with lee in virginia-第32章

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were　taken　for　the　defense　of　the　city。　　Magruder　soon　found　that　it

would　be　impossible　with　the　force　at　his　command　to　hold　the

line　he　had　proposed；　and　a　large　body　of　negroes　and　troops　were

set　to　work　to　throw　up　defenses　between　Yorktown　and　a　point　on

the　Warwick　River　thirteen　and　a　half　miles　away。



A　portion　of　this　line　was　covered　by　the　Warwick　Creek；　which

he　dammed　up　to　make　it　unfordable；　and　erected　batteries　to

guard　the　dams。　　Across　the　intervening　ground　a　weak　earthwork

with　trenches　was　constructed；　there　being　no　time　to　raise

stronger　works；　but　Magruder　relied　chiefly　upon　the　swampy　and

difficult　nature　of　the　country；　and　the　concealment　afforded　by

the　forest；　which　rendered　it　difficult　for　the　enemy　to　discover　the

weakness　of　the　defenders。



He　posted　6；000　men　at　Yorktown　and　Gloucester　Point；　and　the

remaining　5；000　troops　under　his　command　were　scattered　along

the　line　of　works　to　the　Warwick　River。　He　knew　that　if　McClellan

pushed　forward　with　all　his　force　he　must　be　successful；　but　he

knew　also　that　if　the　enemy　could　but　be　held　in　check　for　a　few

days　assistance　would　reach　him　from　General　Johnston's　army。



Fortunately　for　the　Confederates；　the　weather；　which　had　been　fine

and　clear　during　the　previous　week；　changed　on　the　very　day　that

McClellan　started。　　The　rain　came　down　in　torrents；　and　the　roads

became　almost　impassable。　The　columns　struggled　on　along　the

deep　and　muddy　tracks　all　day；　and　bivouacked　for　the　night　in　the

forests。　　The　next　morning　they　resumed　their　march；　and　on

reaching　the　first　line　of　intrenchments　formed　by　the

Confederates　found　them　deserted；　and　it　was　not　until　they

approached　the　Warwick　Creek　that　they　encountered　serious

opposition。　　Had　they　pushed　forward　at　once　they　would　have

unquestionably　captured　Richmond。　　But　McClellan's　fault　was

over…caution；　and　he　believed　himself　opposed　by　a　very　much

larger　force　than　that　under　the　command　of　Magruder；

consequently；　instead　of　making　an　attack　at　once　he　began　regular

siege　operations　against　the　works　on　Warwick　Creek　and　those　at

Yorktown。



The　delay　saved　Richmond。　　Every　day　reinforcements　arrived；

and　by　the　time　that　McClellan's　army；　over　100；000　strong；　had

erected　their　batteries　and　got　their　heavy　guns　into　position；

Magruder　had　been　reinforced　by　some　10；000　men　under　General

Johnston；　who　now　assumed　the　command；　while　other　divisions

were　hurrying　up　from　Northern　and　Western　Virginia。　　Upon　the

very　night　before　the　batteries　were　ready　to　open；　the

Confederates　evacuated　their　positions　and　fell　back；　carrying　with

them　all　their　guns　and　stores　to　the　Chickahominy　River；　which

ran　almost　across　the　peninsula　at　a　distance　of　six　miles　only　from

Richmond。



The　Confederates　crossed　and　broke　down　the　bridges；　and

prepared　to　make　another　stand。　　The　disappointment　of　the

Federals　was　great。　　After　ten　days　of　incessant　labor　and　hardship

they　had　only　gained　possession　of　the　village　of　Yorktown　and　a

tract　of　low　swampy　country。　The　divisions　in　front　pressed

forward　rapidly　after　the　Confederates；　but　these　had　managed

their　plan　so　well　that　all　were　safely　across　the　stream　before　they

were　overtaken。



The　dismay　in　Richmond　had　for　a　few　days　been　great。　Many

people　left　the　town　for　the　interior；　taking　their　valuables　with

them；　and　all　was　prepared　for　the　removal　of　the　state　papers　and

documents。　　But　as　the　Federals　went　on　with　their　fortifications；

and　the　reinforcements　began　to　arrive；　confidence　was　restored；

and　all　went　on　as　before。



The　great　Federal　army　was　so　scattered　through　the　forests；　and

the　discipline　of　some　of　the　divisions　was　so　lax　that　it　was　some

days　before　McClellan　had　them　ranged　in　order　on　the

Chickahominy。　　Another　week　elapsed　before　he　was　in　a　position

to　undertake　fresh　operations；　but　General　Johnston　had　now　four

