April 1, 1862

One of the grand Union strategies of the Civil War came to be known as the “Peninsula Campaign”, an attempt to capture Richmond Virginia by landing troops at Fortress Monroe and attacking northwest up the peninsula formed by the James and York Rivers.

The entire Peninsula campaign is outlined on Johnson's map of the vicinity of Richmond…1862 which shows the direction of march, as indicated by arrows, of Union forces from Fortress Monroe to Richmond and their subsequent retreat in July 1862. On the move northwest up the peninsula towards Richmond, Union troops laid siege to Yorktown for most of April 1862 as seen on The siege of Yorktown, April 1862, a view of the siege which ended with Confederate evacuation of Yorktown on May 5, 1862. The view presents the embattled city of Yorktown with more than twenty- three Union troop and artillery positions firing on the walled fortress.

Following the surrender of Yorktown, Union forces continued their march northwest towards Richmond capturing Williamsburg in early May 1862.

Map Citations

Johnson, A. J. (Alvin Jewett), 1827-1884. Johnson's map of the vicinity of Richmond, and Peninsular Campaign in Virginia: showing also the interesting localities along the James, Chickahominy and York rivers / [New York : Johnson and Ward, 1862?] 1 map : hand col., 45 x 68 cm .
Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/99448355

Worret, Ch. The siege of Yorktown, April 1862. Washington, D.C. and Old Point Comfort, Va., C. Bohn, c1862. 1 view, col., 28 x 43 cm.
Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/99446374

McAlester, Miles D. Sketch of the battlefield and Confederate works in front of Williamsburg, Va., May 5th 1862 [S.l., office of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, 1876] 1 map, col., 29 x 31 cm.
Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/99446371