Civil War Encampment
June 12-13-14 2009

Crossroads Alliance Church
9000 – 101st Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445

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Our event is going to be an encampment. The scenario is the forces are gathering near Williamsburg VA. a battle is imminent and could break out at anytime.
There are Confederate sharpshooters in the area that have been shooting solders while on drill, These sharpshooters are good at what they do and are able to evade the Union troops when they go after them. Below is information that I found from the web on the battle.
    More information will follow as we plan the event more. At the bottom of this page you will find photographs of the site.
Thank you.
Todd Hein
Delegate U.S. Christian Commission / Event Planner

The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pitched battle of the Peninsula Campaign, in which nearly 41,000 Federals and 32,000 Confederates were engaged, fighting an inconclusive battle that ended with the Confederates continuing their withdrawal.

Following up the Confederate retreat from Yorktown, the Union division of Brig. Gen. Joseph Hooker encountered the Confederate rearguard near Williamsburg. Hooker assaulted Fort Magruder, an earthen fortification alongside the Williamsburg Road, but was repulsed. Confederate counterattacks, directed by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet, threatened to overwhelm the Union left flank, until Brig. Gen. Philip Kearny's division arrived to stabilize the Federal position. Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's brigade then moved to threaten the Confederate left flank, occupying two abandoned redoubts. The Confederates counterattacked unsuccessfully. Hancock's localized success was not exploited. The Confederate army continued its withdrawal during the night in the direction of Richmond, Virginia.[1]
When Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston unexpectedly withdrew his forces from the Warwick Line at the Battle of Yorktown the night of May 3, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan was taken by surprise and was unprepared to mount an immediate pursuit. On May 4, he ordered cavalry commander Brig. Gen. George Stoneman to pursue Johnson's rearguard and sent approximately half of his Army of the Potomac along behind Stoneman, under the command of Brig. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner. He also ordered Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin's division to board transport ships on the York River in an attempt to move upstream and land so as to cut off Johnston's retreat. However, it took two days just to board the men and equipment onto the ships, so the maneuver had no effect on the battle of May 5; Franklin's division landed and fought in the Battle of Eltham's Landing on May 7.[3]

By May 5, Johnston's army was making slow progress on muddy roads and Stoneman's cavalry was skirmishing with Brig. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry, Johnston's rearguard. To give time for the bulk of his army to get free, Johnston detached part of his force to make a stand at a large earthen fortification, Fort Magruder, straddling the Williamsburg Road (from Yorktown), constructed earlier by Brig. Gen. John B. Magruder.[4]

 Battle

Brig. Gen. Joseph Hooker's 2nd division of the III Corps was the lead infantry in the Union Army advance. They assaulted Fort Magruder and a line of rifle pits and smaller fortifications that extended in an arc south-west from the fort, but were repulsed. Confederate counterattacks, directed by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet, threatened to overwhelm Hooker's division, which had contested the ground alone since the early morning while waiting for the main body of the army to arrive. Hooker had expected Brig. Gen. William F. "Baldy" Smith's 2nd Division of the IV Corps, marching north on the Yorktown Road, to hear the sound of battle and come in on Hooker's right in support. However, Smith had been halted by Sumner more than a mile away from Hooker's position. He had been concerned that the Confederates would leave their fortifications and attack him on the Yorktown Road,

Longstreet's men did leave their fortifications, but they attacked Hooker, not Smith or Sumner. The brigade of Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox applied strong pressure to Hooker's line. Regimental bands playing Yankee Doodle slowed the retreating troops as they passed by, allowing them to rally long enough to be aided by the arrival of Brig. Gen. Philip Kearny's 3rd Division of the III Corps at about 2:30 p.m. Kearny ostentatiously rode his horse out in front of his picket lines to reconnoiter and urged his men forward by flashing his saber with his only arm. The Confederates were pushed off the Lee's Mill Road and back into the woods and the abatis of their defensive positions. There, sharp firefights occurred until late in the afternoon.

While Hooker continued to confront the Confederate forces in front of Fort Magruder, Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's 1st Brigade of Baldy Smith's division, which had marched a few miles to the Federal right and crossed Cub's Creek at the point where it was dammed to form the Jones' Mill pond, began bombarding Longstreet's left flank around noon. Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill, commanding Longstreet's reserve force, had previously detached a brigade under Brig. Gen. Jubal A. Early and posted them on the grounds of the College of William and Mary. Hearing the sounds of Union artillery, Early and Hill hurried in that direction. Splitting his command, Early led two of his four regiments (the 24th and 38th Virginia Infantry) through the woods without performing adequate reconnaissance and found that they emerged not on the enemy's flank, but directly in front of Hancock's guns, which occupied two abandoned redoubts. He personally led the 24th Virginia on a futile assault and was wounded by a bullet through the shoulder.

