historical sites.

Images for kids

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  Dam No. One Battlefield Site Plaque 1

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  Dam No. One Battlefield Site Plaque 2

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  Dam No. One Battlefield Site Obelisk South Face

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  Dam No. One Battlefield Site Obelisk West Face

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  Dam No. One Battlefield Site Obelisk North Face

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  Dam No. One Battlefield Site Obelisk East Face

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Yorktown (1862) para niños