| Battle Of Williamsburg |
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| battles of the peninsula campaign of the american civil war | |
| williamsburg | |
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 . In the first pitched battle of the Peninsula Campaign, nearly 41,000 Federals and 32,000 Confederates were engaged. Following up the Confederate retreat from Yorktown , Major General Joseph Hooker 's division encountered the Confederate rearguard near Williamsburg. Hooker assaulted Fort Magruder , an earthen fortification alongside the Williamsburg Road (from Yorktown), but was repulsed. Confederate counterattacks, directed by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet , threatened to overwhelm the Union left flank, until Philip Kearny 's division arrived to stabilize the Federal position. Winfield S. Hancock 's brigade then moved to threaten the Confederate left flank, occupying two abandoned redoubts. Attempts to get reinforcements to hold the position were unsuccessful. The Confederates counterattacked unsuccessfully. Hancock's localized success was not exploited. The Confederate army continued its withdrawal during the night. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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