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amounting to over ten or twelve shots each day, a number of these beingdirected at the huge balloon which went up daily on a tour of inspection, fromnear General Fitz John Porter’s headquarters. One day the balloon brokefrom its mooring of ropes and sailed majestically over the enemy’s works;but fortunately for its occupants it soon met a counter-current of air whichreturned it safe to our lines. The month of April was a dreary one, much ofthe time rainy and uncomfortable. It was a common expectation among usthat we were about to end the rebellion. One of my comrades wrote home tohis father that we should probably finish up the war in season for him to beat home to teach the village school the following winter; in fact, I believe hepartly engaged to teach it. Another wrote to his mother: “We have gotthem hemmed in on every side, and the only reason they don’t run is becausethey can’t.” We had at last corduroyed every road and bridged every creek;our guns and mortars were in position; Battery No. 1 had actually openedon the enemy’s works, Saturday, May 3d, 1862, and it was expected’that ourwhole line would open on them in the morning. About 2 o’clock of Saturdaynight, or rather of Sunday morning, while on guard duty, I observed a brightillumination, as if a fire had broken out within the enemy’s lines. Severalguns were fired from their works during the early morning hours, butsoon after daylight of May 4th it was reported that they had abandoned
their works in our front, and we veryquickly found the report to be true.As soon as I was relieved from guardduty, I went over on “ French leave ”to view our enemy’s fortifications.They were prodigiously strong. A fewtumble-down tents and houses andseventy pieces of heavy ordnance hadbeen abandoned as the price of theenemy’s safe retreat.
As soon as it was known that theConfederates had abandoned the worksat Yorktown, the commanding generalsent the cavalry and horse artilleryunder Stoneman in pursuit to harass the retreating column. The infantrydivisions of Smith (Fourth Corps) and Hooker (Third Corps) were sent for-ward by two roads to support the light column. General Sumner (the officersecond in rank in the Army of the Potomac) was directed to proceed to thefront and assume command until McClellan’s arrival. Stoneman overtookJohnston’s rear-guard about noon, six miles from Williamsburg , and skir-mished with the cavalry of Stuart, following sharply until 4 o’clock, when hewas confronted by a line of redoubts before Williamsburg . The works con-sisted of a large fort (Magruder) at the junction of two roads running fromYorktown to Williamsburg , and small redoubts on each side of this, makingan irregular chain of fortifications extending, with the creeks upon whichthey rested on either flank, across the peninsula. The Confederate brigades of
UNION MORTAR-BATTERY BEFORE YORKTOWN,FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.