of the war constantly reproduced. General McClellan, himself, admits that the maps of the peninsula proved entirely inaccurate, frequently misleading the army, while he had quite misapprehended the nature of the soil, expecting to find it more favorable than it was.

might not have gained possession of the town. There were difficulties, however, in the way, in the extent, and unexpected strength of the fortifications, and the hastily increased number of their defenders. The Confederates, apprised of their danger, had sent large reinforcements to Yorktown, where General Jo- In the meantime, on the morning of seph E. Johnston had arrived the day the 11th, the Merrimac having been rebefore the appearance of the Union ar- paired at the Norfolk navy yard, and my in its front. General McClellan, in for the last few days stationed at Craney fact, soon became convinced that the pru- | island, came out into the open waters of dent course before him was the more de- the bay, accompanied by a fleet of six liberate method of a regular siege. He gunboats, including the Jamestown and had intended that the corps of General Yorktown, and proceeded towards James McDowell should be engaged in turning river. Arriving midway at the entrance the position by landing beyond Gloucester to the river, the Jamestown, leaving Point, and moving on the left bank of York Newport News on her left, captured two river, to the head of navigation at West brigs and a schooner anchored near the Point; but that force, as we have seen, shore. The prizes, transports laden with had been employed in another direction. hay and sutler's stores, were towed to From the first arrival of the troops Elizabeth river. While this was going before Yorktown, on the 6th of April on, there was a great flutter of expectathere was more or less skirmishing of the tion at Fortress Monroe of another consharpshooters-Berdan's notable corps, test, for which preparation had been -with the enemy in their entrenchments made, between the Merrimac and Moniin front of the Union line. Days were tor, the latter, with the Naugatuck, Ocpast in cautiously reconnoitering the ene- torara, and other gunboats, lying at my's position, and in the various prepa- hand prepared for action should the farations of the camp. To add to the em- mous iron-clad advance to a favorable barrassments, heavy rain storms, unusual position. In the afternoon, however, for the season, aggravated the ordinary the Merrimac, content with the recondifficulties of a campaign in an enemy's noisance and spoils of the day, returned country, which, at the best, afforded few to Elizabeth river. Previous to retiring facilities to an invading enemy. The she came down towards the Monitor and ground, imperfectly drained, would have Naugatuck, when several shots were exbecome entirely impracticable had not changed, at too great a distance, howthe skill and energy of the troops-par- ever, to be effective. The rebel fleet had ticularly the Maine and Michigan regi- shown itself, and its presence in the ments, conquered the defect by construct- vicinity appeared to be admitted as a ing with great toil a series of corduroy sufficient protection to the Confederates roads, over which the artillery could be on James river. transported. "The complete absence of all information in regard to the country, and to the position of the enemy, the total ignorance under which we labored in regard to his movements, and the number of his troops," are noticed by the Prince de Joinville, who shared the fortunes of the campaign, as curious traits

The next signal incident in this quarter was an attempt on the centre of the lines of Warwick creek, at a point about a mile above Lee's mills, where the width of the stream being increased by a dam. the enemy had a fortified earthwork, protected to the right and left by a series of rifle pits. A cleared space on the

ACTION AT LEE'S MILLS.

409

der the command of their accomplished artillery officer-covered the Vermonter's advance. They marched steadily at the quick to the edge of the creek, and plunged in, on the run. The water deepened unexpectedly. The men were soon wading to their breasts, their cartridge-boxes slung up on their shoulders and their muskets held up high. The moment they entered the stream, the rebels swarmed on the edge of their riflepit, and rained a fire of bullets on the

