ARMY OPERATIONS. 



97 



sion of Gen. Porter subsequently arrived on 

 transports, but no further skirmishing took 

 place at that position. 



The success at Williamsburg proved to be 

 more complete than had been at first expected. 

 The strong works of the enemy, the town, and 

 his sick and wounded being taken, indicated 

 that his loss had been great, and that his retreat 

 was rapid and disorderly. The retreat was fol- 

 lowed up by the Federal cavalry for one or 

 two days, and constant skirmishing kept up 

 with the Confederate rear guard. The terrible 

 condition of the roads rendered a more active 

 pursuit out of the question. Three days were 

 spent by the army at Williamsburg looking after 

 their wounded, who were scattered through 

 the woods, and waiting for provisions from 

 Yorktown, the arrival of which was delayed 

 by the state of the roads. 



At this date a serious blow was given to the 

 Confederate strength by the loss of Norfolk, 

 the destruction of the Merrimac, and the break- 

 ing up of their blockade of the James river, 

 which had been caused by the Merrimac taking 

 a position off Craney Island. On the 7th Pres- 

 ident Lincoln arrived at Fortress Monroe, and 

 after examining the fortress and the camp at 

 Newport News, urged a movement on Norfolk, 

 which had already been reported as abandon- 

 ed in consequence of the advance of the army 

 of the Potomac up the peninsula. An expe- 

 dition was accordingly organized, under the 

 direction of Maj.-Gen. Wool which embarked 

 at Fortress Monroe during the night of the 

 9th of May, and landed at Willoughby's Point, 

 a short distance from the Rip Raps and eight 

 miles from Norfolk, at daylight on the 10th. 

 The force consisted of the 10th New York, 

 Col. Bendix ; 20th do., Col. Weber ; 99th do. ; 

 1st Delaware, Col. Andrews; 16th Massa- 

 chusetts, Col. "VTyman ; 58th Pennsylvania, Col. 

 Bailey: a battalion of mounted rifles, and a 

 company of 4th regular artillery. Gens. Mans- 

 field and Weber proceeded over a good road 

 on the direct route to Norfolk, but finding the 

 bridge over Tanner's Creek on fire, and a small 

 force of the enemy on the opposite side with* 

 three small howitzers, a march of eight miles 

 was then made by the Princess Anne road, 

 around the head of the creek to Norfolk. The 

 defences of the city were found to have been 

 abandoned. At the limits of the city Gen. 

 Wool was met at half past four in the after- 

 noon by the mayor and a committee of the 

 council, who surrendered it. He immediate- 

 ly took possession, and appointed Brig-.-Gen. 

 Yiel6 military governor, with directions to 

 see that the citizens were protected in "all 

 their civil rights." The troops bivouacked on 

 the field outside of the limits of the city for the 

 night. As soon as these ceremonies were com- 

 pleted, and the custom house and other U. S. 

 property taken possession of, Gen. Wool and 

 his aid for the occasion, Secretary Chase, re- 

 turned to Fortress Monroe. About four o'clock 

 the next morning, a bright light was observed 



VOL. IL 7 



from Fortress Monroe, in the direction of Craney 

 Island, which was supposed at first to be a sig- 

 nal of some description from the Confederate 

 iron-clad steamer Merrimac or Yirginia. It 

 was closely watched by the officers of the picket 

 boats, as well as by the various naval vessels 

 of the fleet, and precisely at half past four 

 o'clock an explosion took place, which made 

 the earth tremble for miles around. In the 

 midst of the bright flames that shot up through 

 the distant blaze, the timber and iron of the 

 monster steamer could be seen flying through 

 the air, while immense volumes of smoke rose 

 up and for a time obscured everything. No 

 doubt was entertained that the Merrimac had 

 ceased to exist, and had doubtless been aban- 

 doned by the crew. 



A naval reconnoissance was immediately 

 sent out toward Norfolk. The fortifications 

 on Craney Island were found to have been 

 abandoned. They were in four or five separate 

 sections, and constructed by the most skilful 

 engineers. They were left in excellent condi- 

 tion, as were also the extensive barracks which 

 had accommodated during the winter a garrison 

 of over two thousand men. The forts were 

 finely sodded, and all the appurtenances for 

 immediate service were in readiness, with sup- 

 plies of ammunition in sheds near each of the 

 forty heavy guns mounted in different parts of 

 the works. On the main front of the island, 

 commanding the approaches by the river chan- 

 nel, the works were casemated".. Nine of these 

 casemates were finished, in each of which were 

 nine or ten-inch guns, principally Dahlgrens, 

 and the work of erecting five more casemates 

 was in progress at the time of the evacuation, 

 in one of which a gun was mounted. The 

 whole number of guns mounted was thirty-nine, 

 of which two were Parrotts and a number rifled 

 Dahlgrens. There were also about six guns in 

 the works which had not been mounted. None 

 of them had been removed. 



On the line of the river leading from Craney 

 Island to Norfolk there were not less than six 

 heavy earthworks, mounting in all about sixty- 

 nine cannon, aH of which were in position, ex- 

 cept those that were in the works near the 

 Naval Hospital. These had been taken to 

 Richmond. 



Not far above Craney Island was the river 

 barricade. Although the river is here nearly 

 a mile wide, a line of piles had been driven from 

 shore to shore, with the exception of an open- 

 ing in the centre of the channel for vessels to 

 pass in and out. Here were two steam pile- 

 drivers which had been used for this work, and 

 near the opening was moored the hulk of the 

 old frigate United States, which it was proposed 

 to sink in case Federal vessels should have suc- 

 ceeded in passing the fortifications. 



Immediately commanding this river barricade 

 was a casemated battery, forming a half circle, 

 and mounting eleven heavy guns. On the op- 

 posite bank of the river was another battery, 

 with two or three other small works, before 



