April 5, 1862

April 5, 1862: At Yorktown, Virginia, Gen. McClellan, unable to lure Gen. Magruder and his Rebels out of the fortifications, cancels the planned march up the Peninsula toward Richmond begins, on this date, siege operations against Yorktown, and begins shelling the town. Meanwhile, Gen. Keyes, in command of one of the Union corps, reports that the "back door" into Yorktown is also closed and heavily fortified. Meanwhile, Magruder and his 13,000 Rebels march hither and yon, in a showy game of intimidation, which works: McClellan is convinced that Magruder has many more troops than he has.


—Surgeon Alfred L. Castleman, there at Yorktown with Union army, records:

5th.—A day of cooling rain, and warming excitement. Marched three miles, and found the enemy strongly entrenched behind a line of fortifications, on a narrow neck of land between the York and the James Rivers. Artillery duel at long range began about 12 o’clock, in which we had quite a number killed and wounded.

—Western Theater, Tennessee Valley Campaign : Gen. Sherman, commanding one of Grant’s divisions, reports to Gen. Grant that his line of pickets ran into Rebel troops and were captured, early in the morning. Sherman orders out a larger force, which clashes with a substantial force of Southern infantry, perhaps as much as two regiments, supported by artillery.


—At Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, Alexander G. Downing of the 11^th Iowa Infantry, records a hard day’s drill in his journal:

Saturday, 5th—We had company drill this morning as usual. Lieutenant Compton took the company out on the drill ground this afternoon for company drill, and he said: "Now, boys, we drill in earnest for an hour, then return to our quarters, put away our rifles, and then to the branch for bathing." It was warm, but the men all went into it and after a hard drill we had a good wash-off in the branch.
(This was the last time that Lieutenant Compton ever drilled our company, for the poor fellow was killed in the battle on the next day, Sunday, a little after noon. He was a fine drillmaster, and kind to his men, especially to those who tried to do their duty.—A. G. D.)