Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee

[136] were great. His army could then be in a position to better receive a direct advance from the Federal troops, or could by a rapid march prevent any army which should be transported by water and landed at points closer to Richmond from reaching that city before he could.

As soon as Johnston had retreated McClellan advanced his troops to the position Johnston had occupied during the winter. They were then countermarched and brought back to Alexandria, a Virginia city a few miles below Washington, where arrangements were made as rapidly as possible to transport them to the Peninsula, Mr. Lincoln stipulating that at least fifty thousand men should be left in and around Washington for its immediate defense. He did not propose to “exchange queens,” because the capture of Washington by Johnston would be attended with much greater results than the capture of Richmond by McClellan.

At that time the Southern forces on the Peninsula were under the command of Major-General J. Bankhead Magruder, an accomplished and well-known officer, who had formerly distinguished himself in the service of the United States. “Prince John,” as he was called, occupied a strong position from river to river. The embarkation of McClellan's troops began on March 17th, and he left in person on April 1st, reaching Fortress Monroe on the afternoon of the 2d. When he arrived fifty-eight thousand men and one hundred guns had preceded him. Magruder was a short distance in his front with eleven thousand men. His left was at Yorktown, on York River, and his line of battle extended along the Warwick River to Mulberry Island, on the James, where his right rested. Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown, projects well out into the river. Fortifications had been constructed there, and it was expected that the guns at that point as well as those at Yorktown by crossfire could prevent the passage of the Federals up York River in any attempt to reach the Confederate rear.

It will be remembered that when the British held Yorktown over a century ago they also fortified and held Gloucester Point, and to it, at one time, Cornwallis