MAY 3, 1862:
The Confederate heavy guns at Yorktown, Virginia, fire at
the Union lines throughout the day. While Major General George McClellan fears
that the bombardment is a prelude to an enemy assault, the random fire is
actually intended to mask the sounds of the complete evacuation of the Warwick
and Yorktown defenses. Little of military value is left behind by the
Confederates except the heavy guns that are too difficult to remove silently. By
dawn on May 4th, the withdrawal is completed. General McClellan, whose grand
bombardment and assault are not scheduled to begin until May 6th, is caught
without plans for the pursuit of the enemy.
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