Transcription

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trains while his main army and rear guard under

Longstreet contineud their retreat toward the Richmond

defenses. On the night of the Second day of May Gen.

Magruder realizing that he could not much longer

maintain the weak Shell of opposition, and having

afforded Gen. Johnson, the unlooked for delay in the

Federal advance, and the consequent opportunity for the

construction of necessary defensive works about the

Confederate Captial, quietly withdrew his forces from

Yorktown, to join the main body further up the Peninsula.

Gen. Johnston naturaly supposed that when McClellan

discovered the evacuation of Yorktown he would at once

follow in hot pursuit with his entire force, In this he was

most agreably [agreeably] disappointed, Tardiness of movement and

inability to seize opportunities seemed to be characteristic

of the Union Commander, Hours were spent in hesitation

over plans of pursuit, at length, on the morning of May

4th, the divisions of Hooker, Kearney, Smith, Couch

and Casey were ordered forward under the General

Command of Gen Henitzleiman [Heintzelman], but later the command

was transferred to Gen. Sumner, thus creating at the

start unfortunate confusion. The whole pursueing [pursuing] force

numbered about 40,000 men, Gen. Sedgwicks troops, with

others were ordered to remain at Yorktown to be forwarded

as circumstances might require - While Gen. Frankliin's

corps was to embark upon transports which had been

collected in readiness, and proceed to move up the York

river to West Point, McClellan chose to remain at Yorktown

to superintend these movements. In this forward movement,

Generals Hooker and Kearney, forming the 3d Corps under

the Command of Hentzleman, were directed to move by the

Yorktown road, while the forces of Gen's Smith, Couch, and

Casey were to take the Winn's Mill road both roads

converging in the vicinity of Williamsburg - Stoneman

with the cavalry and horse artillery were directed to lead

the way. The wretched roads always soft and [oozy?]

were now cut up and rendered almost impassible by

the passage of the enemys artillery and trains, made

our progress slow and difficult, late in the afternoon

we were halted by the blockade of Smiths division