Posted on 05/08/2022 6:25:40 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, May 7.
The enemy have evacuated Williamsburgh and fled towards Richmond. Our Army is following them up vigorously.
The battle of Monday was very severe, and the loss of the rebels proves to have been large.
DISPATCHES FROM GEN. McCLELLAN.; HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, WILLIAMSBURGH, Va., May 6
Hon. E.M. Stanton, Secretary of War:
I have the pleasure to announce the occupation of this place as the result of the hard fought action of yesterday.
The effect of HANCOCK's brilliant engagement yesterday afternoon was to turn the left of their line of works.
He was strongly reinforced, and the enemy abandoned the entire position during the night, leaving all his sick and wounded in our hands. His loss yesterday was very severe.
We have some 300 uninjured prisoners, and more than a thousand wounded. Their loss in killed is heavy. The victory is complete. I have sent cavalry in pursuit.
The conduct of our men has been excellent, with scarcely an exception.
The enemy's works are very extensive, and exceedingly strong, both in respect to position and the works themselves.
Our loss was heavy in HOOKER's Division, but very little on other parts of the field.
HANCOCK's success was gained with a loss of not over twenty killed and wounded.
The weather is good to-day, but there is great difficulty in getting up food, on account of the roads. Very few wagons have yet come up.
Am I authorized to follow the examples of other Generals, and direct the names of battles to be placed on colors of regiments?
We have other battles to fight before reaching Richmond. G.B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General Commanding.
WILLIAMSBURGH, Tuesday, May 6.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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Today’s NY Times includes a letter from London Times correspondent William Howard Russell, who we haven’t heard from directly for some time. Since the beginning of the article in Times Machine is almost impossible to read I will include a link to it in the archives below.
A Great Victory: Another Flight of the Rebels on the Peninsula – 2
News from Washington: Our Special Washington Dispatches – 2
The Battle of Camden – 3-4
The Capture of New-Orleans: Full Details from Our Special Correspondent – 5-9
The War in the Southwest: Repetitions of the Rumor of the Evacuation of Corinth, &c. – 9
News from Fortress Monroe: Another Failure of the Rebels in the Exchange of Prisoners – 9-10
Department of the Shenandoah: A Reconnoissance Toward Harrisonburgh – 10
Editorial: “On to Richmond” – 10
Editorial: The Naval Battle Below New-Orleans – 10-11
Events in Mexico – 11
Cameron on the Defensive – 11
TRIALS OF THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.; Mr. Russell’s Pursuit, Under Difficulties, of the Union Army; His Repulse
A hotel now stands on the site of the battle at Williamsburg.
Virginia Engagements. 1861 - 1862 to date
| Date | Engagement | Military Units | Losses | Victor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18-19 | Sewell's Point, VA | Union naval squadron vs Confederate shore artillery | 10 total | inconclusive |
| May 29- June 1 | Aquila Creek, VA | Union naval squadron vs Confederate shore artillery | 10 total | inconclusive |
| June 1 | Fairfax Court House, VA | detachments from CSA & USA armies | 8 on each side, 1 each killed | inconclusive |
| June 1 | Arlington Mills, VA | detachments from USA ( ~200 McDowell) & CSA (~9 Bonham) armies | Union 2-total (1 killed); CSA 1 wounded | inconclusive |
| June 10 | Big Bethel, VA | Union (Butler) -3,500, CSA (Magruder) -1,400 | Union 71-total (18-killed); CSA: 10-total (1-killed) | CSA (CSA outnumbered) |
| June 15 | Hooe's Ferry (near Mathias Point) VA | Union schooner Christina Keen; CSA Farmer's Fork Grays | none -- Christina Keen captured and burned | CSA |
| June 17 | Vienna, VA | Detachments from both Union & CSA armies | Union: 12-total (8 killed); CSA: none reported | CSA |
| June 27 | Matthias' Point, VA | Union gunboats ~50 vs. Confed garrison ~500 | Union: 1-killed, 4-wounded; CSA none | CSA |
| July 18 | Blackburn's Ford, VA (pre-Manassas) | Union Department of NE Virginia (McDowell, Richardson) -3,000 vs. Confederate Army of VA (Beauregard, Longstreet) -5,100 | Union: 83-total; CSA 70-total | CSA |