side of the stream opposite the fort offered a convenient position for the Union batteries, while the surrounding woods were favorable for bringing up troops to the attack. The fort being silenced, the stream, though waist deep, it was thought could be passed by the men. Early on the morning of the 16th of April, accordingly, a brigade of Vermont troops, of General W. F. Smith's division, with Mott's battery, were advanced to the spot, the latter taking position about 1,200 yards from the fort. A sharp con-advancing line. The stream, as dammed, test ensued, with skirmishing of musketry was about twelve yards wide. The Veron the right and left, between the guns monters loaded and fired as they waded. of the battery and the fort, which, in two Their killed and wounded began to fall hours, ended in silencing the rebel work, from the instant of entering the water. at an expense to the assailants of three Many of the latter were sustained by men killed and four wounded. General their arms and the collars of their coats, McClellan then arrived on the ground, and so helped across, and laid down on and the position of affairs was thought the opposite side. The 3d, as soon as sufficiently favorable to continue the at- they emerged and got foot-hold, received tack in the afternoon. Mott's battery on the order to 'charge!' With a yell, the right, reinforced by additional bat- with true Green Mountain ring in it, they teries on the left, were then advanced to dashed at the extended rifle-pit. At within a thousand yards of the work, and least a regiment of rebels broke from beopened a heavy fire, while three Ver- hind it, and ran into the redoubt in the mont regiments were brought up through rear, leaving the Vermonters in the pit. the woods. A gallant attempt was made For at least an hour they fought from by several companies of the 3d to cross here against overwhelming numbers, rethe stream below the dam and charge ceiving reinforcements in that time, first the intrenchments, but they were driven of four companies of the 6th Vermont, back by the superior fire of the enemy. and afterwards of four companies of the The 6th also dashed through the stream, 4th Vermont. They shot their foe prinand reached the opposite bank to be re- cipally through the head, and so supepulsed by the enemy's riflemen. The rior was their fire, and their pluck so 4th also made a similar unsuccessful at- impressive, that the rebels moved two tempt. No actions of the war have fur- additional regiments into the fort, and nished more striking instances of courage into a flanking position on the left of the and devotion than this daring passage of rifle-pit. Exposed now to a cross-fire, the stream by the brave Vermonters. as well as an increased fire in front, the The scene is thus described by a corres- Vermonters, though they wanted to stay, pondent: "At four o'clock in the after- had to go. In good order, covering noon, the four companies of the 3d were themselves behind trees, and fighting as called up, formed into line, and told by they went, they recrossed the stream, their colonel, in a pithy speech, that the carrying with them all their wounded work expected of them was to charge whose condition at all promised survival across the creek and take the enemy's of their hurts. Many were now shot in entrenchments. Ayre's guns-all of the the water, and drowned beyond all posbatteries, numbering 22 pieces, were un-sibility of help. The language of a Le

The Vermonters were saved from utter destruction by the unintermitted and well directed fire of the batteries, which swept the enemy's works with great accuracy. The Union loss in this attack or reconnoisance, as it was afterward called, was 35 killed, 120 wounded, and 9 missing.

moille county boy, not sixteen years old, 'Why, sir, it was just like sap-boiling in that stream-the bullets fell so thick,' is so expressive that I use it as a measure of intensity. These brave men having backed out of the deep water, forined on the dry land, and began the fight anew, while many, not detailed, but volunteering through impulses of soldierly devotion After this, the movements of the Union and personal affection, dashed into the army were confined to the regular operstream again and dragged out the wound-ations of a siege. Heavy rifled guns, ed, who were clinging to the trees, and and mortars of extraordinary calibre, sitting with their heads just out of water. were brought up under cover of the forJulian A. Scott, of the 3d Vermont, est, which protected the assailants from Company E, under sixteen years of age, the operations of the enemy. The direcwas one of these heroes. He pulled out tion of the siege was especially assigned no less than nine of his wounded com- by the commander-in-chief, to General rades. He twice went under fire way Fitz John Porter, whose activity was across the stream, and brought back from manifest in every direction in forwarding the slope of the rifle pit John C. Backum, the preparations. Balloon ascents, in of his own company, who was shot which he personally made observations. through the lungs. Ephraim Brown, who of the enemy's works, furnished many a was helping him, was himself shot through paragraph to the newspapers of the day. the thigh in the inside, and disabled. In one of these flights, shortly after dawn, Scott waded back, like the boy-hero he it is recorded that "when about one is, and brought him safely over. Among hundred feet above the ground the rope the incidents of the fight, was the recov- anchoring the balloon broke, and the ery from a fever of Sergeant Fletcher, of general sailed off south-westerly toward Company E, 3d Vermont, on the sick Richmond, at a greater speed than the list, and excused from duty, and the use army of the Potomac is moving. He he made of his temporary health. He was alone, but had sufficient calmness to crossed the stream and went through the pull the valve rope, and gradually defight then, on his return, was among scended, reaching the ground in safety, those who went back and rescued the about three miles from camp." wounded. On his return to camp, he went into hospital and resumed his fever, with aggravation. John Harrington, a beardless orphan boy of seventeen, unarmed, went over and rescued out of the rifle-pit a disabled comrade. All will recall the case of private William Scott, of the 3d Vermont, sentenced by McClellan last fall to be shot for sleeping on his post, while on the Potomac, and whom Simon Cameron, then secretary of war, saved from his rigorous fate. Among the foremost across the creek, and the first to be killed yesterday, was this very man-as brave a soldier as ever died on the field of battle."

General Porter, a native of New Hampshire, was a graduate of West Point, of 1845, when he entered the 2d artillery. He served in Mexico, and was wounded before the capital, and was breveted major for his gallantry in the final actions of the war. He was subsequently engaged at the military academy as an instructor of cavalry and artillery. In 1856 he was appointed assistant adjutant general, with the rank of captain. At the outset of the rebellion he was made colonel of the 5th regular infantry, and shortly after, a brigadier-general of vol

Correspondence New York Evening Post. In front of Yorktown, April 11, 1862.

YORKTOWN EVACUATED.