. Report on the organization and campaigns of the Army of the Potomac . having been discovered that the enemy were receiving artil-lery stores at the wharf in Yorktown, on May 1st, BatteryNo, 1 was opened with eflfect upon the wharf and town. On the 22d of April, General Franklin, with his divisionfrom General jMcDowells corps, had arrived and reported tome. The garrison of Gloucester Point had been reinforcedand the works strengthened ; but as this division was toosmall to detach to the Severn, and no more troops could bespared, I determined to act on Gloucester by disembarking iton th
. Report on the organization and campaigns of the Army of the Potomac . having been discovered that the enemy were receiving artil-lery stores at the wharf in Yorktown, on May 1st, BatteryNo, 1 was opened with eflfect upon the wharf and town. On the 22d of April, General Franklin, with his divisionfrom General jMcDowells corps, had arrived and reported tome. The garrison of Gloucester Point had been reinforcedand the works strengthened ; but as this division was toosmall to detach to the Severn, and no more troops could bespared, I determined to act on Gloucester by disembarking iton the north bank of the York River, under the protection ofthe gun-boats. The troops were mainly kept on board shipwhile the necessary preparations were made for landing them,and sup])orting tliem in case of necessity. For a full accountof this la1)()r, I refer to the report of B. S. Alexan-der, of the Engineer Corps detailed for this expedition. While the siege works w^ere being rapidly completed, theroads on the left wing necessary for communication and ad-. THE SIEGE OF YOEKTOWN. 177 vance were opened and corduroyed over the marshes, batterieswere erected to silence the enemys guns and drive him fromhis works at Winns and Lees Mills, preparatory to the gene-ral attack, active reconnoissances were continually going on,and attempts in force made to drive the enemy from thebanks. The result of various reconnoissances made under the imme-diate direction of Gen, W. F. Smith, commanding 2d Division,4th Corps, led to the belief that the weakest point of that partof the enemys lines, was opposite a field, where it was ascer-tained that there was a dam covered by a battery known tocontain at least one gun. It was determined to push a strongreconnoissance on this point, to silence the enemys fire, andascertain the actual strength of the position, being prepared tosustain the reconnoitering party by a real attack, if foundexpedient. Gen, W. F, Smith was directed to undertake th
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