Hancock had been ordered repeatedly by Sumner to withdraw his command back to Cub Creek, but he used the Confederate attack as an excuse to hold his ground. As the 24th Virginia charged, D.H. Hill emerged from the woods leading one of Early's other regiments, the 5th North Carolina. He ordered an attack before realizing the difficulty of his situation—Hancock's 3,400 infantrymen and eight artillery pieces significantly outnumbered the two attacking Confederate regiments, fewer than 1,200 men with no artillery support. He called off the assault after it had begun, but Hancock ordered a counterattack. The North Carolinians suffered 302 casualties, the Virginians 508. Union losses were about 100. After the battle, the counterattack received significant publicity as a major, gallant bayonet charge and McClellan's description of Hancock's "superb" performance gave him the nickname, "Hancock the Superb."

At about 2:00 p.m., Brig. Gen. John J. Peck's brigade of Brig. Gen. Darius N. Couch's 1st Division of the IV Corps arrived to support and extend the right of Hooker's line, which had, by this stage, been pushed back from the cleared ground in front of Fort Magruder into the abatis and heavy wood about 600 – 1,000 yards from the Confederate fortifications. The morale of Hooker's troops had been affected terribly by the loss of Captain Charles H. Webber's Battery "H" of the 1st U.S. Light Artillery and Captain Walter M. Bramhall's 6th Battery of the New York Light Artillery. Peck's arrival on the field and his brigade's recovery of Bramhall's battery came at a critical moment for Hooker's division, which was on the verge of retreat.

 Aftermath

The Northern press portrayed the battle as a victory for the Federal army. McClellan mis-categorized it as a "brilliant victory" over superior forces. However, the defense of Williamsburg was seen by the South as a means of delaying the Federals, which allowed the bulk of the Confederate army to continue its withdrawal toward Richmond. Confederate casualties, including the cavalry skirmishing on May 4, were 1,682. Union casualties were 2,283.

This information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Williamsburg .

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report concerning the Second Brigade during the battle of the 5th instant near Williamsburg:

The morning of the 5th and the opening of the battle found the brigade in occupation of five breastworks, being the center, disposed as follows, under the direction of General R. H. Anderson: Battalion of Louisiana Foot Rifles, Captain Goodwyn commanding, in redoubt to the right of Fort Magruder; Jenkins' Palmetto Sharpshooters and Colonel [John R. R.] Giles' Fifth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, in Fort Magruder, with six companies under Colonel Giles; Maj. W. M. Foster, under orders from General Anderson, took charge, with three companies Fifth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, of redoubt to the left of Fort Magruder, and Lieut. Col. J. M. Steedman, with three companies of the Sixth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, the next redoubt to the left. Col. John Bratton, with the remaining companies of the Sixth Regiment, was in position in a skirt of woods near to and left of Fort Magruder. Maj. C. S. Mattison, with his battalion, of the Fourth South Carolina Volunteers, was deployed as skirmishers in front of Fort Magruder, and opened the battle.

About 6 a.m. the firing between the skirmishers began, and Major Mattison was re-enforced by Captains Kilpatrick's and Evins' companies, from the Palmetto Sharpshooters. Under the personal supervision of General Anderson the skirmishers advanced and forced the enemy to the woods, and afterward retired to Fort Magruder.

At 6.30 a.m. firing from Fort Magruder began, picked riflemen from the Palmetto Sharpshooters replying to the enemy, and Captain McCarthy, with two pieces Richmond Howitzers, and Lieutenant Clopton, with three pieces Richmond Fayette Artillery, from Fort Magruder, and Lieut. John A. Coke, of Captain Garrett's battery, with one piece, whose ammunition giving out, was relieved by Lieutenant Palmer, of same battery? from redoubt on the right, commenced firing, which was kept up nearly all day with great gallantry and to good effect.

I passingly call attention to the admirable service of the artillery in Fort Magruder under most trying circumstances. The enemy's sharpshooters, with superior range of guns, commanded the fort, and one after one the gallant men were shot down, until I was compelled to supply their want with infantry from the Palmetto Sharpshooters. The Fayette Artillery suffered particularly and acted with great gallantry.

The fighting on the right of our line becoming earnest, General Anderson left to take charge, and placed me in command of the brigade, and Lieut. Col. Joseph Walker replaced me in command of the Palmetto Sharpshooters.

During the whole morning a constant and heavy fire of rifle and cannon was kept up between the redoubts and Fort Magruder and the enemy's center, and by my orders volleys from the long-range guns (rifle muskets) were fired upon the enemy's artillery with perceptible good effect, compelling them to change position and slacken their fire.

About 10 a.m. a considerable body of the enemy advanced under shelter of a fence oblique to Fort Magruder, and by my orders were permitted to come unmolested within close musket range, when a heavy artillery fire and musketry and rifle from the Fifth South Carolina Volunteers and Palmetto Sharpshooters speedily drove them to the woods.