| July 21 | Bull Run/Manassas, VA | Union Department of NE Virginia (McDowell, Patterson) -54,000 (18,000 engaged) vs. Confederate Army of VA (Beauregard, Longstreet) -34,000 (18,000 engaged) | Union: 2,708-total (481-killed); CSA 1,897-total (387-killed) | CSA |
| Aug 7 | CSA burned Hampton, VA | Union (Butler) vs. Confederate Cavalry (Magruder) | Union unknown; Confederates unknown | CSA |
| Aug 8 | skirmish at Lovettsville, VA | Union vs. Confederate | Union unknown; Confederates 6-total | USA |
| Aug 25 | Mason's Hill, VA | Union (Lowe's observation balloon) vs. Confederate Army NVA (Longstreet, Stuart) | Union unknown; Confederates unknown | USA |
| Aug 31 | Munson's Hill, VA | Union Army of the Potomac vs. Confederate Dept of Northern VA | Union 5-total; Confederates unknown | USA |
| Sep 3 | Bailey's Cross Roads, VA | Union & Confederat detachments | Union 8-total; Confederates none | CSA |
| Sep 11 | Lewinsville, VA (McLean, Fairfax County) | Union 79th NY Highlanders (Stephens ~1,800) & Confederate 1st & 13th VA (JEB Stuart ~400) | Union 12-total (3-killed); Confederates none | CSA (CSA outnumbered) |
| Oct 21 | Ball's Bluff, VA | Union MA, NY, MI, MN & CA Infantry, RI Artillery (Stone -1,720) & Confederate VA & MS Infantry, VA cavalry & artillery (Evans -1,709) | Union 1,002-total, including Lt. Oliver Wendell Holmes (223-killed including US Senator Edward Baker R-OR)), Confederates 155-total (36-killed) | CSA |
| Nov 26 | Skirmish at Hunter's Mills, VA | Union 3rd PA Cavalry (Bell ~94) & Confederate 1st NC Cavalry (Ransome ~120) | Union 33-total (1-killed), Confederates unknown 0? | CSA |
| Dec 20 | Drainsville, VA | Union Pennsylvania Volunteers (Ord ~5,000) & Confederate VA, KY & NC Volunteers (Stuart ~4,000) | Union 71-total (?-killed), Confederates 230-total (?-killed) | USA (1st larger Union victory in VA) |
| Jan 3, 1862 | Cockpit Point, VA | Union gun boats (Wyman ) & Confederate shore battery (French ~50) | none | Inconclusive |
| Mar 8-9 | Hampton Roads, VA | Union Navy (Marsten, Worden, USS Monitor +11 ships) & Confederate Navy (Buchanan, Jones CSS Virginia +5 ships) | Union 369 total (261 killed, 7 ships sunk), Confederate 24 total (7- killed) | Inconclusive (Strategic USA) |
| Mar 23 | Kernstown, VA | Union Army of Potomac V Corps (Kimball ~9,000) & Confederate Stonewall Division (Jackson ~4,200) | Union 590 total (118-killed), Confederate 718 total (80- killed) | USA tactical, CSA strategoc |
| April 5 - May 4 | Yorktown, VA | Union Army of the Potomac (McClellan ~103,000) & Confederate Army (Magruder, JE Johnson ~72,000) | Union 182-total (unkn-killed), Confederate 300-total (unkn killed) | Inconclusive, Confederates retreated |
| May 5 | Williamsburg, VA | Union Army of the Potomac (McClellan ~41,000), Confederate Army of Northern VA (JE Johnston, Longstreet ~32,000) | Union 2,283-total (~342-KIA), Confederates 1,682-total (~252 kia) | Inconclusive (Confederates withdrew) |
| May 7 | Eltham's Landing, VA | Union Army of the Potomac (Franklin ~11,300), Confederate Army of Northern VA (GW Smith ~11,000) | Union 194-total (~29 killed), Confederates 48-total (~7-killed) | Inconclusive (Confederates withdrew) |
| May 8 | McDowell, VA | Union OH & WVA infantry (Milroy, Schenck ~6,500), Confederate Virginia Infantry (Stonewall Jackson, E Johnson ~9,000) | Union 259-total (~28 killed), Confederates 532-total (~146-killed) | CSA |
Casualties totaled about 800, including ~174 K.I.A. bringing the war's totals to over 81,000 casualties including over 9,300 killed.
Summary of Civil War Engagements as of May 8, 1862:
Engagements in Confederate states:
| State | Union Victories | Confederate Victories | Inconclusive | Total Engagements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Virginia | 5 | 12 | 9 | 26 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Florida | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Engagements in CSA | 19 | 16 | 11 | 46 |
Engagements in Union states/territories:
| State | Union Victories | Confederate Victories | Inconclusive | Total Engagements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| West Virginia | 9 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| Missouri | 11 | 9 | 1 | 21 |
| New Mexico | 4 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Oklahoma | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total Engagements in Union | 29 | 25 | 6 | 60 |
| Total Engagements to date | 48 | 41 | 17 | 106 |
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