divisions　on　the　spot；　and　he　was　too　enterprising　a　general　to

await　the　attack。　Consequently　he　crossed　the　Chickahominy；　fell

upon　one　of　the　Federal　divisions　and　almost　destroyed　it；　and

drove　back　the　whole　of　their　left　wing。　　The　next　morning　the

battle　was　renewed；　and　lasted　for　five　hours。



It　was　fortunate　indeed　for　the　Confederates　that　the　right　wing　of

the　Northern　army　did　not；　while　the　action　was　going　on；　cross　the

river　and　march　straight　upon　Richmond；　but　communication　was

difficult　from　one　part　of　the　army　to　another；　owing　to　the　thick

forests　and　the　swampy　state　of　the　ground；　and　being　without

orders　they　remained　inactive　all　day。　　The　loss　on　their　side　had

been　7；000　men；　while　the　Confederates　had　lost　4；500；　and

General　Johnston　being　seriously　wounded；　the　chief　command

was　given　to　General　Lee；　by　far　the　ablest　soldier　the　war

produced。　　Satisfied　with　the　success　they　had　gained；　the

Confederates　fell　back　across　the　river　again。



On　the　4th　of　June；　General　Stuart…for　he　had　now　been　promoted…

started　with　1；200　cavalry　and　two　guns；　and　in　forty…eight　hours

made　one　of　the　most　adventurous　reconnaissances　ever

undertaken。　　First　the　force　rode　out　to　Hanover　Courthouse；　where

they　encountered　and　defeated；　first；　a　small　body　of　cavalry；　and

afterward　a　whole　regiment。　　Then；　after　destroying　the　stores

there　they　rode　round　to　the　Pamunky；　burned　two　vessels　and　a

large　quantity　of　stores；　captured　a　train　of　forty　wagons；　and

burned　a　railway　bridge。



Then　they　passed　right　round　the　Federal　rear；　crossed　the　river；

and　re…entered　the　city　with　165　prisoners　and　200　horses；　having

effected　the　destruction　of　vast　quantities　of　stores；　besides

breaking　up　the　railways　and　burning　bridges。



Toward　the　end　of　June　McClellan　learned　that　Stonewall　Jackson；

having　struck　heavy　blows　at　the　two　greatly　superior　armies

which　were　operating　against　him　in　the　valley　of　the　Shenandoah；

had　succeeded　in　evading　them；　and　was　marching　toward

Richmond。



He　had　just　completed　several　bridges　across　the　river；　and　was

ahout　to　move　forward　to　fight　a　great　battle　when　the　news

reached　him。　　Believing　that　he　should　he　opposed　by　an　army　of

200；000　men；　although；　in　fact；　the　Confederate　army；　after

Jackson　and　all　the　available　reinforcements　came　up；　was　still

somewhat　inferior　in　strength　to　his　own；　he　determined　to

abandon　for　the　present　the　attempt　upon　Richmond；　and　to　fall

back　upon　the　James　River。



Here　his　ships　had　already　landed　stores　for　his　supply；　for　the

river　was　now　open　as　far　as　the　Confederate　defenses　at　Fort

Darling。　　Norfolk　Navy　Yard　had　been　captured　by　the　10；000　men

who　formed　the　garrison　of　Fortress　Monroe。　　No　resistance　had

been　offered；　as　all　the　Confederate　troops　had　been　concentrated

for　the　defense　of　Richmond。　　When　Norfolk　was　captured　the

Merrimac　steamed　out　to　make　her　way　out　of　the　river；　but　the

water　was　low；　and　the　pilot　declared　that　she　could　not　be　taken

up。　　Consequently　she　was　set　on　fire　and　burned　to　the　water's

edge；　and　thus　the　main　obstacle　to　the　advance　of　the　Federal　fleet

was　removed。



They　had　advanced　as　far　as　Fort　Darling　and　the　ironclad

gunboats　had　engaged　the　batteries　there。　　Their　shot；　however；　did

little　damage　to　the　defenders　upon　the　lofty　bluffs；　while　the　shot

from　the　batteries　so　injured　the　gunboats　that　the　attempt　to　force

the　passage　was　abandoned。　　While　falling　back　to　a　place　called

Harrison's　Landing　on　the　James　River；　the　Federals　were　attacked

by　the　Confederates；　but　after　desperate　fighting　on　both　sides；

lasting　for　five　days；　they　succeeded　in　drawing　off　from　the

Chickahominy　with　a　loss　of　fifty　guns；　thousands　of　small　arms；

and　the　loss　of　the　greater　part　of　their　stores。



All　idea　of　a　further　advance　against　Richmond　was　for　the　present

abandoned。　President　Lincoln　had　always　been　opposed　to　the

plan；　and　a　considerable　portion　of　the　army　was　moved　round　to

join　th