No change of importance---a deadly fire from the front continuing on us, with some loss on our side--occurred until about 3 or 4 p.m., when the enemy advanced a heavy column to the left and opened a battery, raking our position in the redoubts and Fort Magruder. As the report of their movement was made by Lieutenant-Colonel Steedman, I personally reconnoitered, and observing the strength of their position and numbers, reported the fact to the commanding general, Major-General Longstreet, and made the following disposition to meet the demonstration: The Sixth Regiment, Colonel Bratton, was ordered to move and support the two redoubts fronting the enemy, both of which were already occupied by Lieutenant-Colonel Steedman with three companies of that regiment. Major Mattison, with his battalion, was ordered to take post on the left of Colonel Bratton in a skirt of woods, and all the artillery then with me in Fort Magruder were placed, supported by Colonel Giles, with six companies Fifth Regiment, to reply to the enemy's guns from the left, the fire in front having nearly closed.

Major Foster having retired from his redoubt, supposing it untenable, and the enemy threatening an advance on the left, he was ordered to report to Colonel Bratton.

Prompt re-enforcements having been sent by the commanding general, I replaced Major Foster with three companies of the Fourteenth Alabama, under Major Royston, and placed Captains Dearing's and Stribling’s batteries and three pieces of Donaldsonville Artillery, under Lieutenant Fortier, in position to answer the heavy fire from the enemy's left battery and a new battery from their right center, which now opened a terrible cross-fire.

Captain Dearing for a while singly met the two batteries, and deserves great credit for his handsome conduct, and assisted by the other batteries, the pieces of the enemy on their left and right center were compelled to cease their fire and any farther advance prevented in that direction.

At this time our gallant comrades on the right had driven the enemy step by step until his line lay exposed to our enfilade fire from Fort Magruder. Here, assisted by fallen timber and a strong position, he stubbornly resisted the advance of our troops. Seeing the critical moment, I changed front promptly with all the artillery under my command and opened from the right battery and Fort Magruder a heavy crossfire of cannon and rifles. In a few minutes the enemy's line gave back, and our gallant right pressed them and completed the victory.

By orders from the commanding general Captain Stribling's battery was placed on the right of Fort Magruder to fire upon the enemy in the woods, and was supported with coolness and efficiency by Major Anderson, commanding six companies of Palmetto Sharpshooters. About this time the attack upon the enemy's right was made by a portion of General D. H. Hill's division in which, through some mistake and the orders of the officer commanding the attack the two redoubts occupied by Colonel Bratton's regiment were for a time left unoccupied by the advance of that regiment and a part of the Fifth South Carolina Volunteers.

My thanks are due Lieutenant Love for promptly reporting the fact, and I immediately reoccupied the left breastwork with Major Mattison's battalion, he having very properly refused to leave the post I had given him in charge except on my order, and I sent two companies of the Fourteenth Alabama to re-enforce him.

Lieutenant Colonel Steedman, with a discretion and good judgment shown repeatedly during the day, had advanced under what he deemed compelling orders, very carefully covering his breastworks, and upon the repulse of the left resumed his position.

Nothing' of special interest occurred after this. The enemy at all points kept up an annoying fire until night closed the scene.

I must speak in the highest terms of the conduct of the batteries and troops under my command; the coolness and determination evinced under a trying fire, for the most part beyond our range, augurs well for the future.

To the officers in command of regiments and detachments I must accredit a prompt and discriminating readiness to obey my orders, and my thanks are due Colonels Bratton and Giles, Lieutenant-Colonels Steedman and Walker, who commanded the Palmetto Sharpshooters; Majors Mattison and [William] Anderson, Lieut. Col. A. Jackson, Captain Goodwyn, and the various battery commanders, for their cheerful and intelligent assistance during the day.

Major Whither, volunteer aide to General Anderson; Captain Mills, his assistant adjutant-general; Captain Manning, aide-de-camp to the commanding general; Captain Seabrook, adjutant to the Palmetto Sharpshooters; Captain Dick, and Lieutenant De Lisle gave me efficient assistance as a staff; and I must allude here to the handsome conduct of the couriers sent me from Colonel Robertson's cavalry regiment.

The troops of this brigade, I am glad to report, [are] in a much improved condition for a fight, encouraged by the victory in which they participated, and having full trust in the generalship of their generals.

The surgical staff of the brigade attended well to their duty in very exposed positions.

I append a list(*) of our lamented killed and wounded, who gave all to hold the position assigned them by the commanding general. The list has been sent in.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. JENKINS,

Colonel Palmetto Sharpshooters, Commanding Second Brigade
 
 

(From the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 11, Page 581)

This information from http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pond/2031/WilliamsburgVAPSS.htm .