The National tribune., 1881-08-20
For THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
IN FRONT OF YORKTOWN.
A REMINISCENCE.

The Army of the Potomac reached the imme
diate vicinity of Yorktown April 5, 1862.
Porter's Division of Heintzelmans (the Third
Corps held the advance upon the right, nearest
the York River; Smiths Division of the Fourth
(Keyess) Corps upon the left. At that time but
little was known regarding the exact location
and strength of the rebel works Enough had
been ascertained, however, to satisfy the Com
manding General of the Union forces that the
Confederate position was strong one. Reliable
information had been obtained showing that
chain of Notifications extended across the Pc
ninsula-at that point between eight and ten
miles wide-in front of and parallel to which for
more than twO-thirds of the distance ran the
Warwick River. This stream found its source
not far from the ancient town made memorable
by the surrender of CORVALLIS in Revolutionary
DAYS and, after a tOrtuOus sOutherly course of
perhaps six miles through a low, swampy, and,
especially upon the left, heavily -timbered coun-
try, turned abruptly in an easterly direction and
emptied into the James some four miles below
the elbow thus formed. For nearly half its
length it opposed an impossible barrier to the
passage Of troops. 1t was navigable, for vessels
of moderate draught only far as Southalls
Landing between two and three miles north and
up the stream from the angle mentioned, at which
point the enemy had erected
HEAVY BATTERIES,
and to prevent their position from being turned
a line of earthworks facing south had also been
constructed which extended westward up and
parallel to the James to Skiff Creek, a distance
of perhaps one and one-half miles.
From SOuthal1s Landing nOrthward there was
a continuous chain of redOubts within easy sup
porting distance of each other many of them
connected by lines of earthworks and rfie-pits;
and at Lees Mills, where the road from Newport
News to Williamsburg crossed the Warwick, and
between Lees and Wynn's Mills, about three
miles further North, the defensive character of
the works was strengthened by an inner line over
looking and commanding the outer approaches.
As already stated, the line of the Union adj
vance up the James River side of the Peninsula
lay through a swampy country, Overgrown with
heavy timber, and the only available road was
that crossing the Warwick at Lees Mill, which
was protected not only by the Notifications front
ing southeasterly, or down the Peninsula, but
also by other works forming part of the system
extending up the Peninsula and which broke off
from the main line in that immediate vicinity at
nearly right angle. But if the obstacles pre-
sented upon the left were seemingly insur-
mOuntable, those upon the right were scarcely
less So It is true that the country as it ap-
preached the York River became more open, but
it was interlaced by perfect network of deep
ravines, creeks, and other natural Instructions
interspersed with swamps and stretches of heavy
timber, lily adapted to either the movement of
4la Of ar+i1 idahl
still,
THE KEY To THE POSITION,
Yorktown, was strongly entrenched every ap-
pliance of modern engineering skill having been
brought into requisition to render it impregnabe.
Guns of heavy calibre looked over the parapets
of the works, commanding not only the York
River, but the country in front and nearly as far
TO the southwark as Wynns Mill, near which
were several refoubts, also heavily armed.
Across from Yorktown, on the opposite side of
the York River, at fhap place quite narrow, were
the rebel batteries located at Gloucester Point,
and until these vert sienced the gunboats could
not ascend the stFeam so to threaten the
enemy's line OF communication or cut off retreat
altogether
Porter and Smith came in contact with the
enemy at about the same time on the afternoon
of the 5th, the former in front of the main de-
fences at Yorktown, the latter in front Of the
fortified position at Lees Mills.
General Smith, in advancing, found his troops
exposed to a sharp artillery fire from the rebel
batteries upon his left and after getting in posi-
tiOn and sending out reconnOissances, found the
guns annoying him were upon the opposite bank
of the Warwick, which rendered them unap-
proachable and therefore incapable Of being car
ried by assault
From HOwards bridge over the Pequosin River,
not quite half way between Big Bethel and York
town, to the latter place, POrters line of march
Tor most of the distance lay through heavy tim
ber and terminated in broad and comparatively /
open space within view of
THE MAIN REBEL DEFENSES
envelOpng Yorktown, and in easy range of their
gums.
The timber fringing this open space had been
slashed, the roads blockaded, and every convent /
ent obstacle interposed to the advancing column. |
During the 4th, and until about noon of the 5th
1T had rained almost necessarily, and the roads
never good at the best, had been turned into