On to Richmond!

Early in the Civil War, the York River Confederate defenses were tested when the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George B. McClellan, steamed down the Chesapeake Bay from Washington D.C. in March 1862 intending to use the York and James Rivers to capture Richmond. After a spirited Confederate defense of the James River turned him toward the York, his army faced strong forts at Gloucester Point and Yorktown. When the Union navy refused to attack the Gloucester guns on April 5, the Army of the Potomac settled into a siege on the Yorktown side of the river. McClellan, though he had created a world class army, was confounded by a daring Confederate force one-third the size of his own and spent a month bringing in huge mortars and siege guns. A few days before he was ready to begin a massive bombardment, the Confederates withdrew to defenses closer to Richmond, while the Gloucester Point artillery under Thomas J. Page continued firing until he ordered a retreat on May 4 as Union forces closed in.

Gloucester Point, Virginia · United States