Battle of Yorktown: 1862

What if McClellan and his Corps commanders had not been fooled by John Magruder's facade and actually exploited Winfield S. Hancock's probe of the Confederate line at Dam Number 1. accompanied by a Naval Bombardment on Gloucester point and the Yorktown defenses on the Confederate left by Louis Goldsborough?


Note: Please be realistic in your speculation and please stay along with the subject at hand not an unending debate about the causes of the war, deriding certain generals etc. The only room for debate should be on battle strategy, as in a general disscussion on the theorized fight about Yorktown in 1862. Thank You.

It was actually the 3rd and 6th Vermont of the "Vermont Brigade" under Brook's division that made the most headway on April 16th.

Let's say that Keyes is actually in good spirits with the success of the Vermont brigade, urges and eventually sways Little Mac (Keyes was a friend of McClellan's) to push up the rest of his Corps to exploit this success on this part of the line. What are the dispositions of the Confederates and how do you think the battle would play out with Keyes's assault on the Confederate right? I imagine the majority of Keyes forces would be aiding in the assault at Dam No.1 but their would also be a feint or general advance on the other parts of the line to keep them from concentrating in the area of Dam No.1. Possibly a movement by Sumner's Second Corps?

This could be a chance for Sumner to prove himself in an independant movement, as McClellan would most likely distance himself from direct command of his troops as he so often did, would Sumner still prove to be erratic and unorganized as he was at Williamsburg and Antietam or will he compose himself and be the type of commander he was at Fair Oaks?

I gave every one the base and POD. Now its time for the viewer-YOU-to start composing and posting theories.

Erasmus Darwin Keyes said:

I gave every one the base and POD. Now its time for the viewer-YOU-to start composing and posting theories.

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Don't acknowledge this last post.

I guess no one is interested. Has anyone viewing this ever heard of The Battle of Lee's Mill, well what I was proposing was a slightly revised version of this battle which was to be expanded into a much larger scope, The Battle/Battles for Yorktown.

Erasmus Darwin Keyes said:

Don't acknowledge this last post.

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