The Confederates evacuated
Yorktown, where a comparatively small force had held
McClellan in check for about a month.
The sick, hospital stores, ammunition, and camp equipage had been sent to
Richmond, and in the night of May 3, 1862, the
Confederate troops evacuated
Yorktown and
Gloucester and fled towards
Williamsburg, vigorously pursued by horse-artillery and cavalry under
General Stoneman, followed by several divisions under the chief command of
General Sumner.
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, who had hastened to the peninsula after the evacuation of
Manassas, was now in chief command in front of
McClellan.
Leaving a strong guard at
Williamsburg to check the pursuers,
Johnston fell back with his main army towards
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Richmond, with the intention of fighting the Nationals in full force when they should approach that city.
But he was compelled to fight sooner than he expected, for gallant and energetic men—
Generals Hooker,
Kearny, and
Hancock—attacked that rear-guard near
Williamsburg on May 5.
The Confederates had some months before constructed a line of strong works, thirteen in number, across the rolling plateau on which
Williamsburg stands, and two miles in front of that city.
These caused pursuing
Stoneman to halt and fall back.
Hooker pressed forward along the
Hampton road; and on the morning of May 5, being in front of the
Confederate works, and knowing that 30,000 troops were within supporting distance and the bulk of the Potomac army within four hours march of him, he began an attack with
New England, New York, and
New Jersey troops.
Hearing of this,
Johnston sent back
Longstreet's Confederate division to support the rear-guard.
Other troops soon joined
Hooker.
At 1 P. M. the battle assumed gigantic proportions.
Hooker was losing heavily.
Other Confederate reinforcements had arrived.
Three times the
Confederates had made a fierce charge and been repulsed, and in one of these quick movements five of the
National cannon were captured, with 300 prisoners. For nearly nine consecutive hours
Hooker fought almost unaided.
He had called repeatedly on
Sumner for help, but in vain; but between four and five o'clock the brave and dashing
General Kearny came up with his division, with orders from
General Heintzelman to relieve
Hooker's worn and fearfully thinned regiments.
They had then lost in the battle 1,700 of their companions.
The battle was now renewed with spirit.
General Hancock, too, was successfully engaged in a flank movement.
He drove the
Confederates from some redoubts, but his force was too small to make their occupation by his men a prudent act. He finally made a fierce bayonet charge, when the
Confederates broke and fled with precipitation, with a loss of over 500 men. Very soon the
battle at Williamsburg was ended, and the victorious troops were eager to pursue their
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Map of the battle of Williamsburg. |
retreating foes, led by
Longstreet.
McClellan came upon the battle-ground after the conflict and refused to allow a pursuit.
He moved leisurely forward during the next ten or twelve days, and reached the
Chickahominy River when
Johnston's troops were safely encamped beyond it. The entire National loss in the battle was 2,228, of whom 456 were killed and 1,400 wounded. The Confederates lost about 1,000.
They left nearly 800 behind in their hasty flight.
