Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-04-22

1907, the forceS on the fenlnsuia uuueT 0ou-
Mcclellan amounted to 132, 1872 present for duty
HE WANTS GUNS
p On the LIST of May the President telrgraphs
TO Gen. Mcclellan: "Your call for Parrott
guns from Washington alarms me, chiefly be-
cause il argues indefinite procrastination. Is
any thing to be done re
YORKTOWN RvAcuArED-a' cLELLAy cRAaRIsRD.
On the night of the Sd and the morning of
the 4tb OF May, the enemy evacuated York
town without loss. One OF the witnesses tes-
tifies that Gen. cCleilan was very much cha
grined and mortified at the evacuation, as he
bad made his preparations to open from his
batteries on Monday, the 9th of May.
PURSUIT OF THE REBELS.
The evacuation was discovered BY daylight
on the morning OF the 4th Between 10 and
IL O'Clock Gen. Sfonrmsn, with the cavalry
and some light horse artillery, started in pur-
suit. About O'Clock, Gen. Hooker, with
his division, left Yorktown. with orders to
support Gen. Sfoneman. Gems. Sumner, Heiat-
zelman and keyes also moved out during the
day, with the whole or portions of their corps.
About five miles from Yorktown the division
of Gen Hooker was delayed for some time in
consequence Of other troops, coming from an
other direction, getting into the road before
him.
In the meantime Gen. Stoneman had over
taken the rear of the enemy with bis cavalry,
and followed them up closely, Keeping up
running fire all the time, until the enemy
reached their works in the neighborhood of
Williamsburg. when the pursuit was checked.
Gov. Sprague was sent back to hurry up the
infantry support under Gen. Hooker. After
considerable delay, finding il impossible to
pass the troops ahead of him, Gen. Hooker
turned off and proceeded by another road, of
which be had obtained information from some
of the inhabitants; marched till IL O'Clock
Tt
and came up to the advanced works OF the
enemy little after O'Clock, about half
mile from Fort Msgruder, and at once engaged
the enemy.
BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG.
There seems TO have been great misappre-
hension and confusion in relation to the man
agement of the troops at Williamsburg. When
the pursuit first commenced on Sunday, Gen.
Heiutzelman was instructed by Gen. McCiei-
Ian TO take charge of operations in front.
On the morning OF Monday orders were sent
to Gen. Sumner to take the command Gen.
Mcclellan remained behind in Yorktocn 10 sx-
perinfend the se.ding Of ftro d,risions up the
York Rirer to West Point A heavy rain set
in on Sunday, rendering the roads almost inn
practicable for the passage of troops. The
troops of the different commands became min
gled-divisions and brigades, to some extent.
were separated from each other-and 1t seems
to have been difficult to get the troops up IN
time. '
During Monday forenoon Gen. Hooker. find
ing himself hard pressed by the enemy, and
understanding that Gen. Summer had 80 900
troops with him sent repeatedly for reinforce
ments. So did Gen. Stoneman and Gen
Heintzelman. but oreenforcements arrived
Gen. Sumner states that, having sent Gen.
Hancock to the right, he had at the center
only about 5000 infantry-the cavalry there
not being fitted for operations against the en-
L..
ed. Upon receiving the call for re-enforce-
ments TO be sent to the left to Gen Hooker,
he sent staff officers TO hurry up troops from
the rear. his own corps being some ten miles
of, and ordered kearnev to reinforce Hook
er. Re-enforcem-nts not coming mp to Gen.
Hooker soon needed, or perhaps expect
ed, the Prince de Joinville and Gov Sprague
went to Yorkfowu to urge Gen. Mcclellan to
come up to the front. and take charge OF mat
ters there. Gov. Sprague arrived at York
town about l O'Clock, having been about an
hour in going down. He testifies that ,rhen
Gen. McCIeiian ,cas fold the condition Of affairs
at the front, he remarked that he had supposed
those in front could attend TO that little n7atter.
After some time Gen. Mcclellan started from
Yorktown, and reached the vicinity of Will
liamsburg about O'Clock in the afternoon.
HOOKER DOES THE FIGHTING.
By that time Gen. Kearney had reached the
command, being the senior in rank to Gener-
al Hooker. Gen. Hancock had been engaged
on the right. but, upon being reinforced had
succeeded in repulsing the enemy, losing a.
bout forty men. The principal fighting was
done by the troops under Gen, Hooker. his di-
vision sustaining loss of about LOO men.
Before he was REINFORCED, his troops were
obliged to-hold their po, ition with the bayo
net and such ammunition as the men could
obtain from the bodies of those who had fall
len, the roads being so muddy that it was i'm
possible to bling up fresh ampunition.
RErRsAT AND PURSUIT.
That night the enemy evacuated their posi-
tion at Williamsburg. W Gen. Mcclellan states
that after he arrived on the field he was so
satisfied that the enemy had been beaten and
would be compelled to evacuate their position
that night or be taken at q eat disadvantages,
that he countermanded orders to the d ivisious
of Richardson and Sedgwick aud sent them
back to yorktown.
The next day the pursuit WAS continued for
a short distance by Gen. Stoneman and the
cavalry, with small body of infantry. Serer
al Of the Generals testify that, had the enemy
been promptly .folio,csa up after the battle Of
williamsburg, they could hare been JoitoTed
right info Richulond--one OF them says Dithout
roads were bad, in consequence of the
rains, that it impracticabIe to make a
vigorous pursuit.
The battle of Williamsburg appears to have
been fought under many and serious dsadvan-
tages. Nothing was known OF the nature of
the country or the defensive works Of the en-
emy until our troops arrived before them
thefe was no controlling mind in charge of
the movements there was uncertainty in re-
gard to who was in command; each General
fought as he considered best; and, by the fime
the General Commanding appeared on the field,
the principal part of the fighting ,cas orer.
FURTHER DELAY.